Do I need a permit for plumbing fixture or repiping in Winston-Salem?
Yes. In North Carolina, plumbing fixture or repiping generally requires a permit, and Winston-Salem is no exception.
Repiping a home is plumbing work and requires a permit; it is never covered by the NCGS 160D-1110 minor-work exemption regardless of cost. If walls are opened and re-closed, the framing patch and insulation may need to be inspected before cover; confirm the inspection sequence with your local department. Permits and inspections here run through the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division, a joint city and county office in the Planning and Development Services Department, so you are not bounced between a city desk and a county desk the way you are in most North Carolina metros. Applications, inspections, and licences go through the city's map-based BuildIT portal. The Inspections Division is at the Bryce A. Stuart Municipal Building, 100 E First Street, 336-727-2624, askinspect@cityofws.org. Plumbing work is an express exception to the North Carolina $40,000 permit exemption under NCGS 160D-1110(c), so a repipe needs a plumbing permit regardless of cost. The rough inspection has to happen before walls are closed up. Forsyth County's own permitting office is the Forsyth County Inspections Division, reachable on 336-727-2624 at https://www.cityofws.org/343/Inspections-Division. Its online permit portal is https://buildit.cityofws.org/wsfcpermit. 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. The rough inspection has to happen before walls are closed, so confirm scheduling lead time when you pull the permit.
Documents you may need
- Plumbing permit applicationLikely required
- Scope of work (fixtures and piping affected)Likely required
- NC-licensed plumbing contractor informationLikely required
- Licensed plumbing contractor informationLikely required
Possible inspections
- Plumbing rough-in / pressure test inspection
- Final plumbing inspection
- Rough plumbing inspection before walls are closed
- Pressure or air test
- Final inspection
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a permit for plumbing fixture or repiping in Winston-Salem?
- Yes. In North Carolina, plumbing fixture or repiping generally requires a permit, and Winston-Salem is no exception. Repiping a home is plumbing work and requires a permit; it is never covered by the NCGS 160D-1110 minor-work exemption regardless of cost. If walls are opened and re-closed, the framing patch and insulation may need to be inspected before cover; confirm the inspection sequence with your local department. Permits and inspections here run through the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division, a joint city and county office in the Planning and Development Services Department, so you are not bounced between a city desk and a county desk the way you are in most North Carolina metros. Applications, inspections, and licences go through the city's map-based BuildIT portal. The Inspections Division is at the Bryce A. Stuart Municipal Building, 100 E First Street, 336-727-2624, askinspect@cityofws.org. Plumbing work is an express exception to the North Carolina $40,000 permit exemption under NCGS 160D-1110(c), so a repipe needs a plumbing permit regardless of cost. The rough inspection has to happen before walls are closed up. Forsyth County's own permitting office is the Forsyth County Inspections Division, reachable on 336-727-2624 at https://www.cityofws.org/343/Inspections-Division. Its online permit portal is https://buildit.cityofws.org/wsfcpermit. 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. The rough inspection has to happen before walls are closed, so confirm scheduling lead time when you pull the permit.
- Who issues the permit in Winston-Salem?
- The local building department for Winston-Salem handles permitting. This page lists its contact details and online portal. Your mailing city is not always the permitting authority, so confirm the jurisdiction before you apply.
- How do I find out the exact requirements for my project?
- Run the free PermitRoadmap check for your specific project and answers. It returns the likely permits, documents, inspections, and next steps, each linked to its official source.
PermitRoadmap is an independent informational service and is not affiliated with any city, county, state agency, or permitting authority. Results are informational and do not replace confirming requirements with the local permitting authority.