Watauga County

Watauga County, NC Permits for Metal Carports and Garages

In unincorporated Watauga County, a metal garage or carport is generally treated as a building under the North Carolina State Building Code, and the Watauga County Planning and Inspections Department in Boone is the office that enforces that code. The department posts its own application instructions for a residential deck or accessory building, so a Watauga County carport permit goes through the same office as a new home or addition. The same department also handles watershed, flood plain, erosion control and subdivision rules, which matter on mountain lots. State law can exempt an accessory building with no side over 12 feet from a building permit, but the land use rules can still apply, so check before you order.

Permit office: Watauga County Planning and Inspections Department
Address: 126 Poplar Grove Connector, Suite 201, Boone, NC
Official county page

When a permit is required

Metal garages and enclosed buildings: The Planning and Inspections Department enforces the N.C. State Building Code in the county's jurisdiction. Plan on a building permit for a garage, shop or barn that's not a bona fide farm building.
Carports and other accessory buildings: The county posts application instructions for a residential deck or accessory building. Start there for a carport, RV cover or storage building.
Small buildings, 12 feet or less: N.C. G.S. 160D-1110 can exempt an accessory building with no dimension over 12 feet from a building permit. Watershed and flood plain rules can still apply.
Grading the pad: On sloped ground, cutting a level pad may bring in erosion control rules. The department posts a grading permit form for land-disturbing work.

Zoning and setbacks

The Planning and Inspections Department prepares and enforces the county's land use regulations, which it lists as subdivision, erosion control, watershed, zoning and flood plain rules. Its Board of Adjustment interprets the zoning ordinances, hears variances and authorizes conditional use zoning permits. In the Valle Crucis Historic District, the Valle Crucis Historic Preservation Commission reviews building exterior plans and issues Certificates of Appropriateness, so a new outbuilding there may need that approval before a permit. The county does not post accessory setback numbers in a form we could read, so ask the department for the setbacks that apply to your parcel.

What to bring

A site plan showing the building and its distance to property lines, streams and roads
Building size, height and use
The manufacturer's building drawings
Your tax parcel number (the county building permit application asks for it)

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. Under that statute, a farm sales tax exemption certificate, a present-use value tax listing, a Schedule F or a forest management plan counts as proof of farm use. Watauga County does not post a farm exemption form online that we could find, so call the Planning and Inspections Department to ask what proof of farm use it accepts. Wiring a farm building still needs an electrical permit.

Good to know

The Planning and Inspections Department is at 126 Poplar Grove Connector, Suite 201, in downtown Boone and is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Forms are posted on the department's forms page. Towns such as Boone and Blowing Rock run their own planning and inspections offices, so if your land is inside a town, start with that town. Because the county also enforces watershed and flood plain rules, check whether your lot sits near a stream or in a mapped flood area before you pick a site.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Watauga County?
Usually yes, unless it's small. The county posts application instructions for residential accessory buildings, and a carport with no side over 12 feet can be exempt from the building permit under state law. Watershed, flood plain and Valle Crucis rules can still apply, so call the department first.

Do I need a permit for a metal garage or shed in Watauga County?
Plan on a building permit for an enclosed metal garage, since the Planning and Inspections Department enforces the state building code outside the towns. For a small shed, state law can drop the building permit when no side is over 12 feet, though on steep or creekside lots the grading, watershed and flood plain rules may still reach it.

Does Valle Crucis have extra rules for outbuildings?
Yes. The Valle Crucis Historic Preservation Commission reviews building exterior plans in the historic district and issues Certificates of Appropriateness.

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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