Buying a metal building in Cleveland County, NC
Cleveland County and the City of Shelby both have building inspections offices a few miles apart. Which one you call depends on which side of the city line your lot sits.
Who issues the permit
Official record
Cleveland County Building Inspections
1333 Fallston Rd., Shelby, NC 28150
(980) 484-4997
Permits.Office@clevelandcountync.gov
Official website
| Zoning and other jurisdictions | Contact |
|---|---|
| City of Shelby Building Inspections (inside the city) | 315 S. Lafayette St., Shelby; (704) 484-6805 |
| Unincorporated county and other towns | Cleveland County Building Inspections, Fallston Rd. |
Checked against the offices’ own websites and forms on September 17, 2026. Phone numbers change. Confirm on the official site. Serves: Shelby, Kings Mountain, Boiling Springs, Lawndale, Fallston, Casar.
Two offices, one county
The county office on Fallston Road handles permits and inspections for the unincorporated county. The City of Shelby runs its own Building Inspections office at City Hall on South Lafayette Street and links applicants straight to the state licensing boards for general, electrical and plumbing contractors. If a salesperson tells you the permit is simple here, ask which of the two offices they mean.
Call before you drive
The county asks that you call 980-484-4997 or email the permits office for application and scheduling instructions. That is also the right call to ask what the county wants to see from an owner applying for a permit on a project the size of a metal building with a slab, and whether it expects a licensed general contractor on the application at that value. My contract with L&G put the permit on me and said the company was a manufacturer, not a contractor. I wish I had asked that question in Alexander County before I signed.
Workers’ compensation paperwork
Shelby’s permit resources include a workers’ compensation insurance form. That is a reminder of something the metal building contracts rarely mention: the crews standing trusses on your lot should be covered. Ask the seller for a certificate of insurance naming general liability and workers’ compensation before the first truck arrives. If the answer is vague, that tells you something.
Towns in Cleveland County with their own rules
Shelby: Shelby keeps building inspections at City Hall and points applicants straight at the state licensing boards. Cleveland County’s office is two miles north. Know which one owns your lot.
Before you sign with any metal building company in Cleveland County
I am a customer, not a contractor. I signed a $98,750 contract with L&G Building & Concrete in February 2026 and, seven months later, have a cracked slab and half a frame. Everything I learned is on this site.
Sources and other counties
Other guides: Alexander County, Catawba County, Caldwell County, Burke County, Iredell County, Randolph County, Guilford County, Lincoln County, Wilkes County, Rowan County, Gaston County.
This page is general information from one customer’s research and experience. It is not legal advice, and the permit office has the final word on your lot.