The Triangle: building permits and new construction
32,679 building permits were filed in the last 12 months at the 9 permit offices we read in the Triangle, and 3,368 in the last 30 days. The most common work: electrical (28%), new build (24%) and alteration / remodel (8%).
Across the region's counties, the Census counted 15,307 new single-family homes in the 12 months to August 2026, +1% on the year before, and 10,254 units in apartment and other multi-unit buildings.
- Permits, last 12 months
- 32,679
- Last 30 days
- 3,368
- New single-family homes
- 15,307
- 12 months, region's counties (Census)
- New single-family home
- $450K
- median construction cost on permits
Who issues building permits in the Triangle
The Triangle is the opposite of Charlotte: in Wake County, the larger towns run their own permitting. Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Garner, Fuquay-Varina and Wake Forest each issue permits inside their limits, and Wake County issues them for the unincorporated areas between. Knowing which side of a town line an address sits on tells you which office has its permit.
Durham is simpler. The City of Durham and Durham County share one inspections department, so a single office covers the whole county.
What each office publishes differs. Some list trade permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing) on their own; others fold them into the building permit or don't publish them. Compare offices by the kind of work, not by raw totals.
We don't read permits from Orange, Johnston, Chatham, Franklin, Granville or Person County yet, or from the smaller Wake towns that run their own permitting, such as Holly Springs. The Census counts below cover those counties.
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.
- Wake County15,302 permits in 12 months · 1,161 in the last 30 daysWake County issues building permits for unincorporated Wake County. Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Garner, Fuquay-Varina and Wake Forest run their own permitting and have their own pages.
- Raleigh6,203 permits in 12 months · 409 in the last 30 daysThe City of Raleigh issues building permits inside city limits. Wake County has its own page.
- Durham5,313 permits in 12 months · 405 in the last 30 daysDurham's joint City-County inspections department issues building permits for the City of Durham and Durham County.
- Cary3,003 permits in 12 months · 716 in the last 30 daysThe Town of Cary issues building permits inside town limits.
- Morrisville1,295 permits in 12 months · 115 in the last 30 daysThe Town of Morrisville issues building permits inside town limits.
- Garner970 permits in 12 months · 79 in the last 30 daysThe Town of Garner issues building permits inside town limits.
- Fuquay-Varina226 permits in 12 months · 194 in the last 30 daysThe Town of Fuquay-Varina issues building permits inside town limits. Wake County has its own page for the unincorporated areas around it.
- Apex187 permits in 12 months · 141 in the last 30 daysThe Town of Apex issues building permits inside town limits. Wake County has its own page for the unincorporated areas around it.
- Wake Forest180 permits in 12 months · 148 in the last 30 daysThe Town of Wake Forest issues building permits inside town limits. Wake County has its own page for the unincorporated areas around it.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake | 8,340 | −3% | 6,241 | $290K |
| Johnston | 2,587 | −3% | 12 | $308K |
| Durham | 2,201 | +16% | 3,102 | $385K |
| Franklin | 920 | +22% | 0 | $306K |
| Chatham | 496 | −5% | 2 | $518K |
| Orange | 348 | +1% | 717 | $411K |
| Granville | 289 | +34% | 180 | $366K |
| Person | 126 | −9% | 0 | $347K |
What's being permitted
Every permit filed in the last 12 months at the offices we read in the Triangle, by type of work.
- Electrical9,070 (28%)
- New Build7,849 (24%)
- Alteration / Remodel2,605 (8%)
- Deck / Porch2,100 (6%)
- Residential1,386 (4%)
- Mechanical / HVAC1,242 (4%)
- Accessory Structure / ADU1,163 (4%)
- Demolition859 (3%)
- Garage / Carport555 (2%)
- Fence / Retaining Wall530 (2%)
Most active contractors in the Triangle
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lennar Carolinas, LLC | 787 | 129 |
| Pulte Home Company, LLC | 522 | 134 |
| Garman Homes | 381 | 66 |
| Ars | 371 | 104 |
| Air Experts Heating Cooling LLC | 368 | 85 |
| Clayton Properties Group, Inc., T/A Mungo Homes | 316 | 74 |
| DR Horton INC | 240 | 110 |
| NVR Inc. d/b/a Ryan Homes | 238 | 40 |
| Groundworks North Carolina, LLC | 236 | 76 |
| Meritage Homes Of The Carolinas, Inc. | 236 | 60 |
| MOF LLC DBA: Michael & Son Services of NC LLC | 232 | 55 |
| Meritage Homes | 225 | 27 |
Recent permits
The latest filings. Permit Search has every one, with the contractor behind it.
| Address | Type | Value | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 LONGSTOCK CTCary 27513 | Alteration / RemodelB434 | — | In review | |
| 1106 MEDLIN DRCary 27511 | Deck / PorchB434 | $28K | In review | |
| 301 PARK YORK LNCary 27519 | OtherB434 | $12K | In review | |
| 322 WEDGEMERE STCary 27519 | Alteration / RemodelB434 | $121K | In review | |
| 109 DORCHESTER PINES CTCary 27511 | Alteration / RemodelB434 | $77K | In review | |
| 1474 BARN DOOR DRApex 27502 | ElectricaleResidential Electrical | $2,200 | — | |
| 8700 STAGE FORD RDRaleigh 27615 | ElectricalResidential Trade Permit. Plumbing, Mechanical, or Electrical | $600 | Submitted | |
| 2708 BANKS LAKE CTFuquay-Varina 27526 | Deck / PorchADDITIONS AND REMODELS | $35K | — | |
| 6504 ROCK SERVICE STATION RDRaleigh 27603 | Accessory Structure / ADUResidential Accessory Building or Structure | $35K | Submitted | |
| 535 BRATTON ROCK LN WENDELLWendell | New BuildResidential - New One- and Two-Family Dwelling | $270K | Submitted |
Reading on the Triangle
- Market dataRaleigh–Cary authorized 1,152 single-family homes in June 2026. Here's what that means for your pipeline.
- Market dataDurham–Chapel Hill authorized 863 housing units in one month. Most of them weren't houses.
- Market dataThe Triangle's growth ring is moving outward. Your service radius should move with it.
- How-toRaleigh vs. Durham vs. Wake County: how permit timing differs and why it changes your call list
The Triangle: common questions
- Who issues building permits in the Triangle?
- The Triangle is the opposite of Charlotte: in Wake County, the larger towns run their own permitting. Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Garner, Fuquay-Varina and Wake Forest each issue permits inside their limits, and Wake County issues them for the unincorporated areas between. Knowing which side of a town line an address sits on tells you which office has its permit.
- How many building permits were filed in the Triangle this year?
- 32,679 in the last 12 months, and 3,368 in the last 30 days, across the 9 permit offices we read: Wake County, Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Morrisville, Garner, Fuquay-Varina, Apex and Wake Forest. 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 Triangle?
- Wake County: 8,340 new single-family homes authorized from September 2025 through August 2026, by the Census count. Across the 8 counties we track here it was 15,307, 1% more than the year before.
- What does a new home cost to build in the Triangle?
- The median construction cost declared on new single-family home permits in the offices we read was $450K over the last 12 months, and $324K 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 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 Triangle: 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 5, 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.