North Carolina building permit authorities
2025 Census Building Permits Survey directory.
226 permit-issuing authorities
The Census Building Permits Survey lists 226 authorities in North Carolina. They reported 86,167 residential units permitted in 2025; 195 of them (86%) reported activity.
No single authority dominates: the largest, Mecklenburg County, accounts for 9% of the state total.
Largest authorities by 2025 residential units
| Authority | Units permitted |
|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | 7,496 |
| Raleigh | 4,738 |
| Durham | 4,483 |
| Brunswick County Unincorporated Area | 2,682 |
| Johnston County Unincorporated Area | 2,523 |
| Gaston County Unincorporated Area | 2,343 |
| New Hanover County Unincorporated Area | 2,223 |
| Union County Unincorporated Area | 2,007 |
| Cabarrus County | 1,991 |
| Greensboro | 1,972 |
| Catawba County | 1,944 |
| Harnett County Unincorporated Area | 1,669 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, 2025. Inclusion confirms that an authority issues permits — not that it publishes an open feed, and not that any address has an active project. What we measure before covering a market →
Key takeaways
This directory records 226 authorities that issued permits in North Carolina and 86,167 residential units reported for 2025. Our analysis of the Census survey shows reporting scale, not whether an authority has an open permit database or whether a particular project is active. Those questions need the authority’s own current record.
- Use the authority name to locate the primary record.
- Check local data availability separately.
- Verify a project before outreach or a bid decision.
Common question
Does inclusion mean Projects Ahead has a usable project signal there?
No. Inclusion means the Census survey identifies an authority that issues permits. A usable project signal requires separate testing of source access, fields and the ability to reconstruct a project timeline.