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

Yes. Richmond County requires an application before covered construction begins, and zoning compliance must be certified before the Building Inspector can issue the permit¹. North Carolina law generally requires permits before construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, movement, removal or demolition begins, although narrow statutory exceptions cover some qualifying work⁵.

The application checklist calls for a complete application, zoning approval, utility documentation and plans or drawings when the Building Inspector requests them². For a project totaling $40,000 or more, the checklist adds a lien agent, a workers’ compensation affidavit with insurance documentation, and an owner-exemption affidavit when applicable². The fee schedule effective July 1, 2026 charges residential new construction, additions and remodels $0.35 per total square foot with a $150 minimum, plus stated electrical, plumbing and mechanical fees¹³. Starting work before obtaining necessary permits doubles the stated permit fees¹³.

An owner who builds a home on owned land for the owner's own family occupancy may claim the state owner-builder exemption from general-contractor licensing, but must sign a verified affidavit, personally supervise the construction, and be present for inspections unless a licensed architect sealed the plans; for projects costing $40,000 or more the proof or affidavit is required before the permit issues¹¹.

Richmond County Central Permitting and Inspections is the first stop for county building and manufactured-home applications; the office lists 910-997-8203 and carly.batson@richmondnc.com¹⁴. Submit the building application complete after securing the supporting approvals².

Building permits and zoning are separate approvals. Zoning approval may come from Richmond County, Hamlet, Ellerbe, Hoffman, Norman or Dobbins Heights, depending on the parcel, while septic and well permits for the parcel stay with Richmond County Environmental Health^2,3. For county-administered parcels, completed zoning applications may be emailed to Planning or dropped off at Central Permitting, with approvals returned electronically¹⁵. Permitted work is inspected as it progresses under the statewide inspection rule¹⁶. Richmond County also requires a certificate before a covered new structure, alteration, addition or change of use may be occupied¹.

Richmond County has zoning in the areas designated on its official zoning map, but municipal rules may control inside incorporated places⁶. The county ordinance publishes residential, commercial, industrial, highway-commercial, airport-hazard, watershed and floodplain districts or overlays¹⁷. Bona fide farm property used for bona fide farm purposes is exempt from county zoning, but nonfarm uses on that property are not⁶.

Lot size and setbacks depend on the district^1,6. A-R has no minimum lot area, while R-R and C-R require 20,000 square feet and V-R requires 7,000 square feet; other district and overlay rules may add conditions⁶. A-R generally has 45-foot front and street-side setbacks and 15-foot side and rear setbacks, while V-R generally has 25-foot front and street-side, 10-foot side and 20-foot rear setbacks¹. R-R requires a 50-foot minimum lot width with the same 45-foot front setback, and V-R requires a 50-foot lot width and caps lot coverage at 40 percent¹⁸. Richmond County also regulates new subdivisions and expansions within county jurisdiction¹⁰.

Richmond County Environmental Health handles onsite wastewater and private-well oversight, with a public contact at 127 Caroline Street and 910-997-8320^3,19. New and altered onsite wastewater systems require county permitting, and the Construction Authorization must be issued before the building permit⁴. County and state officials may conduct the inspections needed to determine compliance⁴.

Only 13.4% of mapped county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, so make the site evaluation an early purchase contingency²⁰. State law generally requires an improvement permit and construction authorization before installing or repairing a wastewater system, with alternative permitting routes and a maintenance exception²¹. An operation permit is required before occupancy or use of the system²². Richmond County also permits and inspects new private wells, repairs and abandonments⁸.

Richmond County does not allow an RV, camper or tent to serve as a permanent residence in its zoning jurisdiction⁹. Occupancy beyond three months in any twelve-month period is presumed permanent and prohibited, and occupied RVs must be in an approved campground⁹. The county ordinance separately requires RV parks to have a permitted park site¹⁰. An unoccupied RV or travel trailer may be stored on a privately owned lot in a residential district only if the lot has a principal residence and the vehicle sits outside the required front and side yards and at least 10 feet from the rear property line, unless it is kept in an enclosed accessory structure⁹. Ask Richmond County Planning how the rule applies to a proposed stay before buying or moving an RV onto the parcel²³.

A tiny home must be permitted by the local building official, meet applicable zoning and setbacks, and comply with the state residential code; an RV-industry-certified unit is treated as an RV instead²⁴. Manufactured homes are permitted in A-R, R-R and V-R districts, subject to the required approvals, but C-R prohibits them^1,17. A portable or chemical toilet cannot replace permanent sanitation where the building code requires it²⁵.

1. Identify whether Richmond County or a municipality controls zoning, then confirm the parcel’s district, minimum lot area, setbacks and allowed use^1,2,6.
2. Obtain zoning approval and any applicable NCDOT driveway permit shown on the site plan^2,18.
3. If the site lacks public service, apply to Richmond County Environmental Health for septic and well review; the septic Construction Authorization must precede the building permit^4,8.
4. Prepare requested plans and submit the complete building application with proof of utilities².
5. Add the lien-agent, workers’ compensation and applicable owner-exemption documents when the project totals $40,000 or more².
6. Call for inspections as permitted work progresses¹⁶.
7. Obtain the required certificate before occupying the completed work²⁶.

Confirm zoning jurisdiction, district, minimum lot area, setbacks, allowed use and subdivision status before closing; county and municipal authority can differ within Richmond County^1,2,6,10. If the parcel depends on septic, make the site evaluation an early contingency because only 13.4% of mapped soils avoid a severe conventional-drain-field limitation²⁰. For private water, Richmond County permits and inspects new wells, repairs and abandonments⁸.

Development in a Special Flood Hazard Area requires an application to the Floodplain Administrator before work begins¹⁰. A zoning-compliance site plan must include any required NCDOT driveway permit where applicable¹⁸. Confirm both issues with Planning before grading or fixing an entrance location²³. The county is heavily wooded, with 77.5% forest cover, and 90.9% of its land has a slope of 15% or less; use those figures as context, not as a substitute for parcel surveys²⁰.