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§ 150.30  AMENDMENTS TO CODES.
   Amendments to the regulatory codes adopted by reference in this division, which are from time to time adopted and published by the agencies or organizations referred to in this division, shall be effective in the county at the time such amendments are deemed effective by the North Carolina State Building Code Council.
(Ord. passed 6-21-21)
§ 150.31  COMPLIANCE WITH CODES.
   (A)   All buildings or structures that are constructed, reconstructed, erected, altered, extended, enlarged, repaired, demolished, or moved after the effective date of this chapter, shall conform to the requirements, minimum standards, and other provisions of the North Carolina State Building Code.
   (B)   Every building or structure intended for human habitation, occupancy, or use shall have plumbing systems or plumbing fixtures installed, constructed, altered, extended, repaired, or reconstructed in conformance with the minimum standards, requirements and other provisions of the North Carolina State Plumbing Code. All plumbing systems shall be connected to a sanitary sewer system or other disposal system that has been approved by the County Health Department.
   (C)   All mechanical systems consisting of heating, air conditioning, ventilating, gas, refrigeration systems, fuel-burning equipment, and appurtenances shall be installed, erected, altered, repaired, used and maintained in accordance with the minimum standards, requirements and other provisions of the North Carolina State Mechanical and Gas Codes.
   (D)   All electrical wiring, installations and appurtenances shall be erected, altered, repaired, used, and maintained in accordance with the minimum requirements and other provisions of the North Carolina State Electrical Code.
(Ord. passed 6-21-21)
§ 150.32  EXEMPTIONS.
   The following activities are exempt from the provisions of this chapter:
   (A)   The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to farm use buildings located on a bona fide farm; however, all trade permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing, etc.) are still required. When questions arise as to whether or not use of certain lands constitute bona fide farming, the Chief Code Enforcement Officer shall consult with County Extension Services and the USDA-Farm Services Administration.
   (B)   Equipment for storing, handling, transporting and utilizing liquefied petroleum gases for fuel purposes.
   (C)   Equipment or facilities, other than buildings, of a public utility, as defined in G.S. § 62-3, or of an, electrical or telephone membership corporation, including poles, towers and other structures supporting electric or communication lines.
   (D)   Residential buildings with any dimensions that do not exceed 12 feet.
   (E)   Nonstructural residential repairs or alterations costing $15,000 or less in any single-family residence or farm building unless the work involves any of the following:
      (1)   The addition, repair, or replacement of load-bearing structures. However, no permit is required for replacement of windows, doors, exterior siding, or the pickets, railings, stair treads, and decking of porches and exterior decks.
      (2)   The addition or change in the design of plumbing. However, no permit is required for replacements otherwise meeting the requirements of this division that do not change size or capacity.
      (3)   The addition, replacement, or change in the design of heating, air conditioning, or electrical wiring, devices, appliances, or equipment, other than like-kind replacement of electrical devices and lighting fixtures.
      (4)   The use of materials not permitted by the North Carolina Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings.
      (5)   The addition (excluding replacement) of roofing.
   (F)   Any other structures that may be exempted by the North Carolina General Statutes.
(Ord. passed 6-21-21)
§ 150.33  CREATION OF INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT.
   A Greene County Inspections Department is created which consists of one or more inspectors who may be given the titles of building inspector, electrical inspector, plumbing inspector, mechanical inspector, fire prevention inspector, deputy or assistant inspector, or any other title that is generally descriptive of the duties assigned. The Department may be headed by a Chief Code Enforcement Officer.
(Ord. passed 6-21-21)
§ 150.34  DUTIES OF INSPECTIONS DEPARTMENT.
   (A)   General. The Inspections Department shall receive applications for permits, issue or deny permits, conduct necessary inspections, issue or deny certificates of occupancy, issue orders to correct violations, revoke permits, perform inspections for possible structure condemnation, bring judicial actions against actual or threatened violations, keep adequate records, and take any other actions that may be required in order to enforce the Code.
   (B)   Records and reports.
