Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Como, North Carolina

Rules another office applies inside Town of Como

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

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, movement, removal, or demolition of a building or structure inside Como town limits.

  • Exceptions in G.S. 160D-1110(c) apply to qualifying work costing $40,000 or less, subject to listed exceptions including plumbing, HVAC, electrical work, non-Code materials, roofing addition, and Fire Code changes.
  • Water-heater and certain like-kind electrical work have statutory exceptions.

  general no-permit cost threshold: <= 40000 USD (Only qualifying work in a single-family residence, farm building, or commercial building under G.S. 160D-1110(c); listed exceptions still require a permit.)

  “Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, and subsection (h) of G.S. 160D-1110.1, no person shall commence or proceed with any of the following without first securing all permits required by the North Carolina State Building Code and any other State or local laws applicable to any of the following activities:”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Como town limits subject to North Carolina building-permit law.

  • The statute also requires compliance with applicable State and local laws.

  “A building permit shall be in writing and shall contain a provision that the work done shall comply with the North Carolina State Building Code and all other applicable State and local laws.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work inside Como town limits done under a building permit.

  • The final inspection occurs at the conclusion of all work done under a building permit.
  • An architect or engineer certification may be accepted for specified components under G.S. 160D-1104(d).

  “At the conclusion of all work done under a building permit, the appropriate inspector shall make a final inspection, and, if the completed work complies with all applicable State and local laws and with the terms of the permit, the inspector shall issue a certificate of compliance.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New buildings, additions, enlargements, altered buildings, and moved buildings inside Como town limits.

  • A temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued for a stated period if the inspector finds safe occupancy before final completion and State Building Code conditions are met.

  “Except as provided by subsection (b) of this section, no new building or part thereof may be occupied, no addition or enlargement of an existing building may be occupied, and no existing building that has been altered or moved may be occupied, until the inspection department has issued a certificate of compliance.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  On-site wastewater systems inside Como town limits where the site is not served by an approved wastewater system.

  • The applicable local health department issues improvement permits and construction authorizations under State law.
  • Engineered-option and authorized-evaluator paths are statutory alternatives.

  “The local health department shall issue a construction authorization authorizing work to proceed and the installation or repair of a wastewater system when it has determined after a field investigation that the system can be installed and operated in compliance with this Article and rules adopted pursuant to this Article.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation, construction, or repair of an on-site wastewater system inside Como town limits.

  • An Improvement Permit and Construction Authorization are required unless the project proceeds under the statutory engineered-option or Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator permit option.
  • Maintenance does not require an improvement permit or construction authorization.

  “No person shall commence or assist in the installation, construction, or repair of a wastewater system unless an improvement permit and a construction authorization have been obtained from the Department or the local health department unless that person is acting in accordance with the conditions and criteria of an engineered option permit pursuant to G.S. 130A-336.1 or the Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator permit option pursuant to G.S. 130A-336.2.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  On-site wastewater systems inside Como town limits before they are covered or placed into use.

  • An Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator or qualifying Private Compliance Inspector may conduct statutory alternative verification or inspection.
  • The local health department issues the operation permit after determining compliance.

  “No system of wastewater collection, treatment and disposal shall be covered or placed into use by any person until an inspection by the local health department has determined that the system has been installed or repaired in accordance with any conditions of the Improvement Permit, the rules, and this Article.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Off-grid/on-site wastewater systems serving residences, businesses, or places of public assembly inside Como town limits.

  • The system must obtain the required improvement permit and construction authorization unless using a statutory alternative permitting path.
  • A wastewater system must be inspected before it is covered or put into use.

  “A person owning or controlling a residence, place of business or a place of public assembly shall provide an approved wastewater system.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  State-law building-permit process applicable to covered work inside Como town limits.

  • A permit must be in writing and must require State Building Code and other applicable-law compliance.
  • For local-government residential plan review, the initial review has statutory timeframes; this does not establish which local office administers Como permits.

  initial residential plan-review timeframe: <= 15 business days (Applies when a local government chooses to review residential building plans.)

  “If a local government chooses to review residential building plans for any structures subject to regulation under the North Carolina Residential Code, all initial reviews for the building permit shall be performed within 15 business days of submission of the plans.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder activity inside Como town limits.
• Local zoning — Land inside Como town limits.
• Zoning districts — Land inside Como town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Como town limits.
• Minimum lot size — Lots inside Como town limits.

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.