Buying a metal building in Rowan County, NC
Rowan County is the one place I found where the permit application itself explains the licensing rule. If you are buying a metal building here, the form will ask the question my contract never did.
Who issues the permit
Official record
Rowan County Building Inspections Department
402 North Main St., Suite 207, Salisbury, NC 28144
(704) 216-8619
Official website
| Zoning and other jurisdictions | Contact |
|---|---|
| City of Salisbury zoning permit (required first inside the city) | Land and Development Services, 132 N. Main St.; (704) 638-5208; 1stop@salisburync.gov |
| Unincorporated county and most towns | Rowan County Building Inspections, Salisbury |
Checked against the offices’ own websites and forms on September 17, 2026. Phone numbers change. Confirm on the official site. Serves: Salisbury, China Grove, Landis, Rockwell, Granite Quarry, Cleveland.
The form asks who is licensed, and for how much
Rowan County’s building permit application has a certification on page two. The applicant confirms they are the contractor of record and the holder of a North Carolina contractor’s license under the general-contractor statutes. Below that is a separate box labeled “Unlicensed GC,” for a contract under $40,000, where the owner acknowledges the contractor is unlicensed and acting under the exemption for projects below that amount.
Read that against a metal building quote. A 50×80 with a slab, like mine at $98,750, cannot use the under-$40,000 box. So either a licensed general contractor signs as contractor of record, or the owner takes the permit personally. L&G’s contract chose the second route for me without saying so in those words.
Detached garage and carport square footage is its own line
The application has a specific field for detached garage or carport square footage and a checkbox for accessory work. Fees run off those numbers. Bring the pad dimensions from your concrete contract, including lean-tos, so the permit matches what gets poured. Mine covered about 5,384 square feet across three pads.
Salisbury: city zoning permit first, county building permit second
Inside Salisbury the city’s own page says almost all development must receive a city zoning permit before a building permit from the county. Zoning questions go to Land and Development Services on North Main Street; the building permit still comes from Rowan County Building Inspections. China Grove, Landis, Rockwell and Granite Quarry go through the county as well. Check the parcel before calling either one.
Towns in Rowan County with their own rules
Salisbury: Salisbury’s own site says almost all development must get a city zoning permit before a county building permit. For a metal building, that is two stops in a fixed order.
Before you sign with any metal building company in Rowan 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
- Rowan County building permit application (PDF)
- City of Salisbury: zoning permit first, county building permit
Other guides: Alexander County, Catawba County, Caldwell County, Burke County, Iredell County, Randolph County, Guilford County, Lincoln County, Wilkes County, Gaston County, Cleveland 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.