Rocky Mount

Inspection Services

The Inspection Services Division of the Department of Development Services is responsible for issuing permits and conducting inspections to enforce state building codes and city ordinances regulating building, mechanical, plumbing, demolition of structures, septic systems, rental housing, and manufactured housing.

Office Hours

Inspectors' office hours are 8:30 - 9:30am and 4:00 - 5:00pm Monday through Friday. All other times are by appointment ONLY. For questions on building permits or to schedule an inspection, please contact the Inspector directly for times and availability at 252-972-1109 or 252-972-1110.

Required Inspections

To help facilitate a project's progress the following is a list of required inspections. They have been prioritized in the order in which they need to be requested. This is a general list and the inspections listed may or may not apply to your particular project and in some cases additional inspections may be needed (more than one rough-in) to assure code compliance.

Requests for inspections during business hours are to be made at any of the following numbers: 252-972-1109 or 252-972-1110 or 252-972-1119. After business hours requests are to be made by emailing [email protected]. Requests made providing complete information will be performed the next working day.

• Footing Inspection: Footing inspections must be requested and approved prior to placement pouring of concrete. For approval, footings must be dug out and clean (no water, mud or loose soil), have grade stakes installed and strings pulled along the property lines. Placement of a Port-a-John and the building permit card will also be required on site. Lack of any of these items will be grounds for an automatic failure.

• Foundation Inspection: A request for this inspection may be made prior to installation of the floor framing. The crawlspace must be graded and backfilled and all block work completed. White floor framing may begin prior to the inspection, no sub-floor sheathing is to be installed. Any deficiencies found in the foundation will be required to be corrected even if construction proceeds beyond the foundation.

• Rough-in Inspections: These inspections are performed before wall finishes are installed. They are requested so staff can assure code compliance for installation of any electrical, mechanical and plumbing work in concealed spaces. Some or all of these inspections may or may not apply to your particular project.

• Electrical, Mechanical (HVAC), and Plumbing Inspections: These sub-contractors may be inspected in any order but must be approved prior to a Building Rough-in inspection.

• Building Rough-in: Windows and doors must be installed, and fire caulking or blocking must be in place for this inspection. The room must be flashed and sealed before installation of the insulation.

• Insulation Rough-in: Must be performed after the Building Rough-in and before any finishes are installed.

• Final Inspection: The Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing Finals may be inspected and approved in any order but must be approved prior to requested the Building Final. An Insulation Final can be requested at the same time as the Building Final or requested prior to the Building Final. Also, a request must be made to the Department of Engineering for new construction Finals and approved before staff can issue a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). Once a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is issued, the customer/owner will be allowed to transfer utilities in to their name.

Note: This same order of inspections is to be followed for all commercial construction but will include the approval requirements such as Zoning Final and Fire Department approval along with the Inspections staff and Engineering. All of the department approvals must be granted before a Certificate of Occupancy can be issued.

Order of Building Inspection Requests

Call for FOOTINGS/SLAB inspection (same day inspection). If called in after lunch, these inspections will be considered a next day inspection.

The following inspections are next day (within 24 hours) inspections:

• Floor system with crawl space should be called in as a FOUNDATION.

• All SUB CONTRACTOR ROUGH-IN inspections (Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical) should be called in. Once all sub rough-ins have passed, then the general contractor calls for the BUILDING ROUGH-IN.

• The INSULATION ROUGH-IN is called in after the Building Rough-in.

• Once all rough-ins have been done the subs can call for their Final inspections.

• The BUILDING FINAL should be called in after all Sub Finals have passed. The Building Final will not be done on the same day as Sub Final inspections.

The Engineering Department should be contacted along with the call to Inspections for the Building Final in order to have the Engineering Department check for the following on all new construction and commercial renovations:

• Cracked curves, drain and sediment

• Sewer clean outs

• Right-of-ways

• Driveways

• Water meter box

• Grading along street right-of-way

If a storm retention pond is on site, the City must receive the O&M Agreement and recorded easement for the pond.