What permits and inspections does a new house need before anyone can move in?
Published
Summary
You need a building permit based on reviewed plans, a string of inspections as the work goes up, and a certificate of occupancy at the end. In Raleigh, North Carolina, the city lists 13 inspections, from the temporary power pole to the final building inspection, and a new building can't legally be occupied until the certificate is issued. Names and counts differ from one city or county to the next.
The last step comes first
Raleigh issues a certificate of occupancy (CO) when a building has passed all of its inspections, and for a new building it's issued the same day. If the house is safe to live in while a few issues are still being resolved, the city may issue a temporary CO instead. That one expires 30 days after it's issued.
Plan review before anything is built
Raleigh puts new single-family homes and duplexes in the category of projects that require plans. They're submitted through the city's Permit and Development Portal and reviewed against the city's development code and the North Carolina state building code. The required documents also include a lien agent, part of North Carolina's lien system.
Building without a permit can lead to a citation from the city, and the homeowner may have to pay to have the work removed.
Thirteen inspections, in the city's order
The ground work comes first. The temporary pole is inspected once it's built to the utility company's standards and the state's edition of the National Electrical Code. The footing inspection is requested after zoning setbacks are met, the trenches are dug and the grade stakes are in, and before any concrete is placed. Foundation and crawl space follow once every foundation support is installed. An under-slab inspection applies to slabs under habitable space or with integral footings, not to driveway slabs or garage slabs without integral footings.
Then the systems that will end up hidden. Electrical rough-in is called for when all wiring, boxes and panel boards are in; plumbing rough-in when every concealed part of the plumbing that can be finished before fixtures go in is installed; mechanical rough-in when the boots, gas piping, tests, mechanical ventilation, concealed ducts and gas log inserts are in.
Framing can't be inspected until all three rough-ins have been approved. Insulation comes after an approved framing inspection, with all concealed insulation and vapor barriers in place.
At the end there are separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical finals, each requested when that system is complete, and the final building inspection can only be requested after those three have passed.
Inspections are booked through the same portal. Rescheduling or canceling on the day of the inspection brings a reinspection fee. Septic and driveway approvals that a county may want before the building permit are covered in the article on checking a lot before you buy.