The Charlotte region: building permits and new construction
156,145 building permits were filed in the last 12 months at the 3 permit offices we read in the Charlotte region, and 12,638 in the last 30 days. The most common work: electrical (33%), mechanical / HVAC (24%) and plumbing (11%).
Across the region's counties, the Census counted 8,882 new single-family homes in the 12 months to August 2026, +3% on the year before, and 1,454 units in apartment and other multi-unit buildings.
- Permits, last 12 months
- 156,145
- Last 30 days
- 12,638
- New single-family homes
- 8,882
- 12 months, region's counties (Census)
- New single-family home
- $205K
- median construction cost on permits
Who issues building permits in the Charlotte region
Around Charlotte, permitting is county business. Mecklenburg County's code enforcement office issues the building and trade permits for the City of Charlotte and for every town in the county — Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville — so one county system holds nearly every permit filed in the region's core.
Cabarrus County and Union County work the same way: each county issues permits across its towns, including Concord and Kannapolis in Cabarrus and Monroe, Indian Trail and Waxhaw in Union.
Mecklenburg files trade work — electrical, mechanical, plumbing — as permits of their own, separate from the building permit. That's why its counts run far ahead of the other offices: one house can carry five or six permits.
We don't read permits from Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Rowan or Anson County yet. The Census counts below cover them, so you can still see where new homes are going up there.
The permit offices we read
Each has its own page with monthly permits, what's being built, the busiest ZIP codes, the most active contractors and the latest filings.
- Charlotte & Mecklenburg County129,174 permits in 12 months · 10,170 in the last 30 daysMecklenburg County issues the building permits for Charlotte and for the towns around it, so one feed covers the whole county.
- Cabarrus County23,528 permits in 12 months · 1,883 in the last 30 daysCabarrus County issues building permits across the county, including Concord and Kannapolis.
- Union County3,443 permits in 12 months · 585 in the last 30 daysUnion County issues building permits across the county, including Monroe, Indian Trail and Waxhaw.
New homes by county
Housing authorized by building permits in each county around the region, from the Census Bureau — including the counties we don't have a permit feed for yet.
| County | Single-family homes | vs. year before | Units in 2+ unit buildings | Avg. cost per home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union | 2,254 | −1% | 347 | $266K |
| Gaston | 1,964 | +1% | 366 | $401K |
| Cabarrus | 1,497 | +7% | 302 | $192K |
| Iredell | 1,372 | −2% | 98 | $239K |
| Rowan | 1,024 | +30% | 341 | $449K |
| Lincoln | 719 | −9% | 0 | $280K |
| Anson | 52 | −2% | 0 | $151K |
| Mecklenburg | Census figures incomplete — see note | |||
What's being permitted
Every permit filed in the last 12 months at the offices we read in the Charlotte region, by type of work.
- Electrical51,577 (33%)
- Mechanical / HVAC37,724 (24%)
- Plumbing17,949 (11%)
- New Build8,970 (6%)
- Alteration / Remodel5,397 (3%)
- Commercial2,282 (1%)
- Accessory Structure / ADU1,813 (1%)
- Demolition1,553 (1%)
- Deck / Porch1,421 (1%)
- Addition1,338 (1%)
Busiest ZIP codes in the Charlotte region
Where the permits are. Each linked ZIP has its own page.
Most active contractors in the Charlotte region
Ranked by permits pulled in the last 12 months. Builders, and the trades that file their own permits.
| Contractor | Last 12 months | Last 90 days |
|---|---|---|
| Champion Residential LLC, DBA Morris Jenkins | 695 | 257 |
| Brothers Air Heat & Plumbing | 412 | 128 |
| Formula Air HVAC LLC | 252 | 102 |
| Victory Builders LLC | 222 | 176 |
| National Permit Expediters, Inc. | 214 | 34 |
| Bradham Comfort Services | 207 | 66 |
| Acosta Inc. | 206 | 57 |
| Lennar Carolinas LLC | 190 | 58 |
| Robin Mcclintock | 188 | 72 |
| Drb Group North Carolina LLC | 171 | 21 |
| J Crawford | 163 | 37 |
| Katie Keely | 152 | 54 |
Recent permits
The latest filings. Permit Search has every one, with the contractor behind it.
| Address | Type | Value | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 302 LARRY DRKannapolis 28083 | Accessory Structure / ADUKN_Accessory Use/Structure | — | — | |
| 8916 Simpson RdWaxhaw | New Build500 - New Single Family | — | Issued | |
| 1112 W Unionville Indian Trail RdUnionville | New Build500 - New Single Family | — | Issued | |
| 7340 PAUL LINKER PLHarrisburg 28075 | OtherWell Application | — | — | |
| 1704 Hwy 205Marshville | Electrical400 - Residential Electrical | — | Issued | |
| 1017 Sentinel DrIndian Trail | Mechanical / HVAC200 - Residential Mechanical | — | Issued | |
| 10670 TROUTMAN RDMidland 28107 | Alteration / RemodelSeptic Expansion or Repair | — | — | |
| 115 YOUNG AVE SWConcord 28025 | Alteration / RemodelBuilding Residential Repair | — | Issued | |
| 1511 12TH FAIRWAY DR NWConcord 28027 | Mechanical / HVACMechanical (Residential New) | — | — | |
| 1408 LONGBOW DRKannapolis 28081 | Mechanical / HVACMechanical (Residential Upfit) | — | Issued |
The Charlotte region: common questions
- Who issues building permits in the Charlotte area?
- Around Charlotte, permitting is county business. Mecklenburg County's code enforcement office issues the building and trade permits for the City of Charlotte and for every town in the county — Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville — so one county system holds nearly every permit filed in the region's core.
- How many building permits were filed in the Charlotte region this year?
- 156,145 in the last 12 months, and 12,638 in the last 30 days, across the 3 permit offices we read: Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County and Union County. That counts every permit type each office publishes, trade permits included, so one project can appear more than once.
- Where are the most new homes being built around Charlotte?
- Union County: 2,254 new single-family homes authorized from September 2025 through August 2026, by the Census count. Across the 7 counties we track here it was 8,882, 3% more than the year before. Mecklenburg is left out: its recent Census figures have a reporting gap.
- What does a new home cost to build in the Charlotte region?
- The median construction cost declared on new single-family home permits in the offices we read was $205K over the last 12 months, and $167K for townhomes. That's the builder's declared cost of construction — it leaves out the land, site work and the builder's margin, so it runs well below a sale price.
More guides
- North Carolina building permits: the guide
- The Triangle: building permits guide
- The Triad: building permits guide
- Wilmington and the Cape Fear region: building permits guide
- Roofing permits in North Carolina
- HVAC permits in North Carolina
- Solar permits in North Carolina
- Building permit data for general contractors
Get the permits, not just the totals
Permit Search has every permit from the offices we read in the Charlotte region: the address, the contractor behind it and the permit history of each property. Or get new permits in your ZIP codes emailed to you.
Source: TarSignal, from North Carolina public building permit records, data through October 3, 2026. Refreshed nightly. Counts include every permit type a jurisdiction files — trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) as well as building permits — so one project can appear more than once. Values are what the applicant declared, where the jurisdiction records one. We keep improving how we collect each office's permits, so a count that steps up suddenly usually means more complete records, not more construction.