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Articles & Guides
GuideJohnston County, NC: Grading Permits, and the Buffer Rule That Reaches the Ditch Behind Your House
Johnston's permit threshold is the statewide acre — but the county sits in the Neuse River Basin, where protected buffers apply even to streams that only run after rain.
August 3, 20263 min read
HiringHiring a Grading Contractor in Greensboro, NC — Where the Watershed Decides the Permit
In Guilford County a permit can be required regardless of project size, if the lot sits in a Watershed Critical Area. How to vet a Greensboro grading contractor who knows that.
August 2, 20263 min read
HiringHiring a Grading Contractor in Durham, NC — One Office, One Rulebook, and What to Ask
Durham's joint City-County programme means one office and one set of rules — but a 12,000 sq ft trigger, stricter than the statewide acre. How to vet a Durham grading contractor.
August 1, 20263 min read
HiringHiring a Grading Contractor in Asheville, NC — Slope, Fees, and a Market Still Running Hot
Slope is the cost multiplier in Buncombe County, the quarter-acre trigger catches small jobs, and starting early doubles plan-review fees. How to vet an Asheville grading contractor.
July 31, 20263 min read
DrainageYard Drainage in Durham, NC — One Office, a Low Threshold, and Clay That Won't Take Water
Durham's land-disturbance trigger is 12,000 sq ft — well below the statewide acre — and one joint office handles city and county. What that means for a drainage fix.
July 30, 20263 min read
DrainageYard Drainage in Charlotte, NC — Diagnose the Cause Before You Pay for a Fix
Standing water in a Charlotte yard is usually grading, not soil. And in Mecklenburg County the patio you add to fix it can itself trigger stormwater review.
July 30, 20263 min read