Macon County

Macon County, NC Permits for Metal Carports and Garages

Plan on a permit for a metal carport or garage in Macon County, since county code requires one before building, and the Code Enforcement / Building Inspections office in the Human Services Building in Franklin issues it. The county site does not publish a size cutoff for small accessory buildings, so call before you order. If your lot is inside Franklin or Highlands, you'll need a zoning certificate from that town before the county issues a building permit.

Permit office: Macon County Department of Planning & Code Enforcement (Building Inspections)
Address: 1834 Lakeside Drive, Franklin, NC 28734
Phone: 828-349-2072
Official county page

When a permit is required

The county's code (Section 150.02) requires a permit before building, altering or demolishing a building, and before electrical, plumbing or HVAC work.
Inside Franklin or Highlands town limits, bring a town zoning certificate with your county building permit application.
Any development in a mapped flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit first (Chapter 151).
Grading on slopes steeper than 1:1 (45 degrees) needs plans with the land disturbance application.

Zoning and setbacks

Macon County's building permit application asks whether your parcel is in a flood plain or watershed, and watershed maps are available at the office. Your site plan has to show lot lines, streams, wells and the septic system, and the building must be at least 25 feet from a well and 5 feet from any part of the septic system, drain lines included. Trout streams carry a 25-foot buffer, and the flood ordinance bars new construction or fill within 50 feet of the top of bank on small streams without mapped flood data. Small accessory buildings in a flood zone can be allowed if they aren't lived in, are anchored, and let floodwater pass. Check setbacks with Planning before you pick a spot.

What to bring

A building permit application with parcel number, township, directions to the site (and gate code), and power company
Plans drawn to scale with foundation, wall and roof details (at least one elevation and one cross-section)
A site plan showing lot lines, streams, structures, driveway, well and septic. A septic or well permit doesn't count as the site plan
Septic and well approval names and years, and a 911 address request with a site drawing if the site needs an address
Town zoning certificate if you're inside Franklin or Highlands

Farm buildings

N.C. G.S. 160D-903 exempts farm buildings on a bona fide farm from the building code. The Macon County site does not post its own farm exemption form, so ask Code Enforcement what proof they want (such as a present-use value listing or Schedule F) before you build. Any wiring in a farm building still needs an electrical permit.

Good to know

The office is open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and inspection calls in by 4:30 p.m. are set for the next day. If you're out in the Nantahala area, inspections there only run on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so plan your pour around that. Land disturbance rules require reseeding within 21 days after grading, a silt fence or berm, and a gravel construction entrance. Permits lapse if work hasn't started within 12 months.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Macon County?
Plan on it. Section 150.02 requires a permit before building, and the county site posts no small-building cutoff, so call 828-349-2072 about your Macon County carport permit.

Do I need a permit for a metal garage or shed in Macon County?
The same section applies. Your site plan must show the building at least 25 feet from a well and 5 feet from any part of the septic system, drain lines included.

What if I am inside Franklin or Highlands?
Bring a zoning certificate from the town with your county building permit application.

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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