What do these permits involve in Gaston County?

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On-site Wastewater (Septic) and Private Well Permits (conditional — premises not on public sewer or water)

A business site in Gaston County that is not served by a municipal sewer or water system needs septic and well permits from Gaston County Environmental Health. A new septic system starts with an Improvement Permit (site evaluation, $300.00) and a Construction Authorization ($350.00), or both together for $650.00; connecting to an existing system takes an Existing System Approval ($200.00); expanding or relocating a system is $250.00 and a repair permit is $75.00. A new well is $450.00 plus the $150.00 state-required water test. The figure is as published in the FY 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule, the 'Fee Schedules' section of Gaston County's FY 2027 Adopted Budget (page 140), which the budget describes as listing 'the fees and charges adopted by the Board of Commissioners for County services'. The Board of Commissioners adopted the FY 2027 budget on May 12, 2026, and the schedule applies for fiscal year 2027, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The On-Site Wastewater and Wells page states: 'Municipal Wastewater: No permit required from Environmental Health for wastewater-related services' and 'Municipal Water: No permit required from Environmental Health for water-related services', so a site on public sewer and water is outside this record. Environmental Health: 704-853-5200.

Commercial Building Permit and Plan Review (new build, upfit, change of use)

Building out, upfitting or changing the use of a commercial space in Gaston County takes a building permit and commercial plan review from Building Inspections in Building & Development Services. The Building Inspections page states that the department 'enforces State Building Codes for various project types for all the unincorporated areas of the County and the incorporated areas of' the municipalities it lists: Belmont, Bessemer City, Cherryville, Cramerton, Dallas, Dellview, Gastonia, High Shoals, Lowell, McAdenville, Mount Holly, Ranlo, Spencer Mountain and Stanley. Kings Mountain lies partly in Gaston County and is not on that list. The fee follows a valuation table; the schedule states that valuation 'is determined by the Valuation Tables Per Square Foot cost set in current ICC or stated contract price, whichever is greater.' Commercial plan review adds 20% of the permit fee for the first review, re-reviews run $90.00 to $720.00 by building size, and every permit except demolition carries a $15.00 technology fee. Commercial plumbing, electrical, mechanical, fire and sprinkler permits that are not part of a building permit are priced on project cost against the same table. The figure is as published in the FY 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule, the 'Fee Schedules' section of Gaston County's FY 2027 Adopted Budget (page 128–129), which the budget describes as listing 'the fees and charges adopted by the Board of Commissioners for County services'. The Board of Commissioners adopted the FY 2027 budget on May 12, 2026, and the schedule applies for fiscal year 2027, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Building Inspections: 704-866-3155.

State-Mandated Periodic Fire Inspection (commercial occupancies)

Every commercial business in the area Gaston County Fire Services covers is inspected on a recurring cycle and billed by building size, from $95.00 for under 2,500 square feet to $400.00 for 500,000 square feet or more. The Fire Services Notice of Billing Changes dated December 1, 2025 states that 'inspections are conducted in all existing commercial occupancies, including residential greater than duplex, on a six-month, one year, two year or three-year rotation, depending on the state requirements', that 'all inspections and permits will be pre-billed prior to the Certificate of Compliance inspection or permits being issued', and that 'Bills will be mailed sixty days prior to the month of inspection.' Re-inspections where violations remain add violation fees, and a no-show costs $95.00. The figure is as published in the FY 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule, the 'Fee Schedules' section of Gaston County's FY 2027 Adopted Budget (page 134), which the budget describes as listing 'the fees and charges adopted by the Board of Commissioners for County services'. The Board of Commissioners adopted the FY 2027 budget on May 12, 2026, and the schedule applies for fiscal year 2027, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The county's Fire Inspections page states that Gaston County Emergency Management and Fire Services 'does NOT conduct inspections for ALL jurisdictions' and directs businesses in Belmont, Cherryville, Gastonia and Mt. Holly to those municipalities for inspections, so a business inside one of those four cities deals with that city's fire inspectors instead. Fire Services: 704-866-3350.

