Bolthole Index

Davie County, North Carolina

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Cooleemee, NC

The Town of Cooleemee, North Carolina has its own zoning ordinance and districts1, and Town Hall requires a zoning permit for a utility building, remodel or addition2. Who issues building permits inside town limits is not confirmed on the town's pages, so ask Town Hall first. Septic and well permits for Cooleemee addresses run through Davie County Environmental Health3.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes. The Town of Cooleemee zones land inside town limits14
Zoning permit
Required from the town for a utility building, remodel or addition; there is a fee2
Building permit
State law requires permits under the State Building Code; the issuing office inside town limits is unconfirmed5
Septic
Davie County Environmental Health evaluates sites and issues operation permits after inspection36
Wells
Construction permit from the local health department7
Manufactured homes
Class C manufactured homes may not be placed inside the town's zoning jurisdiction8
Floodplain
Floodplain Development Permit required before building in a Special Flood Hazard Area9
Owner-builder
North Carolina allows owners to build for their own occupancy under statutory conditions10

Who to call

Zoning

Town of Cooleemee Town Hall (Town Clerk)

Zoning permits, the zoning ordinance, and code enforcement reports inside town limits

(336) 284-2141

131 Church Street, PO Box 1080, Cooleemee, NC 27014

Septic permits

Davie County Environmental Health

Septic site evaluations and private water supply assistance for Davie County, including addresses in Cooleemee

(336) 753-6780

154 Government Center Dr Mocksville, NC 27028

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 Town of Cooleemee means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Cooleemee, NC have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and manufactured homes?

Yes. The Town of Cooleemee divides land inside town limits into zoning districts, and the town's ordinance also sets conditional-use and overlay districts1. The official zoning map is adopted by the Town Board of Commissioners and kept in the Town Clerk's office4.

Manufactured homes are restricted: the zoning ordinance says no Class C manufactured homes may be placed in the town's jurisdiction, and manufactured-home parks must meet the ordinance's design standards8.

We could not confirm a Cooleemee rule on tiny homes, on living in an RV on private land, or on minimum dwelling size, so ask Town Hall before you rely on any of them. The ordinance does regulate RV placement in flood hazard areas9.

Do you need a building permit in Cooleemee, and who issues it?

North Carolina law bars anyone from starting construction without the permits the State Building Code requires, subject to statutory exceptions5. Small repair or alteration jobs of $40,000 or less can be exempt, but not work involving load-bearing structure, plumbing, heating or cooling, or electrical systems5.

What we could not confirm is which office issues building permits and inspections inside Cooleemee town limits. Call Town Hall at (336) 284-21412 to find out, and ask whether Davie County Planning & Development Services handles it. The county's own permit rules apply to its inspection jurisdiction, not automatically to land inside the town11.

What zoning permit does Cooleemee require?

Town Hall states that installing a utility building, remodeling, or adding an addition to your home requires a permit from the Town of Cooleemee, and that the zoning permit carries a fee2. Zoning fees can be set by the Town Board of Commissioners in its Schedule of Fees and Charges, so ask Town Hall for the current amount12.

The town also publishes a Certificate of Zoning Compliance Application on its Ordinances & Zoning page, which Town Hall can explain by phone2.

How do septic and well permits work inside Cooleemee?

Septic permits for Cooleemee addresses come from Davie County Environmental Health, not the town3. The county's wastewater program does on-site evaluations before any construction to confirm a site can support an on-site wastewater system13. State law then requires the installing contractor to notify the local health department when the system is finished, so it can inspect and issue the operation permit6. All wastewater from water-using fixtures must discharge to an approved wastewater system14.

A private drinking-water well needs a construction permit from the local health department7. Across Davie County, about 44% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots still need a careful site evaluation15.

Building a home in Cooleemee: the steps, in order

  1. Call Cooleemee Town Hall at (336) 284-2141 to confirm the zoning district for the lot and the permits needed2.
  2. Request a septic site evaluation from Davie County Environmental Health at (336) 753-6780 before any construction13.
  3. If the lot touches a Special Flood Hazard Area, apply to the Floodplain Administrator for a Floodplain Development Permit before work starts9.
  4. Get the zoning permit and ask Town Hall which office issues building permits2.
  5. Get a well construction permit from the local health department if the lot has no public water7.
  6. After construction, the contractor notifies the health department for the septic inspection and operation permit6.

What stays with Davie County, and what to check before you buy in Cooleemee

Septic and well permits stay with the county health office3. Land outside Cooleemee town limits falls under Davie County's rules instead of the town's.

In a flood hazard area, a final as-built Elevation Certificate is required after construction and before a Certificate of Compliance or Occupancy is issued16.

