Do I need a permit for swimming pool or spa in Unincorporated Duplin County?

Yes. In North Carolina, swimming pool or spa generally requires a permit, and Unincorporated Duplin County is no exception.

A permanent in-ground or above-ground pool requires building and electrical permits because it involves structural and electrical work; it is never covered by the minor-work exemption. NC Residential Code requires a compliant barrier (fencing, gate self-closing/self-latching, and alarms as applicable) before the pool is approved for use. Duplin County's own permitting office is the Duplin County Building Inspections office, reachable on 910-296-2124 at https://www.duplinnc.gov/182/Building-Inspections. It issues permits for the unincorporated county. If your city does not run its own building department, this is the office that will handle the job, and that is more common in North Carolina than most states: the county is often the building authority even inside city limits, with the city handling only zoning. A pool involves a building permit, a separate electrical permit for bonding, and a barrier inspection before final sign-off. Duplin County requires a notarized pool affidavit in which the owner and contractor pick a barrier method: a powered or approved safety cover, a full barrier enclosure, or a partial barrier combined with door and window alarms or self-closing, self-latching doors. If door alarms or self-closing doors are used as part of the barrier, the county requires inspection access to the interior of the home. The affidavit also requires at least two suction outlets at least 3 feet apart with compliant covers or grates and atmospheric vacuum relief, unless using surface skimmers. The Duplin County UDO lists pools among the development activities that need a Floodplain Development Permit, so a pool in a Special Flood Hazard Area needs that permit before work starts.