Commercial Zoning Permit, Change of Use and Temporary Use Permit (County Zoning Jurisdiction, High Shoals and Cherryville)

A business opening or changing use in the area Gaston County zones needs a zoning permit from Planning and Zoning: $325.00 for a commercial zoning permit, $215.00 for a change in use, and $315.00 for a temporary use permit, plus a site plan review fee where the Unified Development Ordinance requires one. The schedule prints two site plan lines, 'Commercial Site Plan Review' at $325.00 and 'Site Plan Review (Residential and Commercial)' at $455.00, and each is a separate line, not a combined amount. The Planning and Zoning page lists 'Issue Zoning Verification Letters and Permits: County Zoning Jurisdiction Only, High Shoals, and Cherryville', so a business inside any other municipality goes to that municipality for zoning. The page states: 'Effective July 1, 2026 - Gaston County Planning and Zoning will be implementing the FY27 fee schedule that was adopted by the Board of Commissioners', and that 50% of each zoning permit fee is paid before review and the remaining 50% before the permit is issued. It also states: 'All fees must be paid online through the Citizen Self-Service (CSS) portal.' The figure is as published in the FY 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule, the 'Fee Schedules' section of Gaston County's FY 2027 Adopted Budget (page 130–131), which the budget describes as listing 'the fees and charges adopted by the Board of Commissioners for County services'. The Board of Commissioners adopted the FY 2027 budget on May 12, 2026, and the schedule applies for fiscal year 2027, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Planning and Zoning: 704-866-3155.

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
On-site Wastewater (Septic) and Private Well Permits (conditional — premises not on public sewer or water)only if it applies to you	Gaston County Environmental Health (Department of Health & Human Services, Public Health Division)	Septic: Improvement Permit (Site Evaluation) $300.00; Construction Authorization $350.00; Improvement Permit And Authorization To Construct $650.00; Septic Repair Permit $75.00; Septic Expansion Permit or Relocation $250.00; Existing System Approval $200.00. Wells: Well Permit $450.00 plus State Required Water Test for New Wells $150.00 (FY 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule, page 140).	one-time, per permit	2026-10-27
Commercial Building Permit and Plan Review (new build, upfit, change of use)only if it applies to you	Gaston County Building & Development Services — Building Inspections	Valuation-based: $1 to $5,000, $90.00 minimum fee; $50,001 to $100,000, $320.00 + $5 per $1,000 or any part thereof over $50,000; $100,000 to $250,000, $570.00 + $4.50 per $1,000 over $100,000; $250,001 to $500,000, $1,245.00 + $4 per $1,000 over $250,000; $500,001 to $1,000,000, $2,245.00 + $3.50 per $1,000 over $500,000; $1,000,001 to $10,000,000, $3,995.00 + $2.50 per $1,000 over $1,000,000; $10,000,001 and above, $26,495.00 + $1.50 per $1,000 over $10,000,000. For a valuation above $5,000 up to $50,000, contact Building Inspections at 704-866-3155 for the amount. Commercial Plan Review fee: 20% of the permit fee for the first review. Technology Fee $15.00 (all permits except demolition) (FY 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule, pages 128–129).	per project	2026-10-27
State-Mandated Periodic Fire Inspection (commercial occupancies)	Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services — Fire Services Division	$95–$400 per inspection by building size: 0–2,499 sq ft $95.00; 2,500–4,499 $140.00; 4,500–7,999 $185.00; 8,000–15,999 $225.00; 16,000–49,999 $275.00; 50,000–99,999 $320.00; 100,000–499,999 $365.00; 500,000+ $400.00; Interior Suites $95.00; Vacant Building $185.00 (FY 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule, page 134)	recurring on a six-month, one-year, two-year or three-year rotation, per the Fire Services Notice of Billing Changes	2026-10-27
Commercial Zoning Permit, Change of Use and Temporary Use Permit (County Zoning Jurisdiction, High Shoals and Cherryville)only if it applies to you	Gaston County Building & Development Services — Planning and Zoning	Commercial Zoning Permit $325.00 ('Permit fee only - add in site plan review fees below as required'); Change In Use $215.00; Temporary Use Permits $315.00 (for any use listed in table 5.8-1 of the UDO). Where the UDO requires a site plan review, the schedule's 'Site Plan Review (Residential and Commercial)' line is $455.00 ('to be added to all plans and permits that require a site plan review as outlined in the UDO'); the schedule separately lists 'Commercial Site Plan Review' at $325.00 ('Initial review and re-review fee'). Technology Fee $15.00 (all plan reviews). Permits for parcels inside conditional districts: 'Base Fee x2'. 50% of the total permit fee is due before review and the remaining 50% before the zoning permit is issued (FY 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule, pages 130–131).	per permit	2026-10-27

Business licenses and permits in Gaston County, North Carolina

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Permits that apply to every type of business in Gaston County