Building permits in Wilmington & New Hanover County, NC
6,582 permits were filed in Wilmington & New Hanover County in the last 12 months, and 1,464 in the last 30 days. The most common work: residential (21%), commercial (11%) and new build (10%).
Permits filed with New Hanover County, most of them in Wilmington.
- Last 30 days
- 1,464
- Last 90 days
- 3,493
- Last 12 months
- 6,582
- New single-family home
- $345K
- median construction cost on permits
About building permits in Wilmington & New Hanover County
These are the permits filed through New Hanover County's permitting system. Most are in the City of Wilmington; the rest are in Castle Hayne, Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach and Kure Beach.
In August 2026 our collection from New Hanover County improved, and the county's trade permits (electrical, mechanical and plumbing) started coming through. That's why the monthly count steps up from around 384 to around 1,566 that month: more complete records, not a construction boom.
The most active permit holders over the last 12 months were Groundworks North Carolina LLC T/A Tarheel Basement Systems (108 permits), Renewal By Andersen LLC (57 permits) and Prestige Pools Of Wilmington Inc (56 permits). The busiest ZIP codes were 28411, 28409 and 28412.
Permits by month
What's being permitted
Every permit filed in Wilmington & New Hanover County in the last 12 months, by type of work.
- Residential1,403 (21%)
- Commercial742 (11%)
- New Build637 (10%)
- Electrical554 (8%)
- Alteration / Remodel481 (7%)
- Pool / Spa376 (6%)
- Deck / Porch335 (5%)
- Mechanical / HVAC292 (4%)
Busiest ZIP codes in Wilmington & New Hanover County
Where the permits are. Each linked ZIP has its own page.
Most active contractors in Wilmington & New Hanover County
Ranked by permits pulled in the last 12 months. Placeholder names like “owner” and “TBD” are left out.
Recent permits in Wilmington & New Hanover County
The latest filings. Permit Search has every one, with the contractor behind it.
| Address | Type | Value | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5723 MARKET INDIVIDUALWilmington 28405 | CommercialNHC Commercial Trade Permit | — | Submitted | |
| 5012 HUNTERS COMPLEX #11Wilmington 28405 | ResidentialNHC Residential Trade Permit | — | Submitted | |
| 1900 EASTWOOD COMPLEX #39Wilmington 28403 | ElectricalNHC Commercial Building Application | — | Submitted | |
| 8594 GALLOWAY NATIONAL INDIVIDUALWilmington 28411 | Deck / PorchNHC Residential Building | $131K | Submitted | |
| 4161 HEARTHSIDE COMPLEX #202Wilmington 28412 | Pool / SpaNHC FLI Public Swimming Pool | — | In review | |
| 6204 SENTRY OAKS INDIVIDUALWilmington 28409 | ResidentialNHC Residential Trade Permit | — | Submitted | |
| 930 SUMMERLIN FALLS INDIVIDUALWilmington 28412 | ResidentialNHC Residential Trade Permit | — | Submitted | |
| 910 N 5TH INDIVIDUALWilmington 28401 | RoofingNHC Residential Building | $20K | Submitted | |
| 117 ABALONE INDIVIDUALWilmington 28411 | New BuildNHC Residential Trade Permit | — | Submitted | |
| 701 PINER INDIVIDUAL #130Wilmington 28409 | New BuildNHC Commercial Building Application | — | Submitted |
Wilmington & New Hanover County building permits: common questions
- Why do Wilmington & New Hanover County's monthly permit numbers jump in August 2026?
- Because that's when our collection of New Hanover County's permits improved: better collection or updated filters let more of its permits into our records, around 1,566 a month from then on, up from around 384. The jump reflects more complete records, not a sudden rise in construction.
- How many building permits are filed in Wilmington & New Hanover County?
- 6,582 in the last 12 months and 1,464 in the last 30 days, counting every permit type the office files.
- What kind of construction is most common in Wilmington & New Hanover County?
- By permit count over the last 12 months: other residential work (21%), commercial work (11%) and new homes (10%).
- Who pulls the most building permits in Wilmington & New Hanover County?
- Over the last 12 months: Groundworks North Carolina LLC T/A Tarheel Basement Systems (108 permits), Renewal By Andersen LLC (57 permits) and Prestige Pools Of Wilmington Inc (56 permits). Placeholder names such as "owner" are left out of the ranking.
- What does a new home cost to build in Wilmington & New Hanover County, going by permits?
- The median construction cost builders declared on new single-family home permits over the last 12 months was $345K, and $245K for townhomes. That is the cost of the building as written on the permit: it leaves out the land, site work and the builder's margin, so it runs well below what a new home sells for.
- How do I look up a building permit in Wilmington & New Hanover County?
- Search by address, ZIP code or contractor in TarSignal's Permit Search, which covers every permit New Hanover County has filed in our records. Each property shows its full permit history.
- How often is this page updated?
- Every day. New permits are collected from public records several times a day, and the numbers on this page are rebuilt each morning.
Get the permits, not just the totals
Permit Search has every permit filed in Wilmington & New Hanover County: the address, the contractor behind it and the permit history of each property. Or get new New Hanover County permits emailed to you each morning.
From public building permit records, most recent September 30, 2026. Updated daily. 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.