Development Services customers who need a residential certificate of occupancy (CO) will now be able to print the certificate from the permit and development portal. Once all permits for a project are complete, and if there are no holds or fees due, the system will automatically create a CO and attach it to the record in the portal.

The process for a non-residential CO remains the same: The CO application must be submitted in-person or via email and will undergo a five-day review process.

More information on the CO process is available on the City of Raleigh website. 

Questions? We’re here to help. Email the Customer Service Center at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Development Services customers will be required to apply for a Certificate of Occupancy (CO), when needed, effective July 1—the new application applies to temporary, partial, and full COs. The new application will only be accepted after all required final inspections are scheduled.

The Certificate of Occupancy application form will be available June 25, 2019 in the online forms directory and the City of Raleigh website.

Questions regarding the new CO process? Please contact Jason Ruff at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Have you used our Online Development Center? If so, tell us what you think of it!

It is not new - in fact, the Online Development Center (ODC) has been around since 2006. And with all of its features, it is no wonder why the ODC has become one of the best resources for our customers.

Most contractors like using the ODC because it enables them to manage their active permits and inspections online. Once an account has been established and Terms of Use have been accepted, contractors can log in and purchase e-permits, schedule inspections, pay re-inspection fees, and view inspection records. It is important to note that e-permits can only be issued for minor electrical, plumbing or mechanical alterations or repairs. The ODC is intended for stand-alone permit types, so any project requiring a building permit or a complete permit package will need to be submitted to the DSCSC for a detailed review.

If you are not a licensed contractor, you do not need to establish an account to use the ODC. Customers can get information about development plans and public improvement projects, view and print Certificates of Occupancy, search the permit history of an address, and read plan-review comments before a review cycle is complete.

In 2013, City of Raleigh Engineering Manager Paul Kallam led a team of City plan reviewers on a tour of the Citrix building under construction at 120 S. West Street. Normally, site tours are the responsibility of an inspector, but Paul wanted his review staff to understand the challenges that inspectors can face in the field.

Recognizing the value of the tour, Paul wanted to share the opportunity with a larger audience. Soon, the tours included other members of the development process.

“It was a chance to break down the walls of the ‘us vs. them’ mentality,” he said. “Everyone could understand that we work together as a team. That includes community outreach efforts as well.”

To date, some of the tours include the L-Building, Skyhouse, Stanhope, A-Loft Hotel, Walnut Terrace, Rex Heart and Vascular Hospital, North Hills East Tower II, 401 Oberlin, Galleria at Cameron Village, and just recently the Catholic Dioceses of Raleigh. Understanding the challenges the developer and contractor face when orchestrating large-scale projects like these provides staff lessons in collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication while building compassion throughout the entire development process.

Photo Gallery

• Skyhouse 
• Stanhope
  
• Catholic Dioceses
  
• L-Building
  
• Rex Heart & Vascular Hospital
  
• A-Loft Hotel
  

Learn more about these tours.

• Rex Heart and Vascular Hospital
• Aloft Hotel
• Stanhope