Demolition permits in North Carolina: teardowns are new homes on the way
For builders, demolition contractors and suppliers
Every demolition in North Carolina needs a permit, and many residential ones are the first step of a new house. A demolition permit names an address, and often an owner, before the builder has filed for what comes next.
- Permits, last 12 months
- 3,782
- Last 90 days
- 1,085
- Last 30 days
- 303
- Contractors on the list
- 12
- most active, below
When demolition needs a permit in North Carolina
G.S. 160D-1110 lists the removal or demolition of a building among the work that needs a building permit before it starts. The $40,000 exemption covers construction, installation, repair, replacement and alteration, not demolition, so a teardown needs a permit however small the house.
Many are teardowns. In Mecklenburg, at least 177 of the 991 demolition permits filed from October 2024 to October 2025 had a new-home permit at the same address within a year; in Cabarrus County it was 45 of 121. Those are floors: the match needs the same address written the same way on both permits.
Who's on the permit varies. Some offices list the demolition contractor on nearly every one; Mecklenburg lists one on very few, because most Charlotte-area demolitions are filed by the owner. An owner-filed demolition is someone who may not have picked a builder yet.
The permits worth watching
Residential teardowns
A house coming down on an infill lot is usually a new one going up. The new-home permit for the address follows within months.
Owner-filed demolitions
No builder on the permit yet: the one lead on this list a builder can still win outright.
Commercial and interior demolitions
Selective demolition comes before an upfit or a redevelopment, and the general contractor on the next permit buys every trade.
Storm and fire damage
A demolition after a fire or a storm is often a rebuild, by an owner who needs a builder.
Where the work is
3,782 demolition 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 County1,346
- Asheville347
- Raleigh335
- Greensboro255
- Durham250
- Wilmington & New Hanover County229
- Wake County207
- Cabarrus County191
- Gaston County126
- Brunswick County94
- Johnston County80
- Onslow County57
- High Point47
- Union County43
- Cumberland County40
- Guilford County32
- Cary29
- Alamance County27
- Morrisville27
- Wake Forest11
- Garner5
- Apex4
Demolition 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 County1,346 permits in 12 months
- Asheville347 permits in 12 months
- Raleigh335 permits in 12 months
- Greensboro255 permits in 12 months
- Durham250 permits in 12 months
- Wilmington & New Hanover County229 permits in 12 months
- Wake County207 permits in 12 months
- Cabarrus County191 permits in 12 months
- Gaston County126 permits in 12 months
- Brunswick County94 permits in 12 months
- Johnston County80 permits in 12 months
- Onslow County57 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 |
|---|---|---|
| D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co., Inc | 71 | 15 |
| Piedmont Grading & Wrecking Co., Inc | 59 | 4 |
| BluSky Restoration | 51 | 0 |
| W.C. Black and Sons, Inc. | 44 | 10 |
| Mcgee Brothers Co., Inc. | 42 | 10 |
| Austin Construction Inc | 33 | 11 |
| Ingram Bros Inc | 31 | 5 |
| Katherine Weinmann | 31 | 6 |
| Kingdom Demolition, LLC | 27 | 2 |
| Cecil Holcomb Renovations Inc. | 27 | 6 |
| E.C. Davis III Grading Co | 22 | 1 |
| Integrity Enterprises Of Charlotte | 22 | 9 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3306 STATESVILLE AVCharlotte 28206 | DemolitionDemolition | — | Issued | |
| 1823 Arlington StRaleigh 27608 | DemolitionBuilding | $33K | Issued | |
| 1028 DRUID CRCharlotte 28206 | DemolitionDemolition | $5,000 | Issued | |
| 428 BILTMORE AVEAsheville 28801 | DemolitionCom: Retaining Wall | — | Issued | |
| 115 N 3RD COMPLEX #308Wilmington 28401 | DemolitionNHC Commercial Demolition | — | Issued |
303 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
Watch demolitions in your ZIPs
Each ZIP page shows its demolitions; the busiest are where infill building is running.
- 02
Find the builder
Look up the address and the owner. If a builder filed it, the contractor page shows what else they build and where.
- 03
Call before the new permit
Reach the owner or builder while the lot is being cleared, before the new-home permit names the crew.
Demolition permits in North Carolina: common questions
- Do you need a permit to demolish a house in North Carolina?
- Yes. G.S. 160D-1110 lists the removal or demolition of a building among the work that needs a building permit before it starts, and the $40,000 exemption covers construction, repair and alteration, not demolition. Ask the local office what it needs with the application.
- How many demolition permits are filed in North Carolina?
- 3,782 in the last 12 months across the offices we read. Most were filed in Mecklenburg County (1,346), Asheville (347) and Raleigh (335). Many are teardowns: in Mecklenburg, at least 177 of the 991 demolition permits filed from October 2024 to October 2025 had a new-home permit at the same address within a year.
- Who pulls the most demolition permits in North Carolina?
- By permits in the last 12 months: D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co., Inc, Piedmont Grading & Wrecking Co., Inc and BluSky Restoration. 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
- Pool and spa permits in North Carolina
- Deck, porch and addition 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
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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.