Costs are county-level: Davie County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%17 and the median property tax bill is $1,570 a year18.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm which office issues building permits and inspections inside Cooleemee town limits; ask Town Hall at (336) 284-2141 before you start work2.
  • The zoning ordinance posted by the town was last amended in 2011, so confirm with Town Hall that it is the current version1.
  • Cooleemee Town Hall keeps short weekday hours, so call ahead before you visit2.
  • Class C manufactured homes may not be placed inside the town's zoning jurisdiction8.

Sources

  1. Town of Cooleemee Zoning Ordinance, as amended October 17, 2011 (Town of Cooleemee), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Cooleemee Town Hall (Town Clerk) (cooleemee.org)
  3. Environmental Health Requirements for Septic and Well Permits (2026 county census)
  4. Town of Cooleemee Zoning Ordinance, as amended October 17, 2011 (Town of Cooleemee), quoted and re-checked
  5. G.S. 160D-1110. Building permits. (North Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. G.S. 130A-335 Wastewater collection, treatment and disposal; rules (Town of Cooleemee), quoted and re-checked
  7. G.S. 87-97 Permitting and testing of private drinking water wells (Town of Cooleemee), quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Cooleemee Zoning Ordinance, as amended October 17, 2011 (Town of Cooleemee), quoted and re-checked
  9. Town of Cooleemee Zoning Ordinance, as amended October 17, 2011 (Town of Cooleemee), quoted and re-checked
  10. G.S. 87-1. "General contractor" defined; exceptions. (2026 county census)
  11. Codes - Current and Past, quoted and re-checked
  12. Town of Cooleemee Zoning Ordinance, as amended October 17, 2011 (Town of Cooleemee), quoted and re-checked
  13. Davie County Environmental Health (daviecountync.gov)
  14. G.S. 130A-335 Wastewater collection, treatment and disposal; rules (Town of Cooleemee), quoted and re-checked
  15. 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
  16. Town of Cooleemee Zoning Ordinance, as amended October 17, 2011 (Town of Cooleemee), quoted and re-checked
  17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  18. 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 Town of Cooleemee

Town of Cooleemee’s own rules

  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Floodplain development inside a Cooleemee Special Flood Hazard Area.

    • A final as-built Elevation Certificate is required after construction and before Certificate of Compliance/Occupancy issuance.
    • Deficiencies must be corrected before issuance.
    “A final as-built Elevation Certificate (FEMA Form 81-31) is required after construction is completed and prior to Certificate of Compliance/Occupancy issuance.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Cooleemee town limits.

    • The ordinance establishes general, conditional-use, and overlay zoning districts.
    “For the purpose of this ordinance, the Town of Cooleemee is hereby divided into the following general use zoning districts:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Cooleemee town limits.

    • The official zoning map is adopted by the Town Board of Commissioners, certified by the Town Clerk, and retained in the Clerk's office.
    “the Town of Cooleemee is hereby divided into the following general use zoning districts:”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes inside Cooleemee town limits.

    • Class C manufactured homes may not be placed or relocated within the ordinance jurisdiction after the ordinance effective date.
    • Manufactured-home parks must meet the ordinance’s design standards.
    “no Class C manufactured homes shall be placed in the jurisdiction of this Ordinance”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development activities in Cooleemee Special Flood Hazard Areas.

    • Application must be made to the Floodplain Administrator before development activity.
    • Other required local, state, and federal permits must be received before floodplain-permit issuance.
    “Application for a Floodplain Development Permit shall be made to the Floodplain Administrator prior to any development activities located within Special Flood Hazard Areas.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Town zoning permits and procedures inside Cooleemee town limits.

    • Fees may be established by the Town Board of Commissioners in its Schedule of Fees and Charges.
    “Applicants for permits and other procedures as provided for by this Ordinance may be required to pay such fees”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Cooleemee

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

  • Septic inspectionRequired

    New onsite wastewater systems serving property inside Cooleemee town limits.

    • The contractor must notify the local health department of completion for inspection and operation-permit issuance.
    “shall notify the local health department of completion of the wastewater system for the inspection and issuance of the operation permit”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Onsite wastewater serving a residence or business inside Cooleemee town limits.

    • Wastewater from water-using fixtures and appliances must discharge to an approved wastewater system.
    “all wastewater from water-using fixtures and appliances connected to a water supply source shall discharge to the approved wastewater system.”
  • Well permitRequired

    Private drinking-water wells inside Cooleemee town limits.

    • Construction requires a local-health-department construction permit.
    • A site investigation occurs before issuance; exceptions and repair rules are specified by statute.
    “Construct or assist in the construction of a private drinking water well unless a construction permit has been obtained from the local health department.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Cooleemee or Davie County directly.

  • Building permit — Residential construction inside Cooleemee town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Cooleemee town limits.
  • Building code adopted — Construction inside Cooleemee town limits.
  • Inspections — Building work inside Cooleemee town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family R-R and R-S zoning districts inside Cooleemee.
6 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Town of Cooleemee publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Davie County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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