What the City requires
From the City's Residential Plan Review page (read 23 October 2026):
| Step | What Greensboro says |
|---|---|
| Plan review level | Full review is required before permits for habitable or heated space, including new single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes |
| Site plan | "A site plan is required for all new residences", reviewed by the Planning Department |
| Review time | "Ten to 14 business days depending on Planning Department approval of site plan" |
| Designer | "A designer is not required except in cases of structural issues and for multiple townhome developments" |
| Submittal | Two copies of plans to the Permit Technician at Development Services, 300 W. Washington St. |
| Fees | Paid at application; electrical, plumbing and mechanical fees "are paid separately by the licensed contractors who pull those permits" |
The Residential Construction page adds that "Plan review is required for new construction including additions and accessory structures", that you "will need to upload a site plan drawn to scale", and that "The price of the permit is calculated using the cost of the construction." "All electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work needs a separate permit for each trade."
Who can pull it
A licensed general contractor. G.S. 87-1 makes a firm a general contractor when "the cost of the undertaking is forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or more", which covers every new house. The license limitation caps the contract: Limited up to $750,000, Intermediate up to $1,500,000, Unlimited without restriction (G.S. 87-10). Check the license on the NCLBGC search. Greensboro's usual new home at $189,075 fits a Limited license; a custom house over $750,000 does not.
You, as owner-builder. The City lets a homeowner take the building permit when "You own and live in the house (must show proof)", "You sign an affidavit of ownership and terms of permits and inspections", "The house is not for sale or lease at the time of the request and for at least one year after completion" and "You are going to oversee the work yourself." The trade permits still need a licensed electrician, plumber and HVAC contractor unless you do that work yourself under the same conditions.
Inspections and the final
Request inspections through the City's automated line, APRIL, at 336-373-2400 by 8 pm the business day before, and check results on the GSO BI Scheduler by address or permit number. A finished permit shows Final Inspection Made. Each trade permit has its own inspections and its own final.
What 2,341 Greensboro new-home permits show
| Measure | Greensboro new homes |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 2,341 |
| Builders | 123 |
| Builders with a permit in the last 12 months of the file | 73 |
| Usual construction value on the permit | $189,075 |
| Middle half of builders' usual value (49 builders with 3+ permits) | $150,000 to $230,259 |
| Final inspection made (permits a year or more old) | 97.7% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 156 |
| Share held by the five busiest builders | 51.2% |
| Busiest / quietest month | April (136) / November (61) |
Greensboro new homes almost always finish: 97.7% reached a final, and even the 10th-percentile busy builder hit 82.2%. So the useful difference between builders is speed and price, not whether the house gets signed off. The value on the permit is the builder's declared construction cost, not the sale price and not the land. The five busiest builders filed 51.2% of permits, and filing runs from 61 in November to 136 in April (100 is an average month).
See every Greensboro home builder by days to final →
Related
Values by builder and home size: Greensboro new home cost. Choosing a builder: hiring a home builder and the Greensboro builder list. National figures: new home construction cost; other cities' rules: do I need a permit to build a house. License checks for all three NC boards: Greensboro contractor license lookup; permit records: Greensboro building permit search; counts by month: Greensboro permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
The file covers City of Greensboro permits; land outside city limits is permitted by Guilford County. We could not read the City's building permit fee schedule, so the fee is left out; Development Services (336-373-2155) quotes it. The City's plan review page still cites a $30,000 owner-builder line and older code editions; the statute now sets $40,000, so confirm the current rule when you apply.
How we know this
Plan review steps, the site plan rule, review times and the owner-builder conditions are quoted from the City of Greensboro's Residential Plan Review and Residential Construction pages, read 23 October 2026; the license threshold and limits from N.C.G.S. 87-1 and 87-10. Counts are City of Greensboro new-construction permits on houses, October 2023 to September 2026; value is the construction cost declared on the permit, finished share uses permits a year or more old, and days run from issue to final.
Numbers come from City of Greensboro building and trade permits, data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How long does it take to get a building permit for a new house in Greensboro?
The City's Residential Plan Review page puts full review at 'Ten to 14 business days depending on Planning Department approval of site plan'. After issue, the usual Greensboro new-home permit in our file reached its final inspection 156 days later.
- Can I build my own house in Greensboro without a contractor?
Yes, if you own it and will live in it. The City asks you to show proof, sign an affidavit, keep the house off the market for at least a year after completion and oversee the work yourself. North Carolina's general contractor law exempts an owner building a house for their own occupancy (G.S. 87-1(b)(2)).
- Does a Greensboro home builder need a license?
Yes, on a job of $40,000 or more, which is any new house: G.S. 87-1 makes the firm a general contractor at that cost. Check the license and its limit (Limited up to $750,000, Intermediate up to $1,500,000, Unlimited) on the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors search.
- How much is a new home permit in Greensboro?
The City says 'The price of the permit is calculated using the cost of the construction', with trade permits paid separately by each licensed contractor. We could not read the building fee schedule, so confirm the amount with Development Services on 336-373-2155. The usual new-home permit in our file carried $189,075 of construction value.
- How many new homes are permitted in Greensboro?
2,341 new-home permits from October 2023 to September 2026 in our file, filed by 123 builders; the five busiest filed 51.2%.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
- Arlington's 2,500-square-foot rule: when an addition or new house needs a Land Disturbing Activity and stormwater permit
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Naperville? The submittal, the fee schedule, sub-permits and build times
- Building a new house in Nashville: the permit, the plans, the bond and the U&O letter
For one city
- Residential Plan Review — City of Greensboro Engineering & Inspections (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Residential Construction — City of Greensboro Engineering & Inspections (accessed 2026-10-23)
- N.C.G.S. Chapter 87, Article 1 — General Contractors (2026-10-22)
- Verify License Search — NC Licensing Board for General Contractors (2026-10-22)
- GSO BI Scheduler permit search — City of Greensboro (accessed 2026-10-23)