Vance County

Vance County, NC Permits for Metal Carports and Garages

In Vance County, a metal carport or garage starts with a zoning permit, and permits come from the Planning and Development Department, which runs both a Planning Division and an Inspections Division. The county ordinance says a building permit cannot be issued until a zoning permit is issued first, so plan on two steps. Carports count as buildings under the county zoning definitions, attached or not.

Permit office: Vance County Planning and Development Department
Phone: 252-738-2080
Official county page

When a permit is required

Zoning permit first: Vance County requires a zoning permit for new construction, alterations, additions or a change in use, and the building permit comes after it.
Carports are buildings: The zoning chapter defines a building to include attached or unattached carports made of a roof and supporting members.
Building permit and inspections: The Inspections Division issues construction permits and does the state-required inspections for every phase of construction.
Small buildings: North Carolina law can exempt an accessory building with no dimension over 12 feet from a building permit. Call 252-738-2080 to confirm how Vance County handles it, since the zoning permit still applies.

Zoning and setbacks

Vance County zoning (Code of Ordinances Section 156.051) sets these rules for accessory structures: at least 10 feet from side lines, 10 feet from the rear line and 10 feet from the house. Maximum height is 20 feet, measured to mean roof height. A garage or shed cannot sit closer to the road than any part of the house, and on corner lots that applies to each road. Lots of 5 acres or more, and lots next to the Corps of Engineers land around Kerr Lake, can place the building closer than the house but still not inside the district front setback. A residential accessory building cannot be rented out or lived in. The county also enforces flood damage prevention and watershed protection rules. Well and septic permits come from Granville Vance Public Health Environmental Health, at 115 Charles Rollins Road, 252-492-5263.

What to bring

A zoning permit application, approved before the building permit is issued
A site plan or survey showing all existing and proposed improvements (the ordinance treats a survey as proof of meeting setbacks)
Distances from the new building to side and rear lines, the road right-of-way and the house
Building size and height, so staff can check the 20 foot height limit and lot coverage
Building plans or manufacturer drawings for plan review

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. Ask Vance County Planning and Development what proof of farm use they accept before you build. Electrical work in a farm building still needs a permit and inspection.

Good to know

The department also handles manufactured housing, subdivision, watershed protection and flood damage prevention ordinances, and it keeps the county GIS and tax maps, so staff can pull up your parcel and its zoning. The inspectors are Building Codes Enforcement Officers, and the chief officer can be reached at 252-738-2081. Campers on a lot with a well, septic tank or power pole but no house are limited to 14 days in a row. The county zoning code is posted online at American Legal Publishing.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Vance County?
Plan on it. The zoning chapter treats attached or unattached carports as buildings, so the zoning permit comes first. State law can exempt an accessory building with no dimension over 12 feet from the building permit, so call 252-738-2080 to confirm.

Do I need a permit for a metal garage or shed in Vance County?
The zoning permit still applies. The ordinance sets 10 feet from side and rear lines and from the house, a 20-foot height limit, and no spot closer to the road than the house.

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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