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 staff invite community to Noise Ordinance revisions update Posted on September 5, 2019September 5, 2019 by Polly McDaniel Learn about data collected through extensive public process and next steps As Asheville continues to develop and grow, the City has recognized the need to revisit and update the current municipal Noise Ordinance. Led by the Development Services Department, City staff have conducted extensive public engagement efforts this year. The public process included outreach to neighborhood groups, the [...] Development Services Permit Application Center recently remodeled Posted on August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 by Polly McDaniel If you have been to the Public Works building recently you likely noticed some changes. The Development Services Permit Application Center (PAC) lobby has gone through a complete remodel to better serve customers and improve efficiency in this work space. Improvements for customers and staff include: Creation of two self-serve kiosks where customers can access DSD’s online services [...] Asheville residents can find information about upcoming development with new online notification tool Posted on August 7, 2019 by Polly McDaniel In a time of development and growth, Asheville residents have asked how they can stay better informed about upcoming projects. We heard you and are pleased to roll out a new online tool residents can use to stay informed about upcoming development such as major subdivisions, apartment complexes, retail establishments and hotels. The site contains specific [...] 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 staff invite community to Noise Ordinance revisions update Posted on September 5, 2019September 5, 2019 by Polly McDaniel Learn about data collected through extensive public process and next steps As Asheville continues to develop and grow, the City has recognized the need to revisit and update the current municipal Noise Ordinance. Led by the Development Services Department, City staff have conducted extensive public engagement efforts this year. The public process included outreach to neighborhood groups, the [...]
Development Services Permit Application Center recently remodeled Posted on August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 by Polly McDaniel If you have been to the Public Works building recently you likely noticed some changes. The Development Services Permit Application Center (PAC) lobby has gone through a complete remodel to better serve customers and improve efficiency in this work space. Improvements for customers and staff include: Creation of two self-serve kiosks where customers can access DSD’s online services [...]
Asheville residents can find information about upcoming development with new online notification tool Posted on August 7, 2019 by Polly McDaniel In a time of development and growth, Asheville residents have asked how they can stay better informed about upcoming projects. We heard you and are pleased to roll out a new online tool residents can use to stay informed about upcoming development such as major subdivisions, apartment complexes, retail establishments and hotels. The site contains specific [...]