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Cumberland County

Cumberland County Planning & Inspections - Land Use Codes

In short

Cumberland County Planning & Inspections - Land Use Codes issues 3 permits we publish for Cumberland 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
Zoning Permit (Including Home Occupations)Cumberland County Planning & Inspections - Land Use Codes$50 per permit ("Zoning Permit (all)", Exhibit C)void after six months from date of issue unless substantial progress on the project has been made (Zoning Ordinance Sec. 108.A)2026-10-21
Sign Permitonly if it applies to youCumberland County Planning & Inspections - Land Use Codes$50 per permit ("Sign Permit", Exhibit C)per sign permit; zoning permits are void after six months unless substantial progress has been made (Zoning Ordinance Sec. 108.A)2026-10-21
Special Use Permit and Nonresidential Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youCumberland County Planning & Inspections - Land Use CodesSpecial Use Permit $250; Special Use Permit Amendment $100; Site Plan Review - all nonresidential uses $150; group development, subdivision, site plan extension or revision $50 (Exhibit C).per application2026-10-21

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

Zoning Permit (Including Home Occupations)

A business starting or changing a use of land or a building under the county's zoning jurisdiction needs a zoning permit first. The County Zoning Ordinance (with amendments through December 15, 2025), Sec. 104, provides that it governs "all areas located outside of the jurisdiction of any municipality". Sec. 108.A makes it unlawful to commence construction, alteration or "the use of any land or building" until the Coordinator "has issued a zoning permit for such work or use", and states that "Zoning permits shall be void after six months from date of issue unless substantial progress on the project has been made." Per the FY2027 Adopted Budget fee schedule (Exhibit C, Planning & Inspections Fees, printed pp. 377-378), adopted by the Budget Ordinance on June 23, 2026 (Sec. II.e), in effect for FY2027 (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027), "Zoning Permit (all)" is $50. A home occupation is allowed under Sec. 1002.A as an accessory use when, among other conditions, the operator lives on the premises, the business area is no more than 25 percent of the floor area or 500 square feet, whichever is less, and no more than one non-resident employee works there; a small home day care may care for no more than eight unrelated children.

Sign Permit

A business erecting, enlarging, replacing or relocating a sign under the county's zoning jurisdiction needs a sign permit. The County Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 1305.A, provides that no sign requiring a permit shall be erected or attached, and no existing sign enlarged, replaced, modified or relocated, "until a zoning permit has been issued by the Coordinator in accordance with Section 108"; Sec. 1305.B lists sign types that need no zoning permit. Per the FY2027 Adopted Budget fee schedule (Exhibit C, Planning & Inspections Fees, printed pp. 377-378), adopted by the Budget Ordinance on June 23, 2026 (Sec. II.e), in effect for FY2027 (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027), a Sign Permit is $50. The County Zoning Ordinance (with amendments through December 15, 2025), Sec. 104, provides that it governs "all areas located outside of the jurisdiction of any municipality". Within the Inspections Division's area a sign may also fall under the nonresidential building permit, whose Exhibit C line includes "Misc. (e.g. Signs)".

Special Use Permit and Nonresidential Site Plan Review

A business whose use the County Zoning Ordinance allows only by special use permit applies to Cumberland County Planning & Inspections, and nonresidential development under the county's zoning jurisdiction goes through site plan review. Per the FY2027 Adopted Budget fee schedule (Exhibit C, Planning & Inspections Fees, printed pp. 377-378), adopted by the Budget Ordinance on June 23, 2026 (Sec. II.e), in effect for FY2027 (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027), a Special Use Permit is $250, a Special Use Permit Amendment $100, Site Plan Review for all nonresidential uses $150, and a group development, subdivision or site plan extension or revision $50. The schedule notes that "Stated fees are for services provided by Cumberland County and does not include any additional fees that may be charged by the Towns." The County Zoning Ordinance (with amendments through December 15, 2025), Sec. 104, provides that it governs "all areas located outside of the jurisdiction of any municipality".

Contact

Jurisdiction
Cumberland County
Phone
910-678-7600

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. About UsCumberland County Planning & Inspections · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  2. Budget OrdinanceCumberland County Budget & Performance · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  3. County of Cumberland, NC Adopted Annual Budget FY2027 (Reference: Exhibit A - Fire Inspections; Environmental Health Fee Schedule; Exhibit C - Planning & Inspections Fees)County of Cumberland, North Carolina · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21
  4. Cumberland County, North Carolina Zoning Ordinance (Revised June 20, 2005, with Amendments through December 15, 2025)Cumberland County Planning & Inspections · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-21

Other offices serving Cumberland County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

North Carolina jurisdictions

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