Bolthole Index

Harnett County, North Carolina

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Coats, North Carolina

The Town of Coats, North Carolina (Harnett County) adopts and administers its own zoning under the Coats Development Ordinance1. Harnett County's inspection department handles building inspections inside town limits2, and septic and well permits come from Harnett County Central Permitting, not the Town3. A town zoning permit comes first, before any county forms are submitted4.

At a glance

Zoning
Town of Coats, under the Coats Development Ordinance adopted 7/14/20221
Building permit
Town zoning approval first, then a Harnett County Central Permitting building permit42
Building inspections
Harnett County Inspection Department2
Septic permit
Harnett County Central Permitting and Environmental Health3
New septic fee
$750 for a new septic tank, $100 for an existing system5
New well permit
$250 through Central Permitting6

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Town of Coats Planning & Zoning (Town Hall)

Zoning permits, the zoning map and the Coats Development Ordinance for land inside town limits and its extraterritorial area

910-897-5183

[email protected]

25 E Main St, Coats, NC 27521

Building permits

Harnett County Central Permitting

Building permits, inspections, septic and well permit intake for Coats addresses; zoning approval from the Town comes first

910-893-7525

420 McKinney Parkway, Lillington, NC 27546

Online permits →

Septic permits

Harnett County Health Department, On-Site Wastewater Section

Septic (on-site wastewater) permits for Harnett County, including addresses inside Coats

910-893-7550

307 W Cornelius Harnett Boulevard, Lillington, NC 27546

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

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Does Coats, NC have zoning, and what does it cover?

Yes. The Town of Coats has its own zoning, set by the Coats Development Ordinance adopted 7/14/2022, which replaced the town's earlier zoning, subdivision, watershed and flood ordinances1. Subdivisions inside town limits are covered by the same ordinance7.

The official zoning map is kept at Town Hall, and the Town points to Harnett County's GIS viewer for a convenient copy8. Look up your parcel's district there before you buy.

The county's zoning rules apply only to unincorporated Harnett County, not to land inside a town's limits or extraterritorial area9. Rules for RV living, tiny homes, minimum lot size, setbacks and accessory dwellings inside Coats are not something we could confirm. Ask Town of Coats Planning & Zoning at Town Hall for the district standards that apply to your parcel10.

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

Yes, a building permit is part of the process, and North Carolina state law requires the permits that the State Building Code calls for before work starts11. In Coats the steps split between two offices. Under the Town's agreement with Harnett County Central Permitting, no building permit issues for work in Coats or its extraterritorial area until the Town has issued a zoning permit or comparable approval10. Harnett County's inspection department then provides building inspection services for the Town2.

The county's published new-home guide says that when the zoning jurisdiction shows as Coats, a zoning permit must come from the Town office before forms go to Harnett County4. County building permit fees are based on the structure's square footage, plus a $25 land use fee and a $25 plan review fee12.

How do septic permits work inside Coats?

Septic permits for homes in Coats come from Harnett County, not the Town. The county's guide directs Coats residents to Central Permitting, where septic and well permits are obtained3. The county's On-Site Wastewater Section of the Harnett County Health Department handles on-site wastewater permits13.

The fee for a new septic tank is $750 and for an existing septic system is $1005. A new-home application needs septic approval, where a septic system is proposed, before the residential building permit issues4. A new well permit costs $2506.

Soils matter: only about 31.2% of Harnett County soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation and sometimes an engineered system14. If a public sewer line is available, ask Harnett Regional Water about connecting instead.

Building a home in Coats: the steps, in order

  1. Look up the parcel's zoning on Harnett County's GIS viewer and confirm it is inside Coats or its extraterritorial area8.
  2. Get a zoning permit from the Town of Coats at Town Hall, 25 E Main Street, before anything is submitted to the county10.
  3. Apply for septic and, if needed, well permits at Harnett County Central Permitting; septic approval comes before the building permit4.
  4. Complete the residential building application with full contractor information and a workers' compensation affidavit or insurance copy4.
  5. Pay county building permit fees, based on square footage, and schedule inspections with the Harnett County Inspection Department122.

What stays with Harnett County, and what to check before you buy in Coats

Septic permits, well permits and building inspections for Coats addresses run through Harnett County offices32. Land outside the town and its extraterritorial area follows the county's own rules instead; see the Harnett County page.

For budgeting, Harnett County's effective property tax rate is 0.7% and the median property tax bill is $1642 per year1516. These are county figures, not Coats-only.

Unconfirmed for Coats: certificate-of-occupancy rules, owner-builder rules inside town limits, and floodplain development standards. Ask Town Hall and Harnett County Central Permitting before closing10.

Watch-outs

  • Do not start with a county building permit application: the Town's zoning permit comes first for any property in Coats or its extraterritorial area10.
  • Septic and well permits for Coats addresses come from Harnett County, so the Town cannot approve them3.
  • We could not confirm Coats rules for RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size or setbacks; ask Town of Coats Planning & Zoning before you buy10.

