Bolthole Index

Gaston County, North Carolina

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Dallas, North Carolina

The Town of Dallas, North Carolina requires a town zoning permit for new construction, additions and accessory structures1. Gaston County Building & Development Services handles building inspections and permitting for Dallas2. Septic permits inside Dallas come from Gaston County Environmental Health, and the town code bars a septic soil-absorption system on a lot under 20,000 square feet3.

At a glance

Zoning
Town of Dallas zoning, including R-15, R-12, R-10 and R-6 single-family districts4
Zoning permit
Required for new construction, additions, accessory structures and fences1
Building permits and inspections
Gaston County Building & Development Services serves Dallas2
Septic
Permits from Gaston County Environmental Health; no soil-absorption system on lots under 20,000 sq ft35
New mobile homes
Only in approved mobile home parks or subdivisions in the R-6 zone6
Floodplain
Town floodplain development permit in special flood hazard areas7

Who to call

Zoning

Town of Dallas (Town Administration)

Town hall main line; the town's Development Services department handles zoning, planning and permits

(704) 922-3176

210 N. Holland Street Dallas, NC 28034

Zoning

Town of Dallas Development Services (Planning & Zoning)

Zoning permits, sign, food truck and driveway permit applications

Building permits

Gaston County Building & Development Services

Building inspections and permitting for unincorporated Gaston County and listed municipalities, Dallas included

704-866-3155

128 W Main Avenue, Gastonia, NC 28053

Septic permits

Gaston County Environmental Health — On-Site Wastewater and Wells

Septic permits, private-well permits, evaluations and approvals

704-853-5000

991 W Hudson Blvd, Gastonia, NC 28052

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Dallas means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does the Town of Dallas have zoning, and what does it cover?

Yes. The Town of Dallas, in Gaston County, North Carolina, adopts its own zoning, including single-family districts R-15, R-12, R-10 and R-64. The town's Zoning Ordinance requires a permit for new construction, additions and remodels, accessory structures and fences, demolition, signs, customary home occupations, beekeeping and food trucks1. Lot area, yard and height limits for these districts sit in the code's Appendix A and vary by district89; we could not confirm the table values, so ask the town Development Services office for the numbers on your parcel. RV living, tiny homes and accessory dwellings are not addressed in the town code provisions we could confirm, so ask the town before you plan around them.

New mobile or manufactured homes are not allowed on a parcel in town limits unless it is approved as a mobile home park or subdivision, which must be in the R-6 zone6.

Do you need a building permit in the Town of Dallas, and who issues it?

Inside Dallas you deal with two offices. The town issues zoning permits1, and Gaston County Building & Development Services lists Dallas among the municipalities where it provides building inspections and permitting2. Zoning approval and building permits are separate steps; the county's application process asks for the zoning permit first, plus well or septic permits where they apply10.

Gaston County's FAQ says a building permit is needed for a structure over 12 feet in any dimension, and a structure over 400 square feet needs a permanent foundation11. Residential work needs a permit at $40,000 or more, or below that when it includes structural, electrical, mechanical or plumbing work12. North Carolina requires every permit under the State Building Code before work starts13. Inside Dallas, structures in a mobile home park need both a zoning permit and a building permit14. Gaston County enforces the North Carolina State Building Code15; we could not confirm a separate town building-code adoption, inspection schedule or owner-builder rule, so confirm with both offices.

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Dallas?

Septic permits stay with Gaston County even inside town limits. The town code requires an owner to obtain permits from the Gaston County Inspection Department, the Department of Public Health and the state Division of Environmental Management before building a private wastewater system5. The county says a septic system needs an Improvement Permit and Authorization to Construct, then an Operation Permit before the certificate of occupancy16. County fees are $300 for the Improvement Permit and $350 for the Authorization to Construct16. The town code allows no soil-absorption permit on a lot under 20,000 square feet3.

Public sewer comes first where it exists. A property abutting a right-of-way with a town sewer within 150 feet of its line must connect at the owner's expense within 90 days of official notice17. Private wells need a county well permit; the installation fee is $45018. Whether the county's well permit rule applies the same way inside town limits is not stated in the town code we reviewed, so ask Environmental Health19.

Building a home in the Town of Dallas: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel is inside the Town of Dallas zoning jurisdiction using Gaston County GIS, then call the town Development Services office about your district1.
  2. Check whether public sewer is within 150 feet; if not, apply to Gaston County Environmental Health for septic and well permits1719.
  3. Get the town zoning permit1.
  4. Apply for the building permit through Gaston County Building & Development Services210.
  5. If any part of the lot is in a special flood hazard area, add the town floodplain development permit before development begins7.
  6. Pass inspections and the septic Operation Permit before the certificate of occupancy16.

What stays with Gaston County, and what to check before you buy in Dallas

Septic and well permits stay with Gaston County Environmental Health19. For land outside town limits, the county's own answers apply; see the Gaston County page. The county's effective property tax rate is 0.8%20, with a median bill of $1,872 a year21. Gaston County's soils are rated not limited for a conventional septic drain field across about 61% of the land, so many lots still need a site evaluation22.

Watch-outs

  • Lot sizes, setbacks and height limits for Dallas's residential districts sit in the code's Appendix A, and we could not confirm those figures, so get them from the town before you design9.
  • Dallas must be confirmed as the right jurisdiction for your parcel: the town's permit page asks applicants to confirm the parcel is within the Town of Dallas Zoning Jurisdiction first1.
  • We could not confirm town rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or driveway access in Dallas, so call the town Development Services office before you buy1.

