Bolthole Index

Brunswick County, North Carolina

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina

Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina, in Brunswick County, requires a city building permit for new-home construction1 and regulates land through its own Unified Development Ordinance, which combines zoning and subdivision rules2. Septic (wastewater) authorization and well permits are issued by Brunswick County Environmental Health, not the city34. Owners may act as their own general contractor with an owner affidavit5.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for new homes, issued by the city1
Zoning
City Unified Development Ordinance (zoning plus subdivision rules)2
Septic
Wastewater authorization from Brunswick County Environmental Health3
Well
Well permit from Brunswick County Environmental Health4
Owner-builder
Allowed with an owner affidavit form5
RV living
Only RV campgrounds are addressed; RV on a private lot not confirmed6
Floodplain
Floodplain development permit for all development in flood hazard areas7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Boiling Spring Lakes Building Permits & Inspections

Building permits and inspections inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits

910-294-0996

9 East Boiling Spring Rd. Boiling Spring Lakes, NC 28461

Building permits

City of Boiling Spring Lakes permit applications and forms

Online building permit applications, new-home checklist and inspection requests

910-363-0027

[email protected]

Planning & zoning

City of Boiling Spring Lakes Planning & Zoning (Development Services)

Zoning, the Unified Development Ordinance, subdivision and site plan review inside city limits

(910) 363-0681

9 East Boiling Spring Rd. Boiling Spring Lakes, NC 28461

Septic permits

Brunswick County Environmental Health Services

Septic (on-site wastewater) permits and well permits, including for addresses inside Boiling Spring Lakes

910-253-2150

25 Courthouse Drive, Building A, Bolivia, NC 28422

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Boiling Spring Lakes means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Boiling Spring Lakes have zoning?

Yes. Boiling Spring Lakes regulates land inside city limits through its own Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), which the city describes as combining zoning, subdivision rules and other land-use controls in one document2. Major and minor subdivisions and site plans have separate city applications8. The city's Planning & Zoning department, called Development Services, administers the UDO9.

Brunswick County's own zoning ordinance covers only land outside the planning jurisdiction of any other government with equal land-use authority10, so the county's district rules, lot sizes and setbacks are not the rules for a lot inside the city. We could not confirm the city's residential district lot sizes, setbacks, height limits or minimum house size; call Planning & Zoning at (910) 363-0681 and ask for the district standards for the specific lot9.

Do you need a building permit in Boiling Spring Lakes?

Yes, for new-home construction. Inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits the permit must be issued before work starts, and every subcontractor must apply for and sign for their own permits1. A property owner who acts as general contractor submits an owner affidavit form5.

Docks and piers are treated separately: those that do not qualify for the exemption for structures under 144 square feet need permits, sealed engineer drawings and inspections under the North Carolina Building Code11. In a Special Flood Hazard Area, the city requires a floodplain development permit for all development7. Fees are in the city's published fee schedule12.

Who issues building permits in Boiling Spring Lakes, and how do you reach them?

The city's own Building Permits & Inspections department issues building permits and inspects work inside Boiling Spring Lakes; the county's permit counter in Bolivia is not the office for city addresses13. Call 910-294-0996 or visit City Hall at 9 East Boiling Spring Rd.13. Applications are submitted online through the city's permit forms page, and questions can go to [email protected] or 910-363-002714.

For a new home, the city asks applicants to allow at least five business days for review, and says a building permit application does not have to wait for a zoning permit14. Zoning questions go to Planning & Zoning at (910) 363-06819.

How do septic and well permits work in Boiling Spring Lakes?

Septic and well permits for Boiling Spring Lakes addresses come from Brunswick County, not the city. The city's new-home checklist lists a wastewater authorization to construct, issued by the Brunswick County Environmental Health Department, with a county sewer-availability verification as the alternative315. A private well needs a well permit from the same county department4.

The county's traditional process starts with an Improvement Permit application at Brunswick County Environmental Health Services, followed by a site evaluation by a Registered Environmental Health Specialist16. The 2026-2027 county fee schedule lists $515 for an improvement permit application and $300 for a construction authorization at 500 gallons per day or less, and $300 for a new or repair well permit17. County Environmental Health is at 25 Courthouse Drive, Building A, Bolivia, phone 910-253-215018.

Soils matter: about 4.6% of Brunswick County soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system19.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Boiling Spring Lakes?

We could not confirm a city rule for living in an RV or tiny home on a private lot in Boiling Spring Lakes. The city's UDO does regulate RV campgrounds: they are for transient use, and no RV site may be used by the same RV for more than 180 days6. That rule covers campgrounds, not a lot you own.

Because the UDO sets the rules inside city limits, Brunswick County's RV and accessory-dwelling provisions do not answer the question for a city lot10. Before buying a lot for an RV or tiny home, ask Planning & Zoning at (910) 363-0681 for the written rule on that parcel9.

Building a home in Boiling Spring Lakes: the steps, in order

  1. Call Planning & Zoning at (910) 363-0681 to confirm the lot's zoning district and any flood-hazard status97.
  2. Get the county septic or sewer answer: a wastewater authorization to construct from Brunswick County Environmental Health, or a county sewer-availability verification315. Add a county well permit if you will use a well4.
  3. Apply online for the city building permit; allow at least five business days for review of a new home14.
  4. If you are your own general contractor, include the owner affidavit form5.
  5. Make sure each subcontractor applies for and signs their own permits, and do not start work until the permit is issued1.
  6. Request inspections through the city's Building Permits & Inspections department13.

