(A) Registration of contractors. Every person carrying on the business of building contractor, plumbing contractor, heating-air conditioning contractor or electrical contractor within the city shall register at the office of the Inspection Division, giving name and place of business.
(B) Permits required.
(1) Building permit.
(a) No person shall commence or proceed with the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, removal or demolition of any building or other structure, or any part thereof, without a written permit therefor from the Inspection Division; provided, however, that no building permit shall be required for work the total cost of which does not exceed $5,000 and which does not involve any change of the load bearing structural parts or the stairways, elevators, fire escapes or other means of egress of the building or the structure in question. County Board of Health approval of a septic tank is required.
(b) In all cases of removal or demolition of a building or structure, a good and sufficient bond may be required to be posted by the property owner or by his or her contractor at the time of application for a permit, to insure complete removal or demolition, including all rubble and debris. Failure on the part of the property owner or his or her contractor to completely demolish, remove and clear the premises, after 30 days’ notice by the
(c) Building Inspector, shall be cause for forfeiture of the bond.
(2) Plumbing permit. No person shall commence or proceed with the installation, extension or general repair of any plumbing system without a written permit therefor from the Inspection Division; provided, however, no permit shall be required for minor repairs or replacements on the house side of a trap to an installed system of plumbing if the repairs or replacements do not disrupt the original water supply or the waste or ventilating systems.
(3) Mechanical permit. No person shall commence or proceed with the installation, extension, alteration or general repair of any heating or cooling equipment system without a written permit from the Inspection Division; provided, however, no permit shall be required for minor repairs or minor burner services or filter replacements of warm air furnaces or cooling systems.
(4) Electrical permit. No person shall commence or proceed with the installation, extension, alteration or general repair of any electrical wiring, devices, appliances or equipment without a written permit therefor from the Inspection Division; provided, however, no permit shall be required for minor repair work such as the replacement of lamps or the connection of portable devices to suitable receptacles which have been permanently installed; provided, further, no permit shall be required for the installation, alteration or repair of the electrical wiring, devices, appliances and equipment installed by or for an electrical public utility corporation for the use of the corporation in the generation, transmission, distribution or metering of electrical energy.
(C) Application for permit.
(1) Written application shall be made for all permits required by this section, and shall be made on forms provided by the Inspection Division.
(2) Such application shall be made by the owner of the building or structure affected or by his or her authorized agent or representative, and, in addition to such other information as may be required by the appropriate inspector to enable him or her to determine whether the permit applied for should be issued, shall show the following:
(a) Name, residence and business address of owner;
(b) Name, residence and business of authorized representative or agent, if any; and
(c) Name and address of the contractor, if any, together with evidence that he or she has obtained a certificate from the appropriate state licensing board for such contractors, if such be required for the work involved in the permit for which application is made.
(D) Plan Review. Detailed plans and specifications shall accompany each application for a permit when the estimated total cost of the building or structure is in excess of $90,000 and for any other building or structure where plans and specifications are deemed necessary by the appropriate inspector in order for him or her to determine whether the proposed work complies with the appropriate regulatory codes. Plans shall be drawn to scale with sufficient clarity to indicate the nature and extent of the work proposed, and the plans and specifications together shall contain information sufficient to indicate that the work proposed will conform to the provisions of this section and the appropriate regulatory codes. Where plans and specifications are required, a copy of the same shall be kept at the work until all authorized operations have been completed and approved by the appropriate inspector.
(E) Limitations on issuance of permits.
(1) No building permit shall be issued for any building or structure, the estimated total cost of which is more than $30,000 unless the work is to be performed by a licensed general contractor.
(2) No building permit shall be issued for any building or structure, other than a one or two-family dwelling, if the estimated total cost of which is more than that outlined in Section 302.4 of the North Carolina Administration and Enforcement Requirements Code, unless the plans bear the North Carolina seal of a registered architect or a registered engineer.
(3) Where any provisions of the General Statutes of North Carolina or of any ordinance require that work be done by a licensed specialty contractor of any kind, no permit for the work shall be issued unless it is to be performed by the licensed specialty contractor.
(4) Where detailed plans and specifications are required under this section, no building permit shall be issued unless the plans and specifications have been provided.
(F) Issuance of permit. When proper application for a permit has been made, and the appropriate inspector is satisfied that the application and the proposed work comply with the provisions of this section and the appropriate regulatory codes, he or she shall issue the permit, upon payment of the proper fee or fees as hereinafter provided in division (I).
(G) Revocation of permits. Permits may be revoked in accordance with state law.
(H) Time limitations on validity of permits. All permits issued under this section shall expire six months after the date of issuance if the work authorized by the permit has not been commenced. If after commencement the work is discontinued for a period of 12 months, the permit therefor shall immediately expire. No work authorized by any permit which has expired shall thereafter be performed until a new permit therefor has been secured.
(I) Changes in work. After a permit has been issued, changes or deviations from the terms of the application and permit, or changes or deviations from the plans or specifications involving any work under the jurisdiction of this section or of any regulatory code adopted herein, shall not be made until specific written approval of the changes or has been obtained from the appropriate inspector.
(J) Permit fees. Fees for building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits shall be as fixed from time to time by the Town Council, a schedule of which shall be maintained in the Town of Winterville Schedule of Fees.
(K) Penalties for violations of regulatory codes.
(1) Any violation this chapter, specifically including violation of any regulatory codes adopted in that section of this chapter, shall subject the offender to a civil penalty of $50. Violators shall be issued a written citation which must be paid within 72 hours.
(2) Each day’s continuing violation shall be a separate and distinct offense.
(3) Notwithstanding division (K)(1) above, provisions of this chapter may be enforced through equitable remedies issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(4) In addition to, or in lieu of, remedies authorized in divisions (K)(1) and (K)(3) above, violations of this chapter may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor in accordance with G.S. 160A-175.
(Ord. 13-O-297, passed 5-13-2013)