How long does a building permit take in North Carolina?
The typical days from application to issued permit at 9 North Carolina permit offices, by type of work, from each office's own records over the last 12 months. Updated November 1, 2026.
New home or building: typical days from application to permit
| Permit office | Typical wait | Half take | vs. last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston County1,896 permits | 5 days | 2 to 12 days | about the same |
| Wilmington & New Hanover County200 permits | 13 days | 8 to 21 days | no earlier year |
| Onslow County1,453 permits | 14 days | 9 to 19 days | 5 days slower |
| Wake County3,046 permits | 19 days | 13 to 33 days | 3 days slower |
| Morrisville26 permits | 31 days | 18 to 116 days | about the same |
| Cary88 permits | 34 days | 24 to 48 days | no earlier year |
| Raleigh1,047 permits | 47 days | 30 to 78 days | about the same |
| Asheville235 permits | 70 days | 28 to 178 days | 24 days faster |
| Guilford County112 permits | 77 days | 49 to 184 days | 26 days faster |
What these numbers measure
Each figure counts the days from the application date a permit office records to the date it issued the permit, for permits issued in the last 12 months. The typical wait is the median: half of permits took less time, half took more. The range is the middle half, and "1 in 10 take over" is the slowest tenth. Compared with last year means the 12 months before that.
Where an office reviews plans under the same permit, the review is part of the wait. Time spent before an application is logged (gathering plans, a pre-application meeting) isn't. Electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits are often issued the day they're applied for, because most offices don't review plans for them.
- Wake County's own office: unincorporated Wake County and the towns that use it, not Raleigh or Cary.
- Guilford County's office: unincorporated Guilford County, not the City of Greensboro.
- Cary's records give application dates from July 2026 on, so its figures cover a shorter time.
- New Hanover County's records give application dates from August 2026 on, so its figures cover a shorter time.
- Some Asheville records are opened well before plans are complete, so its slowest permits take a long time; the typical figure is the one to go by.
Not included
- Charlotte & Mecklenburg, Durham, Brunswick, Johnston, Union, Alamance, Garner and Cabarrus: their permit records don't include the date the application was made.
- Greensboro: permits are entered after plan review, under a separate plan review record, so they show as issued the day they were entered.
- Apex, Fuquay-Varina and Wake Forest: their records show most permits, even new homes, as issued the day they were applied for, which we can't rely on.
Before you apply: check whether your job needs a permit and what it will cost.
Permit wait times: common questions
- How long does it take to get a building permit for a new home in North Carolina?
- It depends on the office. Over the last 12 months, the typical new-home permit took from 5 days in Gaston County to 77 days in Guilford County, counted from the application date each office records to the day it issued the permit. Trade permits are much quicker: at 16 of the 26 office and trade pairs we track, a typical electrical, HVAC or plumbing permit was issued within 3 days.
- Which North Carolina permit office issues new-home permits fastest?
- Of the offices whose records allow the count: Gaston County (5 days), Wilmington & New Hanover County (13 days), Onslow County (14 days), Wake County (19 days), Morrisville (31 days), Cary (34 days), Raleigh (47 days), Asheville (70 days), Guilford County (77 days), quickest first, by the typical wait over the last 12 months.
- How long does a remodel permit take in North Carolina?
- A typical remodel or alteration permit took from 7 days in Gaston County to 37 days in Morrisville over the last 12 months. Remodels that touch only finishes can need no permit at all; see whether yours does with our free checker.
- Are NC building permits getting faster?
- For new homes, compared with the 12 months before: Onslow County is 5 days slower (9 days to 14 days); Wake County is 3 days slower (16 days to 19 days); Asheville is 24 days faster (94 days to 70 days); Guilford County is 26 days faster (103 days to 77 days). The other offices are about the same, or don't have a year of earlier records.
- Why aren't Charlotte, Durham or Greensboro included?
- Charlotte & Mecklenburg, Durham, Brunswick, Johnston, Union, Alamance, Garner and Cabarrus: their permit records don't include the date the application was made. Greensboro: permits are entered after plan review, under a separate plan review record, so they show as issued the day they were entered. Apex, Fuquay-Varina and Wake Forest: their records show most permits, even new homes, as issued the day they were applied for, which we can't rely on. A number we can't stand behind is left out rather than guessed.
- What exactly do these wait times measure?
- The days from the application date a permit office records to the date it issued the permit, for every permit issued in the last 12 months. The typical figure is the median: half of permits took less, half took more. Plan review time is included where the office records it under the same permit. A gap of more than two years is treated as a data error and left out, and a type of work needs at least 20 permits at an office to get a figure.