Forsyth County › Unified Development Code

Chapter 7 — Permits, Certificates, Fees and Finances, Article 2 — BUILDING PERMITS

current as of 2026-04-02currency checked manuallyOfficialofficial source ↗13 sections · full chapter

§ 7-2.1

When Required.

No building or other structure shall be erected, moved, extended, enlarged, structurally altered, changed from unfinished to finished space, nor shall any existing or new areas within structures or buildings be covered or concealed by wall coverings, nor shall any grading, excavation or filling of a new lot for the construction of any building or structure be commenced until the department has issued a building permit for such work.

§ 7-2.2

Erosion Control.

A stop work order shall be issued if it is determined by the department and/or the Department of Engineering that the provisions of the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Ordinance (Ordinance 73) are not being followed.

§ 7-2.3

Sewage Disposal.

No building permit shall be issued for any building or structure unless there is filed with the department a permit from the Forsyth County Department of Environmental Health certifying that the lot has been approved for an individual sewage system according to state regulations and locally adopted codes.

§ 7-2.4

Water Supply.

No building permit shall be issued without evidence of adequate water supply as may be approved by the Forsyth County Department of Environmental Health. No building permit shall be issued for any building or structure unless there is filed with the department proof of purchase of a water meter or installation of a well in areas where water is not available and an on-site well is approved for use.

§ 7-2.5

Land Disturbance Permit.

No building permit shall be issued for a commercial or industrial project or active amenity area for a residential subdivision unless there is an active site development permit for the project, except that an active site development permit shall not be a pre-requisite to the issuance of a building permit in the following circumstances:

(A)When a building is to be constructed on an existing foundation with no change in use;

(B)When all work is interior with no change in use; or

(C)When the Director determines that the proposed project is of such limited scope that the public health, safety, and welfare is adequately protected without the need for the issuance of a site development permit first.

New construction shall comply with all existing applicable color and material requirements. This section shall take precedence over section 10-2.2(A).

§ 7-2.6

Application.

Each application to the department for a building permit shall be accompanied by a drawing in duplicate showing:

(A)A survey plat approved by the department;

(B)The square footage and height of the building to be erected;

(C)The location of the building on the lot;

(D)The location of existing structures on the lot;

(E)The number of dwelling units the building is designed to accommodate (if residential);

(F)The approximate location of existing buildings or structures on adjoining parcels; and

(G)Such other information as may be essential for determining whether the provisions of this Code are being observed or which may be required by the department or conditions of approval by the Board of Commissioners and Planning Commission. Survey plats shall be required for all building permit applications. An individual survey of a parcel in a subdivision approved by the Planning Commission or the department is not required if the approved subdivision plat meets technical plat standards substantially equal to current standards. The department may waive the requirement of a plat where it deems such plat not to be necessary.

§ 7-2.7

Egress and Ingress Required.

Where construction is proposed upon a lot or parcel of land not abutting at least sixty (60) feet on a dedicated public street, each application for a building permit on such a lot or parcel of land not shown as a building lot on a subdivision plat approved by the Planning Commission or department shall be accompanied by a true copy of a recorded easement or other document, showing the date and page of recordation in the Clerk's Office, Forsyth County Superior Court, giving the lot or parcel access to a public street.

Without such information, a building permit shall not issue.

§ 7-2.8

False Statement.

Should any person make any false or untrue statement, knowingly or otherwise, to department personnel who cause a building permit to be issued in violation of any provisions of this Code, all permits and certificates shall be void ab initio, and all fees paid by the applicant shall be forfeited without further action by any official.

§ 7-2.9

Deviation from Application.

Should any person cause a building or a structure to be erected in a manner different in size, location, or other characteristic from that represented in the application and accompanying documents, all permits shall be null and void as of the date of the deviation, and any permits or certificates thereafter issued shall be void ab initio without further action by any official.

§ 7-2.10

Report of Deviations.

It is the duty of the owner of the premises and his agent to bring to the attention department personnel or inspectors any deviation from the application and accompanying documents.

§ 7-2.11

Lots in Subdivisions.

No permit or certificate shall be issued involving a building or a structure on a lot or parcel involving a subdivision of land unless and until all applicable requirements of Chapter Eighteen, Subdivisions, and/or Chapter Nineteen, Conservation Subdivisions, as the case may be, are met; provided, however, model home permits may be issued prior to compliance with all applicable requirements of said chapters if the following requirements are met:

(A)the lot must be served by a street paved according to County standards;

(B)the main water line must be installed and pressurized in front of the model home;

(C)no Certificate of Occupancy will be issued for any model home until the lot upon which the model home is situated has been given final plat approval and said final plat has been recorded; and

(D)no more than one model home permit per forty (40) lots planned in the subdivision will be issued.

§ 7-2.12

Application Review Period.

Building permit application reviews shall be conducted within three

(3)business days after any applicable plan review has been satisfactorily completed. All building permit applications will be considered preliminary until approved. Any building permit that does not have a date and signature on the "approval" or "issuance" portion of the building permit document shall be considered preliminary and cannot be relied upon by its applicant. Forsyth County makes no representation that a building permit will be approved in releasing the preliminary permit. Any work conducted prior to execution of the above approval process shall be at the risk of the applicant. Forsyth County assumes no liability with regard to any work that takes place prior to approval and final issuance of a building permit. At the conclusion of the review period, the Department of Building and Economic Development shall furnish the applicant with a copy of the approved and issued permit or written notice indicating why the permit cannot be approved.

§ 7-2.13

Expiration.

A building permit shall expire twelve (12) months from the date of issuance. Renewal must be made by application within three (3) months of the expiration date and payment of one hundred dollars ($100) to the department. At least one inspection must have been completed and passed prior to renewal of a permit. Renewals shall be limited to one renewal per permit. Should the permit expire after the issuance of a renewal, a new permit must be acquired.

ARTICLE III, TRADE PERMITS: