4-27-12 RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS PLAN SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS The plan submittal information presented here is to assist you in preparing your construction documents for review and permitting. Our method is to first define the various residential projects and then describe the process to follow to get a building permit. 1. Addition: A room addition is a building project that adds to the square foot size of a house and/or also increases the foundation size or footprint. This would include an attached garage, carport, a sunroom, or the addition of another story. It does not include a screened porch, open porch, deck, detached garage or carport. These projects all require a building permit and a zoning permit. An enclosed addition requires a building plan review before permitting. These plans may be hand drawn and usually do not require an architect s seal. They must be neat and legible and drawn to scale, 1/8 = 1 foot minimum. The forms needed for this review are Building Permit Application and a Residential Plot Plan. They are available on line at. There is also a Detailed Plan Review check list with code references under Residential Plan Review and a brochure, Plan Review Tools For The Novice, on line. Review time for small projects, 500 square feet or less, is 24 hours. Small projects may be drawn on 8 ½ x11 inch paper. Permitting usually takes 24-48 hours. Larger projects will take up to 5 business days for review plus 24-48 hours for permitting. The minimum plan size is 11x17 inches. There is no charge for plan review. Two copies of the plans are required. They cannot be in pencil. All contractors listed on the Building Permit Application must be licensed and bonded with Mecklenburg County in addition to any requirements for a NC state trade license.
2. Renovations: MECKLENBURG COUNTY Interior renovation projects usually do not require a plan review unless they are valued at $175,000 or greater and include structural load bearing alterations. Follow the plan review guidelines as mentioned above. 3. Unconventional Building Methods: Approved alternate methods or methods outside of the NC Residential Code require plan review. See above. 4. Retaining Walls: Retaining walls supporting more than 48 inches of backfill require a licensed NC Structural Engineer s design. Sealed plans (2 copies) must be submitted for plan review with a building permit application and a plot plan. If the retaining wall is less than 48 inches but crosses over adjacent property lines, or if it is supporting a building or an accessory structure, it will require a plan review and a permit. 5. Custom Homes and Duplexes: All new residential dwellings, regardless of size, require full plan review. There is no charge for this and the review time will be five business days or less. Allow an additional 24-48 hours for zoning and permitting. There is an additional hourly charge of $145 if the plans require more than two reviews. This would include the re-review of lost, previously approved plans. Submit 2 copies of the architectural and structural plans for review. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical plans are not reviewed. Submit a building permit application, plot plan form and an erosion control form, available at, with your plans. Electronic Plan Submittal is also available for custom home and addition projects. Additional information on electronic plan submittal can be found at www.e-planne.org Contractors may enroll in this program by submitting a request to rtac@mecklenburgcoutnync.gov. The request should include the name of the company and the contact information for the primary contact for the company. Generally, residential plans do not require a seal from an architect or engineer. However, when the plans contain structural elements exceeding the limits of the NC Residential Code, or otherwise not conforming to this prescriptive code, these elements shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practices. This portion of the plan must be sealed by a licensed NC architect or engineer. In other words, if it is not described in the code book it will need a seal. Examples of
this would be truss roof or floor systems, engineered wood beams like LVL beams, steel beams, unusual foundations or retaining walls, unusual construction methods like log homes or timber framed structures. 6. Master Plan Review Program, Custom Homes: The Master Plan Review Program is designed to expedite the permitting process for the contractor who builds the same house plan more than once. The plans are reviewed one time but may be permitted for multiple sites in Mecklenburg County. This program utilizes electronic plan submittal and review. Additional information on electronic plan submittal can be found at www.e-plan-ne.org Contractors may enroll in this program by submitting a request to rtac@mecklenburgcoutnync.gov. The request should include the name of the company and the contact information for the primary contact for the company. Electronic plans must be in a DWF format. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical plans are not reviewed and should not be included in the electronic file. Once the plans are approved, copies may be reproduced for job site use and made accessible to the building inspector. The original will be maintained in archives and accessible through the contractor s dashboard. The approved plan contains a Plans Identification Number (PIN) which will identify the plans for retrieval when you permit this house. No further review is required. The only form needed for this review would be the Master Plan Summary Sheet, see. When the plans are approved you may begin the permitting process. Changes or Revisions: Use the Master Plan Summary Sheet to identify any revisions or deviations from the original approved plans. Major changes will necessitate a new review of the plans. For example: Changes in loads and load bearing conditions Changes to the square footage of the house Changes in components, material types, or construction techniques, (i.e. changing from stick framed to truss construction) Addition of permanent stairs to an attic The addition of a fireplace The addition of a bay window Examples of minor changes, no plan review required: Moving non-load bearing walls Finishing of a bonus room, new permit required An approved set of Master Plans can only be used during the building code cycle it was reviewed under. The building code is usually revised on a three
