Deck, porch and addition permits in North Carolina
For deck builders and remodelers
A new deck, porch or addition is load-bearing work, so it needs a permit in North Carolina at any price. These permits are homeowners already spending on their houses: the remodelers and subs who follow them get work a new-home list never shows.
- Permits, last 12 months
- 8,600
- Last 90 days
- 2,351
- Last 30 days
- 740
- Contractors on the list
- 12
- most active, below
When a deck, porch or addition needs a permit in North Carolina
The $40,000 exemption in G.S. 160D-1110 doesn't cover adding, repairing or replacing load-bearing structure, so a new deck, porch, sunroom or addition needs a building permit. Replacing deck boards, railings, pickets or stair treads is exempt under that limit.
On a project costing $40,000 or more, the contractor also needs a general contractor's license (G.S. 87-1).
Every office we read files these permits, so the counts below compare fairly from office to office. An addition can bring electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits with it where an office publishes trade permits.
The permits worth watching
Additions
An addition needs a foundation, framing, a roof, windows, electrical, HVAC and finishes. The general contractor on the permit hires most of them.
Decks and porches
A new deck or screened porch is often followed by lighting, a screen enclosure or an outdoor kitchen.
Sunrooms and enclosures
Enclosing a porch adds windows, doors, electrical and sometimes HVAC: several trades on one small job.
Who's building where
For a deck builder, a permit is a job already sold. Clusters by ZIP show where homeowners are spending on outdoor space.
Where the work is
8,600 deck, porch and addition permits in the last 12 months, by the permit office that issued them and by ZIP code. Each links to its own page.
- Charlotte & Mecklenburg County1,787
- Wake County952
- Raleigh884
- Cabarrus County722
- Brunswick County590
- Durham535
- Wilmington & New Hanover County527
- Johnston County386
- Greensboro383
- Gaston County309
- Union County281
- High Point234
- Asheville233
- Guilford County216
- Cary207
- Alamance County101
- Cumberland County101
- Fuquay-Varina62
- Onslow County37
- Wake Forest23
- Apex22
- Morrisville8
Deck and addition permits by city
Every permit office with 50 or more of these permits in the last year has its own page: counts by month, the busiest ZIP codes, who's pulling them and recent filings.
- Charlotte & Mecklenburg County1,787 permits in 12 months
- Wake County952 permits in 12 months
- Raleigh884 permits in 12 months
- Cabarrus County722 permits in 12 months
- Brunswick County590 permits in 12 months
- Durham535 permits in 12 months
- Wilmington & New Hanover County527 permits in 12 months
- Johnston County386 permits in 12 months
- Greensboro383 permits in 12 months
- Gaston County309 permits in 12 months
- Union County281 permits in 12 months
- High Point234 permits in 12 months
- Asheville233 permits in 12 months
- Guilford County216 permits in 12 months
- Cary207 permits in 12 months
- Cumberland County101 permits in 12 months
- Alamance County101 permits in 12 months
- Fuquay-Varina62 permits in 12 months
Who's doing the work
The contractors pulling the most of these permits in the last 12 months — your competitors, or the builders and GCs worth a call.
| Contractor | Last 12 months | Last 90 days |
|---|---|---|
| Deck Plus LLC | 103 | 11 |
| Exterior Additions LLC | 64 | 11 |
| Jm Decks And Fences | 53 | 9 |
| Archadeck of Raleigh-Durham | 48 | 16 |
| Tripoint Decks, LLC | 48 | 22 |
| Sierra Structures, Inc. | 42 | 11 |
| Integrity Enterprises Of Charlotte | 39 | 7 |
| Great Day Improvements LLC | 38 | 15 |
| A Deck Above, Inc. | 36 | 12 |
| Southern Exposure Sunrooms LLC | 35 | 9 |
| Elite Xteriors NC // Cardinal Construction of the Carolinas LLC | 34 | 5 |
| Premierco Ventures Inc | 34 | 10 |
Recent permits
A sample from 30 or more days ago. Permit Search and the daily email have them as they're filed.
| Address | Type | Value | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5656 THOM RDMebane 27302 | Deck / PorchOther Permit | — | Issued | |
| 1321 PENNY RDHigh Point 27265 | Deck / PorchResidential Construction Permit | $4,000 | In review | |
| 4016 PEMBERTON DRCharlotte 28210 | Deck / PorchAddition | $72K | Issued | |
| 7704 BONDHAVEN DRCharlotte 28215 | AdditionAddition | $70K | Issued | |
| 806 BRYE STDurham 27703 | Deck / PorchRESI | $13K | Issued |
740 more permits filed in North Carolina in the last 30 days
Pro names the contractor on most, with a phone number on some.
Pro is $199/mo founding rate (ends Dec 31, 2026), then $299/mo.
How to work the list
- 01
Pick your ZIP codes
Choose the ZIPs your crews work. Each ZIP page shows its deck and addition permits and who's pulling them.
- 02
Follow the remodelers
The contractor table shows who files the most. A remodeler without a regular sub for your trade is the call.
- 03
Reach the job before framing
On an addition, the GC hires trades in the weeks after the permit is issued. That's the window.
Deck, porch and addition permits in North Carolina: common questions
- Do you need a permit to build a deck or an addition in North Carolina?
- Yes for a new deck, porch or addition: it's load-bearing construction, which the $40,000 exemption in G.S. 160D-1110 doesn't cover. Replacing deck boards, railings, pickets or stair treads is exempt under that limit.
- How many deck and addition permits are filed in North Carolina?
- 8,600 deck, porch and addition permits in the last 12 months across the offices we read. Most were filed in Mecklenburg County (1,787), Wake County (952) and Raleigh (884).
- Who pulls the most deck, porch and addition permits in North Carolina?
- By permits in the last 12 months: Deck Plus LLC, Exterior Additions LLC and Jm Decks And Fences. The table above has the top twelve, each linked to its own page where it has one.
More guides
- North Carolina building permits: the guide
- Roofing permits in North Carolina
- HVAC permits in North Carolina
- Solar permits in North Carolina
- Building permit data for general contractors
- Electrical permits in North Carolina
- Plumbing permits in North Carolina
- Demolition permits in North Carolina
- Pool and spa permits in North Carolina
- Commercial upfit permits in North Carolina
- Fire alarm and sprinkler permits in North Carolina
- Foundation and concrete permits in North Carolina
- Window, door and siding permits in North Carolina
- The Charlotte region: building permits guide
- The Triangle: building permits guide
- The Triad: building permits guide
- Wilmington and the Cape Fear region: building permits guide
Get these permits as they're filed
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Source: TarSignal, from North Carolina public building permit records, data through October 30, 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.