CUSTOMER HOLDS
A SUMMARY OF MULTI-AGENCY HOLDS IN PERMITTING & INSPECTIONS –
AND HOW CODE ENFORCEMENT IS HELPING CUSTOMERS MANAGE THE PROCESS
HOLDS 101
Any project that requires a permit in Mecklenburg County has the potential for holds to be placed. Each
hold has requirements that the customer must meet before the hold can be removed. Failing to have all
holds removed can result in denial of a permit or certificate of occupancy.
WHY ARE HOLDS PLACED ON A PROJECT?
Usually, holds are placed on a project to ensure compliance with local ordinances. For example, a
municipal zoning department may need to sign off before a resident builds an addition to a home in its
jurisdiction. This ensures that the property is zoned correctly for the proposed change, and that the change
is allowed under local law. Similarly, properties in historic districts may need signoff before making changes
to an existing structure, or property may have a floodplain mitigation hold that will need to be cleared with
county or city Stormwater Services. County Code Enforcement can also place holds when work is being
done without a permit or when permitted work is in progress.
WHAT ORGANIZATIONS CAN PLACE HOLDS?
Holds can be placed by a number of governmental organizations, including, but not limited to, the
following:
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Mecklenburg County Government (Air Quality, Zoning, Water & Land Resources, Environmental
Health, Code Enforcement),
City of Charlotte Government (Water, Transportation, Engineering, Planning),
State of North Carolina Government (Environment & Natural Resources, Health & Human Services,
Insurance/Fire Marshal, Public Instruction, Transportation),
Other municipal governments in Mecklenburg County (i.e., towns of Cornelius, Davidson,
Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill, Pineville).
HOW DO CUSTOMERS KNOW IF A PROJECT HAS HOLDS?
Holds can be placed at any time before or during a project, so it’s important to monitor them carefully.
Many holds are automatic, and are applied either due to an existing site condition or the moment a permit
application is submitted. Permitting-related holds are typically placed when plan review begins, or when
plans are approved, with noted changes required. Others are always in effect for a certain address,
because the address is subject to certain local ordinances (historic districts, watershed, or floodplain, for
example). Holds for any address have long been visible through any MeckPermit.com customer login
(homeowner, architect/engineer, contractor, owner/developer), but Code Enforcement has several
enhancements currently under way (see reverse) to make these holds even easier to access.
ENHANCEMENTS UNDER WAY
Holds are already visible to customers, however for ease of use, a number of enhancements are under way
to help us more easily keep our customers informed and aware.
(more)
700 N. Tryon St. | Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
704-336-3830 | www.meckpermit.com
Effective January 2015, any member of the public can search for holds by address or tax parcel on
MeckPermit.com. Why is this useful? Historically, holds have become visible once a project is under way for
a particular address. With this new function, prospective buyers, neighbors or other interested parties are
able to view some potential holds on a particular piece of property, even before a project is proposed. This
is helpful for planning and research purposes, and allows us to make our records even more accessible to
our customer base.
To view this information, go to webpermit.mecklenburgcountync.gov and click on “View Permits” in the
upper left corner of the page. Users may search by address or parcel number.
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Address Permit Holds are listed, along with contact information. The agencies listed next to each hold can
provide further information about how to clear the hold. This information is also accessible via POLARIS.
Note: Other holds may be triggered when a permit application is submitted, or based on the nature of the
project proposed.
FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS
In an effort to make holds more visible, County Code Enforcement is evaluating several new customer
tools. The holds tool described above will be further enhanced in spring 2015 to include Address
Occupancy Holds, then again in 2016 to help anticipate future holds for specific projects. After answering a
series of questions about their project plans, customers will be able to receive a list of potential holds and
regulatory compliance issues anticipated for their projects, while still in the planning stage.
Code Enforcement is working on automating communication of holds via e-mail to inform customers of
existing/outstanding holds on projects in progress. These e-mails will begin when the rough building
inspection is requested and will be sent weekly until the end of the project. Code Enforcement anticipates
concluding the software preparation for this work in early spring, and plans to implement this new feature in
summer 2015 in collaboration with the City of Charlotte and the six surrounding town governments.
As recommended in the City/County-commissioned Development Planning, Permitting and Inspection
Process Report written by Gartner Consulting, the ultimate solution for our customers is a “single portal,” one
place where the customer’s obligations with each government entity, county or municipal, can be
monitored and managed. This is a complex solution, as each government entity uses different software,
processes and procedures. Nonetheless, plans for a single portal solution are currently being evaluated by
a committee comprised of City and County representatives. Making substantial progress on this plan is a
major goal for 2016.