year cycle. The Master Plans would have to be reviewed again with each new NC Residential Building Code. 7. Townhouse Projects: Townhouses three stories or less in height shall conform to the current NC Residential Code. Townhouses that are more than three stories in height must conform to the current NC Building Code, also known as the commercial code. Pre-approval: The project must be pre-approved by the local planning commission before it is entered in the review process. This could be the Charlotte Planning Commission if it is located within the city limits or Charlotte ETJ. If the project is located in one of the six towns of Mecklenburg County it must first be approved by them. The site plan must have the approved stamp of the appropriate zoning/planning department. Submittals: Must contain the following information Address Verification form for the project address (see website). Two complete sets of plans to include architectural, structural and site or civil plans. If the project is in Matthews, Mint Hill, Pineville, Huntersville, Cornelius or Davidson (please submit three sets of plans for north town projects). Electrical, mechanical and plumbing plans are not reviewed. Seven additional site plan packages for City of Charlotte Engineering if the project is in Charlotte or Charlotte ETJ. Submit these plans directly to City Engineering 600 East Fourth St. Charlotte, NC 28202, 704-336-6692. Sprinkler plans (when applicable) are checked by Fire & Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities Department, CMUD, reviewers. Project design criteria information (appendix B, Project Data Sheet) must be reproduced onto page 1 or 2 of the building plans and sealed by a licensed NC engineer. One copy of the Permitting Data sheet (website). Minimum building plan size is 11 x 17, minimum site plan is 18 x 24 and all plans must be legible and drawn to scale. All components of a phased development must be included in the submittal package and adequately identified. Each submittal is a different phase of a development. 7. Townhouse Projects, continued:
End Unit Code Requirements: R302 Fire Resistant Construction. Exterior walls and soffits may require fire rated construction or fire resistant construction as prescribed in section R302 of the NC Residential Building Code. A Certificate of Occupancy hold will be placed on all end units and an As Built survey will be required to ensure compliance with this code section prior to release of the hold. The site plan must clearly show the appropriate distance from the foundation line to the property line or between buildings on the end units, or the required fire protection needed for the exterior walls and/or soffits in order for the plans to be approved for construction. Plan Review Options: In addition to the submittal process described above, there is also a Master Plan Review option for townhouses. This option is for individual units only, not the buildings. Townhouse unit plans are submitted without site plans via the residential electronic plan submittal system. When approved they are given a PIN (project identification number). This unit could then be used when submitting a new Townhome Project built in other subdivisions in Mecklenburg County. This saves time on the overall building review process because only the party wall separation, design criteria and seismic information for each building will have to be reviewed when the site plans are submitted. These Master units can usually be configured in any order in the building provided all options are detailed in the unit master plan. When ready to build, submit the site plans as noted above, the foundation plan and elevations for each building type, the Appendix B, Permitting Data Sheet and one Address Verification form. Name the unit types on the building plans and reference the PIN. The approved unit plans are not required. Do not submit the Permit Applications at this time. You will be notified when the project has been approved by all departments or if revisions are required. Permitting Procedures: When your project is approved submit permits for the units you are ready to build. You are not required to permit the whole project all at one time. Please submit a site plan or building layout with street addresses for all new townhouse units and an Address Verification for each unit. Detached garages require separate permits. These permits can be applied for on line. Contractors must sign in to their account for this option. Ignore the plot plan note; it is not required for townhouses. Do not fax or email in a completed permit application.
An approved set of Master Plans can only be used during the building code cycle it was reviewed under. The building code is usually revised on a three year cycle. The Master Plans would have to be reviewed again with each new NC Residential Building Code. 8. Zoning Approval: Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson All building projects in these towns must first be approved by the local zoning departments. The building permit application must be signed off locally before the permit can be processed by Mecklenburg County. 9. Checking On Your Projects: Project status may be reviewed on line at. Follow the link on the right side of the homepage Online Permitting, Inspection & Plan Review Services. Enter your project number, permit number, or street address for: Plan review status Permits, inspections scheduled and inspection results Print a Certificate of Occupancy or a Certificate of Compliance View occupancy holds and phone numbers to call for an explanation Inspector territories and permitting fee schedules are also available at this link. Please direct any questions regarding residential plan review requirements to RTAC, 704-432-7822.