      (1)   The Inspections Department shall keep complete, accurate records in convenient form of all applications received, permits issued, inspections and re-inspections made, defects and violations found, certificates of occupancy granted, and other actions of the Department, pursuant to the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources Records Retention and Disposition Schedule.
      (2)   Periodic reports shall be submitted to the Greene County Board of Commissioners and to the Commissioner of Insurance, as required.
   (C)   Registration of Contractors. Prior to performing work in Greene County's jurisdiction, every person carrying on the business of building contractor, plumbing contractor, mechanical contractor, or electrical contractor within the county shall register at the office of the inspections Department, giving name, place of business and address, and state contractor's license number.
(Ord. passed 6-21-21)
§ 150.35  INSPECTORS.
   (A)   Qualifications of inspectors. Greene County shall employ only those inspectors to enforce the State Building Code who have one of the following types of certificates issued by the North Carolina Code Officials, G.S. Chapter 160D Article 11 Qualification Board attesting to the inspector's qualifications to hold such position: (1) a probationary certificate, (2) a standard certificate, or (3) a limited certificate which shall be valid only as an authorization to continue in the position held on the date specified in G.S. § 143-151.13(c) and which shall become invalid if the inspector does not successfully complete in-service training specified by the Qualification Board within the period specified in G.S. § 143-151.13(c). An inspector holding one of the above certificates can be promoted to a position requiring a higher level certificate only upon issuance by the Board of a standard certificate or probationary certificate appropriate for such new position.
   (B)   Conflict of interest. In accordance with G.S. § 160D-1108, Greene County inspectors responsible for building inspections shall comply with G.S. § 160D-109(c). No member of an inspection department shall be financially interested or employed by a business that is financially interested in the furnishing of labor, material, or appliances for the construction, alteration, or maintenance of any building within Greene County's planning and development regulation jurisdiction or any part or system thereof, or in the making of plans or specifications therefor, unless he is the owner of the building. No member of the Inspection Department conducting building inspections shall engage in any work that is inconsistent with his or her duties or with the interest of Greene County.
(Ord. passed 6-21-21)
§ 150.36  PERMITS REQUIRED.
   Unless specifically exempted in § 150.32 and G.S. § 160D-1110, the following work requires permits:
   (A)   The construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, movement to another site, removal, or demolition of any building or structure.
   (B)   The installation, extension, or general repair of any plumbing system except that in any one- or two-family dwelling unit a permit is not required for the connection of a water heater that is being replaced if:
      (1)   The work is performed by a person licensed under G.S. § 87-21 who personally examines the work at completion and ensures that a leak test has been performed on the gas piping, and
      (2)   The energy use rate or thermal input is not greater than that of the water heater that is being replaced, there is no change in fuel, energy source, location, capacity, or routing or sizing of venting and piping, and the replacement is installed in accordance with the current edition of the State Building Code.
   (C)   The installation, extension, alteration, or general repair of any heating or cooling equipment system.
   (D)   The installation, extension, alteration, or general repair of any electrical wiring, devices, appliances, or equipment, except that in any one- or two-family dwelling unit a permit is not required for repair or replacement of electrical lighting fixtures or devices, such as receptacles and lighting switches, or for the connection of an existing branch circuit to an electric water heater that is being replaced if all of the following requirements are met:
      (1)   With respect to electric water heaters, the replacement water heater is placed in the same location and is of the same or less capacity and electrical rating as the original.
      (2)   With respect to electrical lighting fixtures and devices, the replacement is with a fixture or device having the same voltage and the same or less amperage.
      (3)   The work is performed by a person licensed under G.S. § 87-43.
      (4)   The repair or replacement installation meets the current edition of the State Building Code, including the State Electrical Code. However, a building permit is not required for the installation, maintenance, or replacement of any load control device or equipment by an electric power supplier, as defined in G.S. § 62-133.8, or an electrical contractor contracted by the electric power supplier, so long as the work is subject to supervision by an electrical contractor licensed under Article 4 of Chapter 87 of the General Statutes. The electric power supplier shall provide such installation, maintenance, or replacement in accordance with (i) an activity or program ordered, authorized, or approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission pursuant to G.S. § 62-133.8 or G.S. § 62-133.9 or (ii) a similar program undertaken by a municipal electric service provider, whether the installation, modification, or replacement is made before or after the point of delivery of electric service to the customer. The exemption under this division applies to all existing installations.
