Charlotte’s permitting structure is split between the City and Mecklenburg County. Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement issues building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits and performs related plan review and inspections. The City of Charlotte separately administers zoning, land development, subdivisions, tree-preservation requirements, and other development standards through Planning, Design & Development.
Charlotte’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) establishes the city’s current zoning and development rules. Depending on the project, applicants may need a City Zoning Use Permit in addition to the Mecklenburg County building permit. City zoning applications, land-development reviews, and related submissions are generally handled through Accela Citizen Access, with electronic plan review available for applicable projects.
Tree preservation is integrated into Charlotte’s development regulations. The UDO contains requirements for perimeter and internal trees, green areas, and heritage-tree preservation on qualifying development projects. Projects approved under older conditional zoning rules may instead remain subject to legacy tree requirements, making the property’s approval history relevant when planning development.
Properties within Charlotte’s local historic districts have another review layer. Exterior alterations, new construction, demolition, and some site or landscape work require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Commission before work begins, even when a building permit is not otherwise required. Public right-of-way work is handled separately by Charlotte Department of Transportation. Applicants can start with the City’s CLT Development Center and then coordinate any required County building permits.