Permits & Fees

The Engineering Department is directly responsible for issuing permits and/or collecting fees for the activities listed below. Assistance is also provided by the department to citizens that are involved in securing permits from and/or paying fees to other departments and/or state and federal agencies, particularly those associated with water and sewer, transportation and traffic, or land development.

SmartGov

Driveway, Infrastructure, Erosion Control, ROW Use Permits, and Floodplain Development Permits require the applications through the City's online permitting Portal.  The SmartGov portal may be accessed here: City of Burlington NC Public Portal (smartgovcommunity.com) 

Help Files for Engineering Permits and other SmartGov help files can be accessed here:

Infrastructure Permit Help

Erosion Control Permit Help

Driveway Permit Help

ROW Use Permit Help

SmartGov Account Notification Help

Driveways

Whenever a modification to an existing driveway or the construction of a new driveway connection to a public street is proposed it may be necessary to obtain a permit. The North Carolina Department of Transportation District Office should be contacted for all driveway connections to NCDOT State roads. The District office is located at 824 South Main Street in Graham. Telephone No. 336-570-6833.

The City of Burlington Engineering Department issues permits for modifications to existing driveways or for new driveway connections to City streets according to the land use of the property being accessed and the nature of the construction (street type) of the abutting street. (See Table below)

Permits may be obtained at the Engineering Department offices, Municipal Building 425 S. Lexington Ave, Burlington, NC 27215. Telephone: (336) 222-5050 A fee in the amount of $30.00 for residential driveway permits and $50.00 for commercial driveway permits is due and payable at the time the permit is requested.

Land Disturbing Activities

All land disturbing activities within Burlington’s jurisdiction that involve an area of one acre or more must meet all of the provisions of the Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance. As a part of the application process for a land disturbing activity permit a fee must be paid according to the information presented below:

Permits may be obtained at the Engineering Department office following the approval of an erosion and sedimentation control plan. The Engineering Department office is located in the Municipal Building at 425 S. Lexington Ave, Burlington, NC 27215.

Telephone: (336) 222-5050

Plan Submission Fees

Infrastructure Plans shall pay the Infrastructure Plan Review and Inspection Fee prior to plan approval based on final design.  This fee is based on the fees adopted by City Council and published in the current fee schedule.  The current fees and details can be found under plan Specifications and Details.

Right-of-Way Excavation Permit

All work and excavation within the City of Burlington’s Public Right-of-Way shall require an Excavation Permit as per City policy.  This includes all taps to existing utilities, abandonment of taps, and any improvements required as a condition of development.  For guidance please refer to the City’s Public Rights-of-Way Management Ordinance, Pavement Cut Policy, Pavement Degradation Calculations, Bond and Insurance Requirements,  and Notice to Contractors. 

The ROW Use Agreement may be found here: ROW Use Agreement

Reproductions of Drawings and Maps

The following information provides a summary of fees that are charged for the cost of reproducing drawings and maps that are available to the public. All requests for these reproductions should be directed to the Engineering Department, Municipal Building, 425 South Lexington Avenue, Burlington, N.C., 27215, Telephone: (336) 222-5050.

Reproduction Charges

Hard Copies