Sources

  1. Town of Coats Planning & Zoning (Town of Coats), quoted and re-checked
  2. Coats Code § 150.34, Inspection Procedure (Town of Coats), quoted and re-checked
  3. Harnett County Central Permitting, How to Obtain a Building Permit (Town of Coats), quoted and re-checked
  4. Harnett County Central Permitting, How to Obtain a Building Permit (Town of Coats), quoted and re-checked
  5. Harnett County Central Permitting, How to Obtain a Building Permit (Town of Coats), quoted and re-checked
  6. Harnett County Central Permitting, How to Obtain a Building Permit (Town of Coats), quoted and re-checked
  7. Coats Code § 153.02, Subdivision Code Adopted by Reference (Town of Coats), quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Coats Planning & Zoning (Town of Coats), quoted and re-checked
  9. Unified Development Ordinance of Harnett County, North Carolina, quoted and re-checked
  10. Town of Coats Planning & Zoning (Town Hall) (coatsnc.org)
  11. G.S. 160D-1110. Building permits. (North Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Harnett County Central Permitting, How to Obtain a Building Permit (Town of Coats), quoted and re-checked
  13. Harnett County On-Site Wastewater Section (2026 county census)
  14. 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
  15. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  16. 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 Coats

Town of Coats’s own rules

  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted buildings, structures, and work inside Coats town limits.

    • Inspection applies to work for which a permit has issued and occurs as often as necessary for code compliance.
    • Harnett County Inspection Department provides building-inspection services for Coats.
    “The Inspection Department shall inspect all buildings and structures and work therein for which a permit of any kind has been issued as often as necessary in order to determine whether the work complies with this chapter and the appropriate codes.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Coats town limits.

    • The Town's 2022 CDO supersedes the prior zoning ordinance and other listed development ordinances.
    “Coats Development Ordinance (CDO) ADOPTED 7/14/2022”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Coats town limits.

    • The official zoning map is held at Town Hall; the Town page also identifies CDO Article 8, Districts.
    “The official copy of the Zoning Map can be found in the Subdivision Review Officer's office at Town Hall and in the Town Hall Council Chambers. For convenience the zoning is found on Harnett County GIS webpage at https://gis.harnett.org/gisviewer/.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivisions inside Coats town limits.

    • The subdivision code is incorporated into the Town code.
    “Coats Development Ordinance (CDO) ADOPTED 7/14/2022 [...] SUBDIVISIONS”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Coats

Town of Coats 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)

    Septic permitting for homes inside Coats town limits where septic service is applicable.

    • The County guide directs Coats residents through Central Permitting and states that septic permits are obtained there.
    “If the Zoning Jurisdiction populates as Coats or Erwin, a Zoning Permit will need to be obtained from the respective Town Office before any forms can be submitted to Harnett County. [...] Septic Permits & Well Permits are obtained at the Central Permitting Department.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New-home process inside Coats town limits when an onsite septic system is proposed.

    • The County process requires septic approval, where applicable, before a residential building permit issues.
    • New septic tank fee is $750; existing septic fee is $100; improvement is good for five years from issue or six months if the tank is installed.

    new septic tank fee: 750 USD · existing septic fee: 100 USD

    “Septic Permits & Well Permits are obtained at the Central Permitting Department. Steps One & Two must be completed and the fee must be paid before Environmental Health’s review begins. NEW SEPTIC TANK FEE $750.00 EXISTING SEPTIC FEE $100.00”
  • Well permitRequired

    New wells in the County permitting process applicable to Coats residents.

    • Checklist and fee are required upon application.
    • New well permit fee is $250.

    new well permit fee: 250 USD

    “Septic Permits & Well Permits are obtained at the Central Permitting Department. [...] NEW WELL PERMIT $250.00”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    County permitting services used by Coats residents for new-home construction.

    • Building permits are priced by structure square footage; permitted renovations are based on dollar figure.
    • The guide identifies additional fees and conditions.

    land use permit fee: 25 USD · plan review fee: 25 USD (paid when picking up permits)

    “What fees can I expect? • Building permit fees are based on square footage of the structure, as specified on the Central Permitting Fee Schedule. • $25 Land Use Fee • $25 Plan Review Fee • $10 Homeowner Recovery Fee, if applicable.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    New homes, additions, and modular homes in the County process followed by Coats residents.

    • Town zoning approval is needed with Step One.
    • Septic and plans, if applicable, must be approved before the residential building permit.
    • The application requires contractor/subcontractor information and workers' compensation form or affidavit.
    “STEP FOUR: Complete Residential Building Application to include a full list of contractor information. • Sign the Affidavit of Workman’s Compensation or provide a copy of Workman’s Compensation Insurance.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Coats town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — New or altered structures inside Coats town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential zoning districts inside Coats town limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential zoning districts inside Coats town limits.
  • Setbacks — Residential zoning districts inside Coats town limits.
14 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Coats publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Harnett County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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