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Cabarrus County

Cabarrus County Planning and Development, Zoning Division

In short

Cabarrus County Planning and Development, Zoning Division issues 4 permits we publish for Cabarrus County, last verified 2026-10-21. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Zoning Permit and Zoning Review (unincorporated county)only if it applies to youCabarrus County Planning and Development, Zoning DivisionCommercial Use, Institutional, Industrial or Transportation Zoning Permit $280.00; Zoning Review of New Building Occupancies – Building Permit Support – Commercial (add-on to Building Fee) $30.00; Certificate of Occupancy – Non Residential Inspection (Zoning Standards Inspection Only) $175.00 (Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2025). Where development, construction or occupancy begins without the appropriate permits, the schedule doubles the costs for all permits and plan review.per project2026-10-21
Home Occupation Permit (unincorporated county)only if it applies to youCabarrus County Planning and Development, Zoning Division$250 per permitper permit2026-10-21
Sign Permit (unincorporated county)only if it applies to youCabarrus County Planning and Development, Zoning DivisionPermanent Signage includes first Zoning Inspection $225.00; Temporary Sign Permit $150.00 (Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2025). Development Ordinance §11-9: if the permit expires, 'the original cost of the permit shall be charged as the renewal fee.'up to six months (Development Ordinance §11-9: 'Sign Permits shall be good for up to six months')2026-10-21
Temporary Use Permit — Itinerant Merchants and Food Trucks (unincorporated county)only if it applies to youCabarrus County Planning and Development, Zoning Division$250 per permit (plus engineering fees when applicable)not to exceed ninety (90) continuous days per calendar year at a given location (Development Ordinance Chapter 7, section 68)2026-10-21

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

Commercial Zoning Permit and Zoning Review (unincorporated county)

A commercial business locating in unincorporated Cabarrus County needs a zoning permit from the county's Zoning Division ($280.00), a $30.00 zoning review added to the building permit for a new commercial occupancy, and a $175.00 zoning standards inspection for the non-residential certificate of occupancy. The figures are as published in the Cabarrus County Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule, which states on every page 'Approved by CC BOC on April 22, 2025 with July 1 2025 Effective Date'. The fee-change table in the county's FY 2027 Adopted Budget lists changes only to the landfill tipping fee and two library fees. The Zoning Division page states: 'The Zoning Division is responsible for current zoning activities and ordinance enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Cabarrus County.' Each town or city in the county runs its own zoning. The Planning page labels the schedule 'Fees for all planning and zoning services'. The Zoning Division page notes: 'The permit counter closes at 4:30 pm daily.' Zoning Division: 704-920-2141.

Home Occupation Permit (unincorporated county)

A business run from a home in unincorporated Cabarrus County needs a $250.00 Home Occupation Permit from the Zoning Division. Development Ordinance Chapter 7, section 27 (Home Occupation, General) lists occupations allowed at home, among them 'One Chair Beauty or Barber Shop', 'Daycare with Eight Children or Less (See NCGS §110-86)', 'Home Based Food Business (Low-Risk Packaged Foods as defined by NC law only)' and 'Mail Order Business or On-line Order Business, order taking only, no stock in trade'; the use may not exceed 25% of one floor of the principal building, allows no more than one nonresident assistant and no outdoor storage. Section 28 (Home Occupation, Rural) allows the use in one accessory building and adds 'Auto Repair Work - Permitted as PBS in Agriculture/Open only', 'Building Contractor's Storage Yard Including Electrical, Plumbing, & Mechanical' and 'Landscape Contractor', with building size and employee limits set by parcel acreage. The figures are as published in the Cabarrus County Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule, which states on every page 'Approved by CC BOC on April 22, 2025 with July 1 2025 Effective Date'. The fee-change table in the county's FY 2027 Adopted Budget lists changes only to the landfill tipping fee and two library fees. The Zoning Division page states: 'The Zoning Division is responsible for current zoning activities and ordinance enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Cabarrus County.' Each town or city in the county runs its own zoning.

Sign Permit (unincorporated county)

A business putting up a permanent sign in unincorporated Cabarrus County pays the Zoning Division $225.00, which includes the first zoning inspection; a temporary sign permit is $150.00. Development Ordinance Chapter 11 establishes 'a permit system to allow a variety of types of signs', and §11-9 states: 'Sign Permits shall be good for up to six months. If the permit expires, the original cost of the permit shall be charged as the renewal fee.' The figures are as published in the Cabarrus County Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule, which states on every page 'Approved by CC BOC on April 22, 2025 with July 1 2025 Effective Date'. The fee-change table in the county's FY 2027 Adopted Budget lists changes only to the landfill tipping fee and two library fees. The Zoning Division page states: 'The Zoning Division is responsible for current zoning activities and ordinance enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Cabarrus County.' Each town or city in the county runs its own zoning.

Temporary Use Permit — Itinerant Merchants and Food Trucks (unincorporated county)

A food truck or merchandise stand selling at an existing business site in unincorporated Cabarrus County needs a Temporary Use Permit from the Zoning Division, $250.00 '(plus engineering fees when applicable)'. Development Ordinance Chapter 2 defines an 'ITINERANT MERCHANT' as 'Merchants that sell food, fruit, vegetables, beverages, or merchandise from a temporary stand, motor vehicle or food truck at existing business sites.' Chapter 7, section 68 states that 'All temporary uses listed in this Section require a Temporary Use Permit', allows itinerant merchants in the LDR, MDR, HDR, LC and GC zoning districts at existing business sites, and limits the permit 'to a period not to exceed ninety (90) continuous days per calendar year at a given location. The 90 days starts at date of issue and does not exclude days that the vendor is not on site.' The applicant needs the property owner's written approval. G.S. 153A-125 authorizes a county to regulate 'the business activities of itinerant merchants' by ordinance, to require 'that an application be made and a permit issued', and to 'charge a fee for a permit issued pursuant to such an ordinance.' The figures are as published in the Cabarrus County Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule, which states on every page 'Approved by CC BOC on April 22, 2025 with July 1 2025 Effective Date'. The fee-change table in the county's FY 2027 Adopted Budget lists changes only to the landfill tipping fee and two library fees. The Zoning Division page states: 'The Zoning Division is responsible for current zoning activities and ordinance enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Cabarrus County.' Each town or city in the county runs its own zoning.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Cabarrus County
Phone
704-920-2141

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Budget and EvaluationCabarrus County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  2. Cabarrus County Development Ordinance, Chapter 11 — Signage (Amended 10/17/2016)Cabarrus County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  3. Cabarrus County Development Ordinance, Chapter 2 — DefinitionsCabarrus County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  4. Cabarrus County Development Ordinance, Chapter 7 — Performance Based Standards (Amended 07/19/2021)Cabarrus County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  5. North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 153A (Counties) — including § 153A-125 and the repeal note for § 153A-152North Carolina General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  6. Planning and DevelopmentCabarrus County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  7. Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule (Approved by CC BOC on April 22, 2025 with July 1 2025 Effective Date)Cabarrus County Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  8. Supplemental Information · FY 2027 Adopted BudgetCabarrus County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  9. Zoning DivisionCabarrus County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21

Other offices serving Cabarrus County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

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North Carolina jurisdictions

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