Commercial Whether you are an Asheville small business owner starting a new restaurant or a contractor building an office building, your project will need to obtain a permit. The process for obtaining a permit depends on the scope of your project. City of Asheville staff can help you determine your project’s route through the development process. The City of Asheville categorizes commercial construction and multi-family housing within three levels: Level I: Commercial construction less than 35,000 square feet or less than 20 multi-family units; Level I permits are reviewed at the city staff level. Level II: Commercial construction 35,000-100,000 square feet or 20-50 multi-family units; Level II projects are reviewed by city staff, the Technical Review Committee (TRC), and the Planning and Zoning Commission. Level III: Commercial construction larger than 100,000 square feet or more than 50 multi-family units; Level III projects are reviewed by city staff, the Technical Review Committee (TRC), the Planning and Zoning Commission and Asheville City Council. Click here for commercial permit applications and resources. Use the Open for Business tool to begin scoping your project’s required permits. Schedule an optional Early Assistance meeting or a mandatory TRC Pre-Application meeting with staff to review specific project requirements. Visit the Permit Application Center (PAC) at 161 S. Charlotte St. or contact DSD staff with additional questions. All projects that require plan review must comply with local zoning regulations. Work requiring a permit cannot begin until the permit holder or his agent posts the permit in a weatherproof, accessible and conspicuous location on the premises. Updated 11/13/2019 Related Services Learn about large-scale development Keep up to date on current projects and applications. Register a commercial development neighborhood meeting notice Register a notice for a commercial development neighborhood meeting. Schedule a mandatory Technical Review Committee pre-application meeting Schedule your required pre-application meeting for Level II, Level III, Conditional Zoning and Major Subdivision reviews. Schedule an optional early assistance meeting Receive expert technical advice from staff during the preliminary phase of a project, for prospective business owners, developers, and designers Apply for a commercial site development permit Submit development plans for Level I, Level II, Level III, Major Subdivision, Conditional Zoning, or Conditional Use projects. Apply for a homestay permit Apply for a new homestay permit or apply to renew your existing permit. Build an addition or remodel a house Forms and guides to remodel or build an addition to a residential property Apply for a trade permit Apply for residential and commercial electrical, gas piping, plumbing, mechanical, re-roof, or multi-trade permits. Build a detached structure or deck Guide and forms to build a deck, shed, solar array, retaining wall, swimming pool, or other accessory structure on a residential property Build a new house, duplex, townhome or modular home Links to all of the forms you may need to build a new house Look up information about a permit Use online tools to look up information about permits Check whether your address is within city limits Search to see if it is within the City of Asheville's permitting jurisdiction. More Related Services Commercial News City of Asheville issues protocols for inspections during State of Emergency Posted on March 30, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville is modifying its operations until further notice to protect residents and City staff while minimizing the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The Development Services Department (DSD) requests that contractors maintain a clean and safe environment for City staff so we may continue to provide inspection services. Please follow CDC guidelines ( City of Asheville eases restrictions on food trucks and temporary signage Posted on March 26, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville is taking steps to increase access to safe dining options during the course of this COVID-19 public health emergency. To do so, on March 24, Mayor Esther Manheimer amended the City’s State of Emergency declaration to exempt food trucks and restaurants from certain portions of the City’s Unified Development Ordinance. These [...] 2020 City of Asheville initiatives: What to look for in the new year Posted on December 31, 2019January 8, 2020 by Polly McDaniel With a new year comes new programs, facility improvements and projects to improve our community. Here’s a look ahead at 10 Asheville City government initiatives as we ring in not only a new year, but a new decade in 2020. Civic Center gets Harrah’s Cherokee name The year 2020 will start with excitement for the newly named Harrah’s Cherokee Center — [...] More Commercial News
Register a commercial development neighborhood meeting notice Register a notice for a commercial development neighborhood meeting.
Schedule a mandatory Technical Review Committee pre-application meeting Schedule your required pre-application meeting for Level II, Level III, Conditional Zoning and Major Subdivision reviews.
Schedule an optional early assistance meeting Receive expert technical advice from staff during the preliminary phase of a project, for prospective business owners, developers, and designers
Apply for a commercial site development permit Submit development plans for Level I, Level II, Level III, Major Subdivision, Conditional Zoning, or Conditional Use projects.
Build an addition or remodel a house Forms and guides to remodel or build an addition to a residential property
Apply for a trade permit Apply for residential and commercial electrical, gas piping, plumbing, mechanical, re-roof, or multi-trade permits.
Build a detached structure or deck Guide and forms to build a deck, shed, solar array, retaining wall, swimming pool, or other accessory structure on a residential property
Build a new house, duplex, townhome or modular home Links to all of the forms you may need to build a new house
Check whether your address is within city limits Search to see if it is within the City of Asheville's permitting jurisdiction.
City of Asheville issues protocols for inspections during State of Emergency Posted on March 30, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville is modifying its operations until further notice to protect residents and City staff while minimizing the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The Development Services Department (DSD) requests that contractors maintain a clean and safe environment for City staff so we may continue to provide inspection services. Please follow CDC guidelines (
City of Asheville eases restrictions on food trucks and temporary signage Posted on March 26, 2020 by Polly McDaniel The City of Asheville is taking steps to increase access to safe dining options during the course of this COVID-19 public health emergency. To do so, on March 24, Mayor Esther Manheimer amended the City’s State of Emergency declaration to exempt food trucks and restaurants from certain portions of the City’s Unified Development Ordinance. These [...]
2020 City of Asheville initiatives: What to look for in the new year Posted on December 31, 2019January 8, 2020 by Polly McDaniel With a new year comes new programs, facility improvements and projects to improve our community. Here’s a look ahead at 10 Asheville City government initiatives as we ring in not only a new year, but a new decade in 2020. Civic Center gets Harrah’s Cherokee name The year 2020 will start with excitement for the newly named Harrah’s Cherokee Center — [...]