Concord Building Permits — Requirements & Process

Construction permitting in Concord involves both the City of Concord and Cabarrus County. The City states that it reviews construction applications for zoning while Cabarrus County Construction Standards handles building permits. Concord's application process is coordinated so applicants do not need to make separate submissions to both agencies.

Applications

Concord directs applicants to its Accela Citizen Access process. For construction projects, the City says the application should include the required Cabarrus County Construction Standards materials. The City specifically lists new commercial construction, commercial interior upfits, new houses, and residential accessory work such as sheds, decks, covered porches, and pools among its construction application categories.

Current North Carolina Code

North Carolina's Office of State Fire Marshal states that the 2018 North Carolina State Building Code remains the mandatory code while implementation of the 2024 code is delayed. OSFM also states that the 2024 code may be requested as an alternative method of construction under the transition provisions. Do not assume the 2024 code is already mandatory solely because it has been published.

Fees

Concord publishes current City planning and development fee schedules. Building-permit charges administered by Cabarrus County should be confirmed with County Construction Standards. This guide does not combine City zoning fees and County building fees into a speculative project total.

Inspections and Completion

Building-code inspections are administered through the applicable building-permit authority, while Concord separately performs City reviews and fire-related inspections within its jurisdiction. Follow the inspections assigned to the actual permit record. Concord identifies a Certificate of Compliance process for certain City approvals; that process is not generalized here into a universal Certificate of Occupancy rule for every project.

Official Sources

Use Concord's permit instructions, Cabarrus County Construction Standards requirements reached through the City guidance, and current North Carolina OSFM code guidance before filing.