A commercial building permit from the Town of Cary is required anytime a new tenant moves into a space or if any plumbing, electrical, mechanical, sprinkler, fire alarm or structural changes are made to the building.

In cases where a new tenant moves into a space, these permits are classified as either a change of tenant (moving into a space that was previously permitted for the same building occupancy type, such as Business to Business) or a change of occupancy (moving into a space that was previously approved for a different building code occupancy type, such as from a Business use to an Educational use).

Please review our Commercial Projects Plan Submittal Guide for information on how to apply for a commercial building permit. For more information, please visit the Chamber of Commerce/Town of Cary Guide to Starting a Business, or call 311 or (919) 469-4046.

Visit our Plan Review and Design page for more information on the following topics:

• Preparing Project Plans

• Development Review Process

• Commercial Building Permits Express Review Program

• Rezoning Applications

• Electronic Plan Review submission guide

Commercial building permits are applied for using IDT, our electronic plan review system. During the building permit plan review process, contractors’ licenses will be verified, fees will be calculated, and plans will be reviewed by building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and fire plans examiners, as well as Wake County Environmental Services, Utilities Pre-Treatment, and/or any other applicable departments as required.  

If you are planning to install an irrigation system as part of your commercial project, please be advised that this requires a separate permit application and incurs irrigation development fees based on the square footage of irrigated area.  

Any problems found during the process are communicated back to the applicant via email.

Some commercial projects may qualify to take advantage of our Express Review process for quicker processing of their application.  Additional fees apply.

We strongly recommend new business owners review both the Development Liaison page as well as the Starting a New Business page. Many frequently asked questions can be answered right there.

Our Small Business Liaisons have expertise in the areas of planning, zoning, permitting, building code and inspections. This is a free service to our small business community.

Important

Please speak to a Cary Small Business Liaison before signing a lease. We want to help inform you of potential pitfalls or obstacles before you enter into a costly lease agreement.  

Small Business - Building Permits

Are you a small business owner attempting to apply for building permits for a new space that you plan on occupying? 

Please utilize the following resources:

• Commercial Projects Plan Submittal Guide

Please utilize the guidance of our Development Liaisons. They dedicated to helping small business owners with project planning and permitting.   

For additional information on how to apply for a commercial building permit, you may also visit the Chamber of Commerce/Town of Cary Guide to Starting a Business, or call 311 or (919) 469-4000.

Small Business - Assistance with Inspections

Do you have questions or confusion about the inspections process? We have a Small Business Inspections Assistance Program that can help. There is no additional cost for use of this program.  

Scheduling Inspections

• Schedule online.
• To schedule by phone, please call 311 or (919) 469-4046 weekdays from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Inspection Day

• Visit Who’s My Inspector? to find your assigned inspector and cell phone number.
• Call your inspector between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. to get an ETA or discuss time restrictions. 

*** All final inspections must be scheduled via phone by calling 311 or (919) 469-4046.

 Inspections Results

To view all of the inspections for your project address or permit number, you can visit Building Permits Online. On the left side menu,click "Select Permit". Follow the prompts from there.

Questions about your inspection results? Please contact your inspector directly. You can find their contact information using our Staff Contact List.

Inspections & Permits Department (located in Town Hall)
316 N. Academy Street
Cary, NC  27513

For more information on submitting commercial plans, please contact 311 or call (919) 469-4046 to speak to a citizen advocate. You can also email our responsive Development Technician Team to address permitting questions. 

If you are trying to reach a specific person in Inspections and Permits, please use our Staff Contacts.

 Please visit our FAQ page.