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Edgecombe County

Edgecombe County, NC Permits for Metal Carports and Garages

North Carolina

An Edgecombe County carport permit comes from the Inspections Division in Tarboro, part of the county's Planning, Inspections and E-911 department, and a zoning certificate comes first. Zoning is a separate step. You turn in a plot plan and get a zoning certificate first. If your land sits inside a town or its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), that town handles the zoning certificate instead of the county.


Permit office: Edgecombe County Planning, Inspections & E-911 (Inspections Division)
Address: 201 St. Andrew St., Tarboro, NC 27886
Phone: 252-641-7835
Official county page


When a permit is required

  • Call the Inspections Division before you order. They will tell you if your carport or garage needs a building permit based on its size and use.
  • A zoning certificate comes before the building permit. The county wants a plot plan first.
  • If you're inside a town limit or a town's ETJ, get the zoning certificate from that town.
  • Any wiring or other trade work is permitted separately on the county's electrical, mechanical or plumbing applications.


Zoning and setbacks

The county's Application for Zoning Compliance Permit lists accessory buildings and asks for a plot plan with the size of the building and its distance from each property line. It also asks how many square feet of other accessory buildings are already on the lot. Setbacks depend on your zoning district and are set in the county's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), so ask staff for the front, side and rear numbers for your lot. On a septic lot, note that the Environmental Health Department won't issue a septic permit until you have a zoning certificate. Lots in a mapped flood zone fall under the county's flood hazard overlay rules, and some areas need a watershed permit.


What to bring

  • Application for Zoning Compliance Permit with a plot plan showing the building size and distance to each property line
  • Building Permit Application
  • Electrical Permit Application if you are running power to the building
  • Owner Exemption Affidavit if you are acting as your own contractor
  • Two sets of building plans for new construction
  • Lien agent information if the project is $40,000 or more


Farm buildings

A building used only for a bona fide farm may be exempt from a building permit in county jurisdiction under N.C. G.S. 160D-903. Edgecombe County has a BONA FIDE Agriculture Exemption Confirmation Form, and it takes one piece of proof: a NC farm sales tax exemption certificate, a present-use-value tax listing, your latest Schedule F, or a forest management plan. Floodplain and watershed rules still apply, and electrical work still needs a permit and inspection.


Good to know

The office is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and permits are issued from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They don't take faxed applications, and the permit isn't issued until it's paid for. To book an inspection you need your permit number. Requests in by 4 p.m. go on the next available inspection day. A third party picking up a new-construction permit needs a signed, notarized letter from the owner or contractor. The county adopted a fee schedule on July 1, 2018 that includes a penalty for starting work without a permit. Forms are on the county's Applications, Forms and Procedures page. Flood questions go to the same office through its Floodplain Management page.


Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Edgecombe County?
The county doesn't post a size cutoff, so call Inspections at 252-641-7835 and describe your carport. Either way, plan on a plot plan and a zoning certificate before any building permit.


Do I need a permit for a metal garage or shed in Edgecombe County?
The same office decides based on size and use. The zoning application lists accessory buildings and asks how many square feet of them are already on the lot.


What proof does the farm exemption take?
One item: a NC farm sales tax exemption certificate, a present-use-value listing, your latest Schedule F or a forest management plan.


Sources


Rules and fees change. Call the office to confirm before you order.


See the full North Carolina permit guide for statewide rules, farm exemptions and wind and snow ratings.


Looking at buildings? See our metal carports, metal garages and metal buildings.


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Design it yourself in 3D with the button below, or call 919-725-8176 and we'll help you figure out what your county needs.

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