What stays with Brunswick County, and what to check before you buy

Brunswick County Environmental Health handles septic and well permits for city addresses34. For land outside city limits, the county's rules apply instead: see the Brunswick County guide10.

Before you buy, check whether the lot is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, since the city requires a floodplain development permit there7. Ask the city about its fee schedule12 and whether the UDO allows your intended use. At the county level, the effective property tax rate is 0.6% and the median property tax bill is $1,789 a year2021.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Boiling Spring Lakes' residential lot sizes, setbacks, height limits, accessory dwelling rules or short-term rental rules; ask Planning & Zoning at (910) 363-0681 before you buy9.
  • Septic and well permits are county permits even though the building permit is a city permit, so start the county Environmental Health application early34.
  • Docks and piers of 144 square feet or more need permits, engineer drawings and inspections11.

Sources

  1. Forms and Applications (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  2. Unified Development Ordinance (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  3. cityofbsl.org (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  4. Forms and Applications (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  5. Forms and Applications (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  6. library.municode.com (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  7. Planning and Zoning Forms (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  8. Planning and Zoning Forms (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Boiling Spring Lakes Planning & Zoning (Development Services) (cityofbsl.org)
  10. Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), quoted and re-checked
  11. Forms and Applications (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  12. Fee Schedule (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Boiling Spring Lakes Building Permits & Inspections (cityofbsl.org)
  14. City of Boiling Spring Lakes permit applications and forms (cityofbsl.org)
  15. Forms and Applications (Boiling Spring Lakes), quoted and re-checked
  16. On-Site Wastewater Permitting Options, quoted and re-checked
  17. Fee Schedules, quoted and re-checked
  18. Brunswick County Environmental Health Services (brunswickcountync.gov)
  19. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Boiling Spring Lakes

Boiling Spring Lakes’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New-home construction inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • All subcontractors must apply and sign for their own permits.
    • The permit must issue before work starts.
    “All subcontractors must apply and sign for their own permits. Permit must be issued before starting work.”
  • Owner-builder exemptionConditional

    New-home construction where the property owner acts as general contractor inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • The City requires an owner affidavit form for an owner acting as general contractor.
    “Owner acting as General Contractor - Owner Affidavit Form”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Docks or piers exceeding the stated exemption threshold inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • Applies where a pier or dock does not qualify for the less-than-144-square-foot exemption.
    • Sealed, site-specific engineer drawings are also required.

    dock exemption threshold: < 144 square feet (May qualify for exemption)

    “If a pier or dock does not qualify for exemption - permits, sealed drawings from an engineer and be site specific with address on the plans. Inspections from the jurisdiction must be performed according to the current North Carolina Building Code.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • The City characterizes its UDO as combining zoning, subdivision rules, and other land-use controls.
    “A Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is a single, comprehensive local law that combines zoning, subdivision rules, and other land-use controls into one document.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping in City-regulated RV campgrounds inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • The campground is for transient use.
    • No RV site may be used by the same RV for more than 180 days.

    maximum same-RV campsite use: <= 180 days (RV campground site)

    “The RV campground shall only be used for transient use. No RV site may be used by the same RV for more than one hundred eighty (180) days.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Major and minor subdivisions inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • The City provides separate major- and minor-subdivision applications.
    • The City describes its UDO as including subdivision rules.
    “Major Subdivision Application Minor Subdivision Application Major Site Plan Application Minor Site Plan Application”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    All development in Special Flood Hazard Areas inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • The City form page describes the floodplain development permit application as required for all development in Special Flood Hazard Areas.
    “Floodplain Development Permit Application (Required for ALL Development in Special Flood Hazard Areas)”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    City permits and inspections inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • The City fee-schedule index links separately to Permits and Inspections and Planning and Zoning schedules.
    “City of Boiling Spring Lakes Fee Schedule”

Rules another office applies inside Boiling Spring Lakes

Boiling Spring Lakes does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Wastewater authorization for new-home construction inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • This applies where wastewater authorization to construct is used rather than a Brunswick County sewer-availability verification.
    “Wastewater Authorization to Construct: Issued by Brunswick County Environmental Health Department 910-253-2250”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New-home construction using onsite wastewater inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • A wastewater authorization to construct is listed as a new-home requirement; a Brunswick County sewer-availability verification is the listed alternative.
    “Wastewater Authorization to Construct / Sewer Verification”
  • Well permitRequired

    New-home construction using a private well inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.

    • The City lists the Brunswick County Environmental Health Department as issuer of the well permit.
    “Well Permit: Issued by Brunswick County Environmental Health Department 910-253-2250”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Boiling Spring Lakes or Brunswick County directly.

  • Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Principal single-family dwellings inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential zoning districts inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.
  • Setbacks — Principal single-family dwellings inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Residential zoning districts inside Boiling Spring Lakes city limits.
8 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Boiling Spring Lakes publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Brunswick County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Brunswick County: county rules, score and offices