Permits & Inspections
Please Check Property Jurisdiction
Durham County and the City of Durham Fire Department each have a team dedicated to fire prevention and life safety. The address of the property determines which agency you need to contact for issues regarding permits, inspections or fire code questions. To find which team you need to speak with click on “Find My Jurisdiction” and enter your address. When the property data appears, click on "Durham County Tax Data" to determine your property's jurisdiction. If you are in the county fire marshal’s jurisdiction, you can find additional information on this site. If you are in the City’s jurisdiction, please click on the “City Fire Marshal” link below.
Permits & Inspections
Operational Permits
As required by the North Carolina Fire Code, operational permits will be assessed and inspected on an individual basis during routine inspections.
Durham County has adopted all required and optional operational permits listed in the North Carolina Fire Code.
Construction Inspections
Construction inspections
- When requesting an inspection all fields must be completed.
- Inspections are scheduled on a first come first served basis.
- Inspections must be requested no less than 72 hours prior to the needed time and date.
- Staff will reach out to finalize your requested date and time in accordance with availability.
Routine Inspections
Routine Fire Code inspections are conducted in accordance with the North Carolina Fire Code, North Carolina General Statutes and other regulatory authorities.
Inspection Schedule
Once every year:
Hazardous, institutional, high rise, assembly and residential, except one- and two-family dwellings and only interior common areas of dwelling units of multifamily occupancies. New and existing lodging establishments, including hotels, motels, and tourist homes that provide accommodations for seven or more continuous days (extended-stay establishments), bed and breakfast inns, and bed and breakfast homes as defined in North Carolina General Statute 130A-247.
Once every two years:
Educational (except public schools) and industrial.
Once every three years:
Business, mercantile, storage, and religious institutions.
Twice every year:
Public and private schools.
Frequency rates for inspections of occupancies as mandated by the state General Statutes shall supersede the above schedule. Nothing in this section shall prevent the fire marshal's office from conducting more frequent inspections than the schedule listed above, or any schedule published by any state regulatory agency.
Existing Building Inspection Request
Inspections are performed on a first come first served basis, and must be requested at least 5 business days prior to the needed time and date.
For facilities equipped with fire protection systems such as fire alarms, sprinkler systems, kitchen hood suppression systems and others, please be prepared to have three years’ worth of recent inspections on site.
Permit Application
Fire Prevention & Life Safety is tasked with regulating and inspecting construction of new buildings, inspection of existing buildings, and issuance of permits for compliance with the State of North Carolina Building Codes Fire Code. Below you find all of the application permits issued by our division.
Special Use Operational Permit
To complete a Special Use Operational Permit, click the link below to download the application. Complete the form, and email it back to us at DCoFireMarshals@dconc.gov
Fire Protection Permits
The Durham County Fire Prevention & Life Safety requires fire protection permits for any work as prescribed by the North Carolina Fire Code.
- Permit applications are completed electronically and available here: Fire Protection Construction Permit Application
- Assistance is available by dialing 919-560-0660.
- Durham County has adopted all appendices of the North Carolina Fire Code.
Submittal requirements
All design drawings are required to be sealed by a NC Licensed Professional Engineer or a NC Licensed Fire Sprinkler Contractor as permitted by North Carolina General Statutes. All submittals require one set of shop drawings, life safety plans, an appendix B and all equipment cut sheets (if applicable).
All documents must be submitted as individual files.
Responsibility:
The following are responsible for submitting plans that comply with all applicable codes, standards and North Carolina General Statutes:
- Applicant
- Architect
- Engineer
- Owner
Approvals by Fire Prevention & Life Safety at the time of plan review, even if in error or omission of a specific requirement, do not relieve the aforementioned of responsibility to correct such an error or omission prior to the final inspection and/or acceptance by Fire Prevention & Life Safety.
Emergency Responder Radio Coverage:
Please submit ERRC requests to the City-County Inspections site.
Sprinkler Systems/Standpipe/Fire Pump:
Hydraulic calculations and a current (< 12 month) water flow test, as well as an NFPA 13 owner’s certificate. Include fire pump test curve when applicable.
Fire Alarm Systems:
Electrical permit, riser diagram, battery calculations, and voltage drop calculations.
Smoke Control/Smoke Exhaust Systems:
Submittal package shall include design requirements in accordance with North Carolina Fire Code.
Alternative Automatic Extinguishing Systems:
Provide required documentation as listed in the relevant NFPA standard for the system:
Wet chemical systems: NFPA 17A
Dry chemical/CO2 systems: NFPA 12
Foam systems: NFPA 11 and NFPA 16
Clean agent: NFPA 2001
Halon system: NFPA 12A
Automatic water mist systems: NFPA 750
Fee Schedule
Access the latest Approved Fee Schedule with a quick download – click to view the PDF.