Certified Review - Residential Building Plans

Single Family and Duplex

Process Description:
The Certified Review of Residential Building Plans is a residential plan review option designed for individuals and builders who are submitting a set of fully sealed structural plans whereby the design professional affirms that all structural sheets and details have been prepared in conformance with the applicable provisions of the current edition of the North Carolina Residential Code for One & Two Family Dwellings, including architectural, structural, truss layout, schematics, BCI, etc., designs. All other aspects of the regular Single Family & Duplex Housing review process apply. The City of Raleigh also offers other residential plan review options that may be a better choice depending on the specific type of project being submitted such as Standard Review - Residential, Redi Review and Stand Alones - Residential.

See the City of Raleigh Development Services Glossary for any unfamiliar terms.

Are there any prerequisites to this process?

If property is on a state road then all NCDOT driveway or encroachment permits must be obtained prior to building permit issuance
Contractor must be licensed by the State of North Carolina unless construction cost is under $30,000.00
Recorded map (.doc) or (.pdf ) approved and filed with Department of City Planning and Wake County Register of Deeds
Well and/or septic tank permit from Wake County Environmental, if City water and/or sewer is not available
Building Permit for demolition work must be issued and the structure must be demolished prior to submitting plans for review
Certificate of Appropriateness (.doc) or (.pdf), if applicable (Historic Districts and Landmarks)
Board of Adjustment approval, if applicable
Client should contact the City of Raleigh Housing and Environmental Division at (919) 807-5110 to investigate potential active housing cases on the property. Or use the online tool, Public Access, to research your property for active housing cases. If an active case is found, Housing/Environmental staff will provide instructions to the client for resolving all pending issues and closing the case. May also use the Wake County Property Search online tool for further information regarding the property
Client must comply with the City of Raleigh Tree Conservation process
Contractor information (contractor license, contact information, business license, workers compensation, certificate of liability insurance, etc.) must be complete, current and valid in the City of Raleigh Contractor file
Contact the Permits Division at 919-516-2495 to confirm that the Contractor file information is correct and up to date
Contractor must have a City of Raleigh Business License, if work is being done within the City Limits of Raleigh

How do I start the process?

Complete a City of Raleigh Permit Application
Complete One & Two Family Log Sheet
Reference the One & Two Family Residential Submittal Guide prior to submittal

What do I need to submit to the City?

Standard Submittal Package

City of Raleigh Permit Application
Two (2) copies of plot plans to include the plot plan stamp
Two (2) copies of building plans
One & Two Family Log Sheet
Certified Plan Statement, if submitting for the Certified plan approval. This statement must be transposed onto the plans

What additional documents may be needed?

Driveway Cut Permitting Requirements
2006 NC Residential Code Errata
Well and/or septic tank permit from Wake County Environmental, if City water and/or sewer is not available
City of Raleigh Building Setback Agreement Form
Petition to annex paperwork, if outside Raleigh city limits and tapping onto city water & sewer
Cross Access Agreement, if applicable. Cross access agreements are legal agreements made between private property owners. They are recorded at the Wake County Register of Deeds and include provisions to allow two or more property owners to have the right of access across one or more properties. It is typically applied to shared vehicular access in the case of a subdivision, site plan or zoning condition
Certificate of Appropriateness (.doc) or (.pdf), if applicable (Historic Districts and Landmarks)
Board of Adjustment approval, if applicable
Plot Plan Stamp

Where can I find detailed information regarding submittals?
Residential Plan Submittal Guide

Where do I submit my application?
Office:              City of Raleigh
Department:    Inspections
Division:           Permits
Address:          8320-130 Litchford Road, Raleigh, NC 27605
Phone #:          (919) 713-4200
Hours:              8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Submittal packages may be dropped off at the address below and they will be couriered daily to the Litchford Satellite office location:

Office:             City of Raleigh
Department:    Inspections
Division:           Permits
Address:          One Exchange Plaza, Suite 404, Raleigh, NC 27601
Adjacent to:     219 Fayetteville Street
Phone:             (919) 516-2495
Hours:              8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

What are the keys to success?

Complete City of Raleigh Permit Application accurately and legibly
Plans are drawn to architectural scale and legible
Plot plans are drawn to engineers scale and legible. Must include the plot plan stamp
Ensure that plan content meet requirements as outlined in the One & Two Family Submittal Guide
Verify that the project address is correct. To check the current address assigned to a specific property, check the iMAPS on-line property mapping system. If you think your address is incorrect, contact Willa Hinton (919) 516-2638
A recorded map of property & address is required. Recorded map application is available in (.doc) or (.pdf )
If there is no recorded map for the property, a copy of the current survey, in addition to the property description on file with Wake County Register of Deeds, is acceptable
All Infrastructure Construction Drawings are designed to meet the requirements of the current North Carolina State Code(s)
Make sure that the square footage is the same on the application as it is on the plans
Contractor information (contact information, business license, workers compensation, liability insurance, etc.) must be correct in the City of Raleigh Contractor file. Contact the Permits Division at (919) 516-2495 to confirm the accuracy of all required data
Contractor must have a City of Raleigh Business License, if work is being done within the Raleigh City Limits
Contractor must have proof of Workers Compensation

What fees are involved and when do I pay them?
See Fee Schedule

How long will this process take?

Approximately four (4) business days for Certified Plan Review
Approximately (4) – (8) business days for re-submittals (plans previously reviewed with unresolved issues)

Guide Home Page

For More Information Contact:
David Mortimer
Building Plans Examiner
Inspections Department
8320-130 Litchford Road
Raleigh, NC 27615
919-713-4204

Martin Velie
Building Plans Examiner
Inspections Department
8320-130 Litchford Road
Raleigh, NC 27615
919-872-4127

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