Building permits, zoning and land rules in Buncombe County, North Carolina

Yes. Unincorporated Buncombe County generally requires permits for construction, installation, repair, replacement or alteration covered by the North Carolina State Building Code¹. Qualifying work costing $40,000 or less on a single-family home, farm building or commercial building may be exempt, but the exemption does not cover specified structural, plumbing, heating and cooling, electrical, roofing, material or Fire Code work¹. Buncombe County administers the state building codes in unincorporated areas and, by contract, Biltmore Forest, Weaverville and Woodfin¹. The owner-builder exemption is an exemption from general-contractor licensing, not from applicable building permits, inspections, zoning or septic approval⁶. It requires owned land, intended personal or family occupancy, a verified affidavit, personal supervision and the other statutory conditions⁶. For permitted work, the permit holder must request inspections at the required stages¹¹. The final occupancy inspection comes after trade compliance inspections and compliance with zoning and septic rules, but before occupancy¹¹.

Buncombe County Permits & Inspections handles building permit applications, plan review and inspections at 35 Woodfin St. in Asheville¹. The department serves all unincorporated areas of Buncombe County and also provides those services by contract for Biltmore Forest, Weaverville and Woodfin¹. Call 828-250-5360 before filing if the parcel is near a municipal boundary or you are unsure which jurisdiction handles it¹. The owner or the owner's agent obtains the permit, and the county publishes permit and inspection fees that vary by service^1,5. Zoning questions go to Buncombe County Planning & Development's Zoning Division, while development in the mapped 100-year floodplain goes through the county Floodplain Administrator^5,12.

Yes. Buncombe County adopted zoning countywide, while North Carolina law excludes areas under municipal planning jurisdiction from county zoning authority^2,3. Use the county zoning map's zoning layer to find the parcel's current district and overlays before relying on a listing description⁵. Setbacks vary by district, sewer status, lot configuration and overlays; measurements run from the furthest-extending part of the structure, including decks and roof overhangs, to the property line or road right-of-way⁵. Zoning inspections also check height limits, which vary by district⁵. Buncombe County allows an RV or travel trailer as a temporary single-family dwelling only in districts that permit travel trailers or travel trailer parks, for no more than 180 days per calendar year⁷. A tiny house intended as a permanent single-family dwelling must be permitted by the local building official and meet the state residential code, local zoning, setbacks and wastewater requirements⁹. We could not confirm a countywide minimum dwelling size or numeric minimum lot size; ask the Zoning Division about the parcel's district and overlays⁵.

Buncombe County Environmental Health permits and inspects septic systems and private drinking-water wells⁴. For new construction or placement of a structure that will use on-site wastewater, obtain a septic permit or perc test before work begins; Buncombe County will not issue the building permit until Environmental Health issues an Authorization to Construct⁴. The application requires the property PIN, plat and applicable fee, after which Environmental Health evaluates the site and may issue an Improvement Permit or Authorization to Construct⁴. The current fee schedule lists $350 for a residential, commercial or industrial Improvement Permit and $150 for an Authorization to Construct when an Improvement Permit already exists⁴. Environmental Health also inspects septic systems, and an operation permit is required before occupancy or use^4,13. North Carolina requires a local health department permit before construction of a private drinking-water well¹⁴. Submit the well permit with the septic application unless an available municipal, community, shared or other water supply will serve the project⁴. Only 0.7% of county soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make site evaluation an early purchase contingency¹⁰.

Buncombe County permits a travel trailer or RV as a temporary single-family dwelling for no more than 180 days per calendar year, and only in zoning districts that allow travel trailers or travel trailer parks⁷. An RV may not be permanently set up, affixed to the site or used as a permanent single-family dwelling⁷. A disconnected, tagged and road-ready RV that is not used as a temporary dwelling on the site is treated as a parked vehicle⁷. A tiny home can serve as a permanent single-family dwelling when the local building official permits it and it meets the state residential code, local zoning, setback, covenant and wastewater requirements⁹. A unit certified as an RV remains an RV rather than becoming a code-compliant tiny dwelling⁹. Off-grid does not mean sanitation-free: property without public sewer must have an approved wastewater system, and a portable or chemical toilet cannot substitute where the building code requires a permanent wastewater connection^4,15.

1. Identify the parcel's zoning district and overlays, then confirm allowable use, setbacks and height limits with the Zoning Division⁵.

1. If public sewer is unavailable, submit the property PIN, plat and fee to Environmental Health for site evaluation and septic approval⁴. Submit the well permit at the same time unless another approved water supply is available⁴.

1. Obtain the septic Authorization to Construct before applying for the building permit⁴.

1. If the site is in the 100-year floodplain, submit a floodplain development permit application and review fee before grading, filling or building¹².

1. Apply to Buncombe County Permits & Inspections if the site is in an area the department serves, and keep the posted permit card and approved plans at the job site^1,11.

1. Have the permit holder or agent request building inspections at each required stage, and complete septic inspections before the system is used^11,13.

1. Complete the trade, zoning and septic approvals needed for the final occupancy inspection before moving in¹¹.

Typical home values in Buncombe County are about $458,279, while farmland value averages about $11,802 an acre¹⁰. Only about 22% of county land has a slope of 15% or less, 86% is wooded, and just 0.7% of soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional septic drain field¹⁰. Before closing, make septic suitability, legal access, zoning and floodplain status explicit due-diligence items^4,5,12. Buncombe County regulates subdivisions, and a special subdivision that creates or uses a private road or a private driveway serving more than two lots requires Fire Marshal approval^2,16. That rule does not establish the permit requirement for every ordinary driveway, so ask the agency maintaining the road before relying on an existing entrance. The effective property-tax rate is about 0.6%, the median annual bill is about $2,163, and the typical annual homeowners-insurance premium is about $1,285¹⁰.