Some homeowners have the expertise to replace appliances and make household repairs, even build decks and add on rooms. However, most people hire professional contractors to do the work. Everyone wants a job done well at a reasonable price. With that in mind, the Inspections and Permits Department has advice for anyone contracting to have work done on their home.

 Visit our Home Constructions Project page for more information.

When are Building Permit(s) required? 

Please visit our dedicated page on Building Permit requirements for more information on this topic.  

Expedited "SPOT" Plan Reviews for Small Additions and Renovations.

SPOT review times are available for eligible small residential projects. There is no additional fee for this program.  

All SPOT review times are now held remotely. 

 Eligible SPOT projects include:

• Decks, porches, storage buildings, additions less than 500 square feet.
• Interior alterations less than 1,500 square feet.

A plans examiner will advise the applicant if a project is too complex to be reviewed as a SPOT. 

How do I submit my application and plans through the SPOT Progam?

• Apply for your permit and schedule your SPOT review time through the electronic plan review portal.

* Plans must be uploaded with your application when you schedule a SPOT review time.  If you do not upload plans, your review time request will be canceled.

• Staff will review your permit remotely at the time of your review.
• Applicants should be available via phone for questions during your scheduled review time.
• Once your permit is approved, you'll receive an email from staff with instructions for paying for your permit, printing your documents and scheduling your inspections.   
• There will NOT be a permit card.  The permit will be issued electronically.
• You will need to print  all of your documents and plans and have them available onsite for the investor. 
• Each submittal or revised submittals must be a complete set of plans, not just the revised pages.

Our Development Technicians handle permit application in-take and setup.  If you have questions about the status of your permit or have questions about the application process, please email drc@townofcary.org

Standard Plan Review Instructions

• Submit your application and plans through the electronic plan review portal.
• Monitor your email. All communication from staff will be emailed.  
• If you are notified of missing information or documents, log into your IDT account and respond to the open issues.  
• Each submittal must be a complete set of plans, not just the revised pages.
• Once your permit is approved, you'll receive an email from staff with instructions for paying for your permit, printing your documents and scheduling your inspections.   

Residential (Online) Trade Permits 

Some permits do not require plan review and can be issued administratively. The following is a specific list of which projects qualify.

See Building Permits Online for information about:

• Water Heaters
• Heating and Air (mini-splits require plan review, cannot be applied for using Building Permits Online)
• Electrical service changes
• Electric Vehicle Charging Station
• Installation of electrical fixtures and circuits
• Water and sewer line replacements
• Gas line installations (for gas logs, grills and appliances)
• Generator installations

(This site is not for SPOT Permits)

Work Done Without a Permit

Scheduling Inspections

• Online
• 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 7 and 7:30 a.m. to get an ETA or discuss time restrictions.

***All final inspections must be called in by phone.

To view your inspection results, visit our Online Inspections Portal and click on "Select Permit" at the left side menu. 

 Inspection results will appear the same day as the inspection was conducted.  Our staff makes it a priority to enter inspection results as promptly as possible following the inspection.

For questions about your inspection results, please contact your inspector directly.

Contact:

For assistance please contact 311 or (919) 469-4046 to speak with a citizen advocate or contact your inspector directly by using our Staff Contacts.

"As-Built" Foundation Surveys

For more information, please visit our dedicated "as-built" survey page.

Setbacks and Impervious Surface Limits

Each lot will have unique setbacks due to the unique nature of its shape, proximity to natural buffers, easements, and zoning district.  

 Impervious surface limits (when applicable) are also unique to each lot.

For questions about setbacks or impervious surface limits for your lot, please contact our residential plan review team. 

Work Done Without a Permit 

For various reasons, there are times when work is started prior to obtaining the proper building permits.  Building permits and inspections help ensure the safety of building occupants.  However, building inspections are also closely related to property owners liability. 

Did you know that unpermitted work can greatly increase the liability and financial risk to a property owner?  Furthermore, unpermitted work can cause delays when a homeowner chooses to sell their property?  

Don't worry, we can help get work properly and legally permitted even if the work was done months or years ago.  As part of the process, we will send a code official to your home to discuss the requirements and what parts of the work will need to be visually inspected.  We do our best to structure the process in a way that will minimize the burden and impact on our citizens while still ensuring the safety of the work.

Please reference our detailed "Work Done Without Permit"page.

 If you have additional questions, please reach out to the Chief Code Enforcement Official (Residential Multi-Trade) by calling 311 or (919) 469-4046.

Additional Site Approvals

Additional site approvals and environmental permits for residential projects (ex. floodplain,  stream buffer impacts, erosion control for land disturbance) may be required in addition to a building permit.