   (E)   Mobile homes. A permit is required for setting up and installation of mobile homes.
   (F)   Signs and marquees. A permit is required to install signs, marquees, awnings, etc. when required in accordance with the North Carolina State Building Code.
   (G)   Change of use. An inspection is required whenever the use of an existing building is changed. If the building must be altered or repaired, a permit will need to be obtained so the building may be altered or repaired in order to meet the requirements of the North Carolina State Building Codes with respect to the new use.
(Ord. passed 6-21-21)
§ 150.37  FEES FOR PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS.
   Permit fees shall be the schedule of fees adopted by the Greene County Board of Commissioners.
(Ord. passed 6-21-21)
§ 150.38  APPLICATION FOR BUILDING PERMITS.
   (A)   Each permit application shall be filed, in writing, with the Inspections Department. All applications shall include materials listed below. Failure to submit all required materials will result in denial of the applicable permit(s).
      (1)   Name and address of the owner and, if applicable, the name and address of the authorized agent.
      (2)   Signed statement of ownership of property.
      (3)   If applicable, signed statement from owner authorizing agent to obtain requested permit(s).
      (4)   General description of the proposed work.
      (5)   Scaled drawing of work site, if required per division (G) of this section.
      (6)   Survey of property or deed to property, if needed.
      (7)   Tax parcel number.
      (8)   If applicable, lien agent form.
      (9)   Any other information deemed necessary by the Inspections Department to allow for proper plan review and field inspection.
   (B)   Each application shall indicate the proposed use or occupancy of all parts of the building and of that portion of the site or lot, if any, not covered by the building, and shall contain other pertinent information as may be required by the Inspections Department.
   (C)   When required by the Inspections Department, two or more copies of specifications and of drawings, drawn to scale with sufficient clarity and detail to indicate the nature and character of the work, shall accompany each application. The Inspections Department may require details, computations, stress diagrams, and other data necessary to describe the construction and basis of calculations, and they shall bear the signature of the person responsible for the design. Plans for all buildings shall indicate how required structural and fire-resistive integrity will be maintained where a penetration of a required fire-resistive wall, floor, or partition will be made for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and communication conduits, pipes, and systems and also indicate in sufficient detail how the fire integrity will be maintained where required fire-resistive floors intersect the exterior walls.
   (D)   No permit shall be issued unless the plans and specifications are identified by the name and address of the author thereof.
   (E)   Where North Carolina law requires that plans for certain types of construction be prepared only by a registered architect or a registered engineer, no permit shall be issued unless the plans and specifications bear the North Carolina seal of a registered architect or registered engineer.
   (F)   Where North Carolina law requires a licensed contractor for certain types of construction, no permit shall be issued for such construction except in compliance with the law.
   (G)   Where necessary to determine compliance with code standards, the Inspections Department may require tests or test reports. Such tests must be made by an approved testing laboratory or other approved agency, at the expense of the applicant. Copies of test reports or the results of tests shall be kept on file in the Inspections Department.
   (H)   No permit shall be issued unless the Inspections Department determine that the proposed site conforms to the Subdivision Regulations of Greene County, the Zoning Ordinance of Greene County, the Manufactured Home Park Ordinance of Greene County, the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance of Greene County, the Greene County Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance and all other applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. No permit shall be issued on a lot in a proposed subdivision until the subdivision has received final approval by the Greene County Planning Board and the subdivision map has been duly recorded in the office of the Greene County Registrar of Deeds. Substandard lots of record shall be exempt from this provision provided the applicant can prove to the Inspections Department that the particular lot for which an application for permit is made was clearly defined and a deed has been duly recorded in the office of the Greene County Registrar of Deeds prior to the adoption of the amendment to the provisions of this section by the Greene County Board of Commissioners.
(Ord. passed 6-21-21)
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