Overview
Durham City-County Building & Safety serves both the City and County. The office reviews building and trade plans, conducts inspections and issues compliance certificates. Confirm separate land-use approvals for the site.
Authority
Durham City-County Building & Safety
Applications
Land Development Office (LDO)
Trades
Select a trade for its permit path, licensing, code resources, fees and filing pitfalls.
Electrical service and wiring
Durham City-County Building & SafetyApplicable Code
North Carolina electrical provisions and state amendments; verify project edition.
License Requirement
Verify the appropriate North Carolina electrical credential and permit applicant.
License Fee
NC electrical board credential schedule; no local licensing amount verified.
CEUs
State credential renewal requirements
Permit Fee
Offered schedule, effective July 2018: qualifying new residential 100–200 A service $156; paper application surcharge $5.
Plan Review Time
Coordinate electrical review with Dplans where required; no fixed duration verified.
Common Pitfalls
- Multifamily house meters need separate electrical permits under the schedule.
- Do not infer that a building permit authorizes the electrical installation.
Permit-to-closeout workflow
Confirm joint jurisdiction
Identify the site and City/County development approvals.
Prepare drawings
Document building, trade and fire scopes.
Apply through LDO
Select the appropriate project and trade applications.
Complete Dplans review
Resolve comments and pay the assessed charges.
Request inspections
Use LDO and prepare the work for the required stages.
Complete compliance
Clear finals and obtain the applicable certificate before occupancy.
Permit fees and worked estimates
The currently offered building PDF expressly states effective July 1, 2018, including technology surcharge. This is a dated published baseline, not confirmation that rates are unchanged in 2026.
| Trade | Permit fee | License fee |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical service and wiring | Offered schedule, effective July 2018: qualifying new residential 100–200 A service $156; paper application surcharge $5. | NC electrical board credential schedule; no local licensing amount verified. |
| Fixtures, rough-in and water heaters | July 2018 offered schedule: new one/two-family plumbing $170; 1–4 replacement fixtures without rough-in $65. | State board schedule; no City credential charge verified. |
| Heating, cooling and concealed ducts | July 2018 offered residential schedule: concealed-duct installation $125; replacement/conversion with one inspection $65; additional inspection $50. | State credential schedule |
| Alarm, sprinkler and life-safety review | Offered building schedule lists fire-protection construction permit $65 and separate alarm/sprinkler review categories; confirm the complete assessment. | System credential schedule; no amount verified. |
| Building plans and compliance certificates | Offered July 2018 schedule: new one/two-family dwelling up to 1,200 gross square feet $146 permit plus $146 plan review. | State contractor board schedule |
Codes and amendments
Confirm the North Carolina technical-code editions and amendments applicable to the application. Fee document dates do not identify the design-code edition.
Submission checklist
Homeowner rules
Confirm the applicable state owner exception and Durham applicant documentation before self-performing or taking responsibility for work. No blanket owner exemption from trade permits or inspections is established here.
Inspections and closeout
Request the applicable stages through LDO and clear final inspections before obtaining required compliance certificates. The offered trade schedules distinguish not-ready and repeat inspections; after-hours service requires advance notice and inspector availability.