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Pool permits in North Carolina: where pools are going in, and who's building them

For pool builders and the trades that follow

An in-ground pool needs a permit in North Carolina, and a homeowner who pulled one has already picked a builder and a budget. For the fence, deck, patio and lighting companies that come next, a pool permit is one of the clearest leads in the record.

Permits, last 12 months
2,884
Last 90 days
756
Last 30 days
222
Contractors on the list
12
most active, below
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When a pool needs a permit in North Carolina

An in-ground pool is construction, and its pump, lighting and bonding add electrical equipment, which the $40,000 exemption in G.S. 160D-1110 never covers. Most offices we read file pools as permits of their own.

Rules for above-ground pools and hot tubs vary with the office and the equipment: check with the local inspections department before telling a customer one isn't needed.

Pool permits are filed at most of the offices we read. Mecklenburg, Wilmington and New Hanover County, and Brunswick, Union and Wake counties file the most.

The permits worth watching

  • New pools

    For a pool builder, a permit is a job already won. The pattern shows which neighborhoods are buying pools, and who's winning them.

  • Fencing

    A new pool often brings a new fence around it. The pool permit is a fence lead for the company that calls first.

  • Decks, patios and lighting

    Hardscape, the deck around the pool and landscape lighting are rarely sold by the pool builder.

  • Electrical permits at the same address

    An electrical permit at a pool address means the equipment is going in and the project is moving.

Where the work is

2,884 pool and spa permits in the last 12 months, by the permit office that issued them and by ZIP code. Each links to its own page.

Pool 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.

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.

ContractorLast 12 monthsLast 90 days
Anthony & Sylvan Pools14754
Ashish Giri7716
Blue Haven Pools7515
Ultimate Pool Designs5811
Ocean Blue Pools And Spas Of North Carolina Corporation5614
Prestige Pools Of Wilmington Inc5414
Superior Pools of Charlotte4010
Aquatic Artists Luxury Pools Inc342
Edgewater Pools, LLC326
Sun City Pools Inc315
B&B Pools of the Carolinas308
Ion Outdoors284

Recent permits

A sample from 30 or more days ago. Permit Search and the daily email have them as they're filed.

AddressTypeValueStatusDate
15429 OLEANDER DRCharlotte 28278Pool / SpaPoolSpa$75KIssued
134 BERRY MOUNTAIN ROADCramerton 28032Pool / SpaPool - In Ground (Residential)$164KIssued
8819 Noah Helms RdFairviewPool / Spa801 - Residential Above Ground Pool—Issued
3032 SADLER RDCharlotte 28208Pool / SpaPoolSpa$208KIssued
12125 KANE ALEXANDER DRHuntersville 28078Pool / SpaPoolSpa$102KIssued

222 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.

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How to work the list

  1. 01

    Map the pools

    Each ZIP page shows its permits. The ZIPs with the most pools are where outdoor spending is running.

  2. 02

    Know the builders

    The contractor table shows who's building the most pools. For the trades that follow, they're partners worth a call.

  3. 03

    Call while it's going in

    The fence, deck and lighting are bought while the pool is being built. Reach the homeowner when the permit is issued.

More reading

Pool and spa permits in North Carolina: common questions

Do you need a permit to build a pool in North Carolina?
For an in-ground pool, yes. Its pump, lighting and bonding add electrical equipment, which the $40,000 exemption in G.S. 160D-1110 never covers, and offices review the pool itself as construction. Check with the local office for an above-ground pool or a hot tub.
How many pool permits are filed in North Carolina?
2,884 pool and spa permits in the last 12 months across the offices we read. Most were filed in Mecklenburg County (798), New Hanover County (363) and Union County (286).
Who pulls the most pool and spa permits in North Carolina?
By permits in the last 12 months: Anthony & Sylvan Pools, Ashish Giri and Blue Haven Pools. The table above has the top twelve, each linked to its own page where it has one.

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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.