The Triad: building permits and new construction
28,426 building permits were filed in the last 12 months at the 2 permit offices we read in the Triad, and 2,128 in the last 30 days. The most common work: electrical (32%), mechanical / HVAC (27%) and plumbing (14%).
Across the region's counties, the Census counted 8,403 new single-family homes in the 12 months to August 2026, −3% on the year before, and 2,852 units in apartment and other multi-unit buildings.
- Permits, last 12 months
- 28,426
- Last 30 days
- 2,128
- New single-family homes
- 8,403
- 12 months, region's counties (Census)
- New single-family home
- $210K
- median construction cost on permits
Who issues building permits in the Triad
In Guilford County, the City of Greensboro issues permits inside city limits and Guilford County issues them for the unincorporated county and the smaller towns that use the county's office — the records name Summerfield, Oak Ridge, Pleasant Garden and others. High Point and Kernersville issue their own.
Greensboro files trade permits — electrical, mechanical, plumbing — separately from the building permit, so a subcontractor's work shows up under the sub's own name.
In Alamance County, the county's office issues permits outside Burlington, Graham and Mebane, which run their own — so Alamance here means the county's office, mostly around Elon, Haw River and the unincorporated county.
We don't read permits from High Point, Burlington, Winston-Salem or Forsyth County, or from the counties around them, yet. The Census counts below cover Forsyth, Randolph, Rockingham, Davidson, Davie, Stokes and Yadkin, and all of Alamance.
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.
- Greensboro23,013 permits in 12 months · 1,785 in the last 30 daysThe City of Greensboro issues building permits inside city limits. Guilford County has its own page.
- Guilford County5,413 permits in 12 months · 343 in the last 30 daysGuilford County issues building permits outside the cities that run their own permitting, such as Greensboro.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forsyth | 2,905 | +6% | 0 | $279K |
| Alamance | 1,618 | −10% | 366 | $181K |
| Guilford | 1,559 | −13% | 1,871 | $281K |
| Davidson | 1,002 | +9% | 224 | $382K |
| Randolph | 492 | −6% | 288 | $351K |
| Rockingham | 338 | −4% | 16 | $309K |
| Stokes | 213 | −21% | 5 | $316K |
| Davie | 163 | −8% | 82 | $245K |
| Yadkin | 113 | −3% | 0 | $252K |
What's being permitted
Every permit filed in the last 12 months at the offices we read in the Triad, by type of work.
- Electrical9,086 (32%)
- Mechanical / HVAC7,675 (27%)
- Plumbing3,943 (14%)
- Residential2,353 (8%)
- Alteration / Remodel1,419 (5%)
- New Build936 (3%)
- Accessory Structure / ADU425 (1%)
- Addition335 (1%)
- Demolition282 (1%)
- Deck / Porch241 (1%)
Most active contractors in the Triad
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Freeman Electric | 706 | 119 |
| Airo Mechanical, LLC | 564 | 302 |
| Ars | 453 | 111 |
| Nova Power & Light, LLC | 415 | 32 |
| Central Carolina A/C Co, LLC | 404 | 113 |
| Charles Carter Plumbing, Inc | 393 | 37 |
| Eanes Heating & A/C | 375 | 80 |
| Carolina HVAC & Plumbing, LLC | 359 | 168 |
| Berico Fuels, Inc | 330 | 85 |
| Comfort Air, Inc | 294 | 41 |
| C Jones Plumbing | 288 | 72 |
| Mandolin HVAC & Construction | 267 | 88 |
Recent permits
The latest filings. Permit Search has every one, with the contractor behind it.
| Address | Type | Value | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 209 AMBERWOOD DRJamestown 27282 | Mechanical / HVACResidential HVAC Change Out | — | Issued | |
| 2002 BRIAR RUN DRGreensboro | ResidentialResidential | — | Issued | |
| 8512 PARKCHESTER PLKernersville 27284 | Mechanical / HVACResidential HVAC Change Out | — | Issued | |
| 426 ROBALO RDGreensboro 27406 | ResidentialResidential Multi-Trade | — | Issued | |
| 6918 POLO FARMS DRSummerfield 27358 | Mechanical / HVACResidential HVAC Change Out | — | Issued | |
| 3919 CASSILLIS WAYGreensboro | ElectricalElectrical | — | Issued | |
| 6210 HORSESHOE DRSummerfield 27358 | Mechanical / HVACResidential HVAC Change Out | — | Issued | |
| 5281 BEECHMONT DRGreensboro | Deck / PorchResidential | $80K | Issued | |
| 426 105 GALLIMORE DAIRY RDGreensboro | DemolitionCommercial | $200K | Issued | |
| 5226 PAULA WAYSummerfield 27358 | Mechanical / HVACResidential HVAC Change Out | — | Issued |
The Triad: common questions
- Who issues building permits in the Triad?
- In Guilford County, the City of Greensboro issues permits inside city limits and Guilford County issues them for the unincorporated county and the smaller towns that use the county's office — the records name Summerfield, Oak Ridge, Pleasant Garden and others. High Point and Kernersville issue their own.
- How many building permits were filed in the Triad this year?
- 28,426 in the last 12 months, and 2,128 in the last 30 days, across the 2 permit offices we read: Greensboro and Guilford 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 the Triad?
- Forsyth County: 2,905 new single-family homes authorized from September 2025 through August 2026, by the Census count. Across the 9 counties we track here it was 8,403, 3% fewer than the year before.
- What does a new home cost to build in the Triad?
- The median construction cost declared on new single-family home permits in the offices we read was $210K over the last 12 months, and $175K 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 Charlotte region: building permits guide
- The Triangle: 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 Triad: 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 2, 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.