Interactive Map
Starting Your Own Business Downtown
Opening a business will require permits, licenses and other approvals from the City of Fayetteville. The particular approvals needed for your business will depend on the nature of your business and the scope of needed improvements to the real estate. The following City departments are the first points of contact for issuing approvals:
City of Fayetteville Building Permits
The Inspections Department enforces the NC State Building Codes and City of Fayetteville Ordinances. 910-433-1707
Within the historic districts, additional approvals including a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) may be required prior to the issuance of construction permits.
City of Fayetteville Fire Inspection
Inspections are conducted of businesses and some operational functions and occupancies may require mandatory permits. A Certificate of Occupancy may be obtained by meeting all fire and life safety codes.
City of Zoning Department
Any outdoor dining or merchandise areas must be approved and permitted through zoning.
City of Fayetteville Planning Department
Provides services pertaining to annexations, historic preservation, rezoning requests, site plan review, special use permits, land use, neighborhood studies and variance requests.
General Info
No person, firm or corporation shall erect, construct, enlarge, install, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish any building, structure, or service system without first obtaining a permit for such from the City of Fayetteville Development Services Department. Work shall not deviate substantially from that described on the permit documents.
A permit shall expire six (6) 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 twelve (12) months, the permit shall expire. Work authorized by any permit that has expired shall not continue until a new permit has been secured.
All holders of permits, or their agents, shall notify the City of Fayetteville Development Services Department and the appropriate inspector at each completion of the stages of construction so that approval may be given before work is continued.
Certificate of Occupancy
No new building or part thereof shall be occupied, and no addition or enlargement of any existing building shall be occupied, and no change of occupancy shall be made in any existing building or part thereof, until the City of Fayetteville Development Services Department has issued a Certificate of Occupancy. The Development Services Department shall issue a Certificate of Occupancy when, after examination and inspection, it is found that the building in all respects conforms to the provisions of the North Carolina State Building Code and the Zoning Ordinance for the occupancy intended.