Sources

  1. Town of Dallas Development Services (Planning & Zoning) (dallasnc.net)
  2. Gaston County Building & Development Services (gastongov.com)
  3. Dallas Code § 54.041 Private wastewater disposal (Town of Dallas), quoted and re-checked
  4. Dallas Code § 153.022 R-15, R-12, R-10 and R-6 zones (Town of Dallas), quoted and re-checked
  5. Dallas Code § 54.041 Private wastewater disposal (Town of Dallas), quoted and re-checked
  6. Dallas Code § 153.018 Manufactured/mobile homes (Town of Dallas), quoted and re-checked
  7. Dallas Code § 151.05 Establishment of floodplain development permit (Town of Dallas), quoted and re-checked
  8. Dallas Code § 153.022 R-15, R-12, R-10 and R-6 zones (Town of Dallas), quoted and re-checked
  9. Dallas Code § 153.022 R-15, R-12, R-10 and R-6 zones (Town of Dallas), quoted and re-checked
  10. Frequently Asked Questions - Building Inspections, quoted and re-checked
  11. Frequently Asked Questions - Building Inspections, quoted and re-checked
  12. Building Inspections Frequently Asked Questions, quoted and re-checked
  13. G.S. 160D-1110. Building permits. (North Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Dallas Code § 153.018 Manufactured/mobile homes (Town of Dallas), quoted and re-checked
  15. Frequently Asked Questions - Building Inspections, quoted and re-checked
  16. On-Site Wastewater and Wells, quoted and re-checked
  17. Dallas Code § 54.040 Use of public sewers required (Town of Dallas), quoted and re-checked
  18. On-Site Wastewater and Wells, quoted and re-checked
  19. Gaston County Environmental Health — On-Site Wastewater and Wells (gastongov.com)
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Dallas

Town of Dallas’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Every structure located within a Dallas mobile-home park, including replacement mobile homes.

    • Applies to mobile-home parks/subdivisions located in an R-6 zone.
    “A zoning permit and building permit shall be required for every structure located within a mobile home park, including replacement mobile homes.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Construction, alteration, or expansion of a structure housing a municipal, county, state, federal, or other governmental use in the R-15, R-12, R-10, or R-6 zones.

    • The site plan must be approved by the Town Clerk and Building Inspector before the building permit is issued.
    • The structure must be constructed, altered, or expanded in accordance with the site plan.
    “before a certificate of occupancy is issued by the Building Inspector.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land in Dallas town's R-15, R-12, R-10, and R-6 zoning districts.

    • The quoted provision incorporates the town zoning map by reference.
    “§ 153.022 R-15, R-12, R-10 AND R-6 ZONES: SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-15, R-12, R-10, and R-6 residential zones inside Dallas town limits.

    • Appendix A governs lot-area and width requirements; its numeric table values were not exposed in the opened official page.
    “Lot area and width, yards and building height requirements.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-15, R-12, R-10, and R-6 residential zones inside Dallas town limits.

    • Appendix A governs yard requirements; its numeric table values were not exposed in the opened official page.
    “The requirements set forth in the Appendix A: Yard and Height Requirements for Residential Districts [...] shall govern.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-15, R-12, R-10, and R-6 residential zones inside Dallas town limits.

    • Appendix A governs height requirements; its numeric table values were not exposed in the opened official page.
    “Appendix A: Yard and Height Requirements for Residential Districts”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    New mobile/manufactured homes inside Dallas town limits.

    • New homes are limited to parcels approved as mobile-home parks or subdivisions.
    • Mobile-home parks/subdivisions must be in the R-6 zone.
    • Replacement exceptions and foundation requirements apply under § 153.018.
    “New mobile/ manufactured homes shall not be located on any parcel within town limits, unless the parcel has been approved as a mobile home park or subdivision.”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    Private wastewater systems inside Dallas town where public sanitary sewer is unavailable.

    • The town code identifies Gaston County Inspection Department, Department of Public Health, and the state Division of Environmental Management as permitting bodies.
    “obtain permits from the Gaston County Inspection Department (GCID) and Department of Public Health (DPH) and Division of Environmental Management (DEM) of the state.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction of a private wastewater disposal system inside Dallas town where public sanitary sewer is unavailable.

    • Permits from GCID, DPH, and state DEM are required before construction begins.
    • No permit shall issue for a subsurface soil-absorption system where the lot is under 20,000 square feet.

    minimum lot area for subsurface soil absorption permit: >= 20000 square feet

    “Before commencement of construction of a private wastewater disposal system, the owner(s) shall first obtain permits”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private wastewater disposal inside Dallas town where public sanitary sewer is unavailable.

    • The building sewer must connect to a compliant private wastewater-disposal system.
    • Specified county and state permits are required before construction.
    • A direct public-sewer connection is required when sewer becomes available, subject to the stated waiver.
    “Where a public sanitary sewer is not available, the building sewer shall be connected to a private wastewater disposal system”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Properties within Dallas town that abut a right-of-way with a town public sanitary sewer within 150 feet of the property line.

    • Connection is at the owner's expense.
    • Connection is due within 90 days after official notice.
    • A private system must connect within 60 days when a public sewer becomes available, subject to a local-government waiver under unusual and/or special circumstances.

    public sewer distance: <= 150 feet · connection deadline after official notice: <= 90 days

    “within 90 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that the public sewer is within 150 feet of the property line.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development activities within Dallas special flood-hazard areas.

    • Required before commencement of development activities.
    • Applies to special flood-hazard areas determined under § 151.04.
    “A floodplain development permit shall be required [...] prior to the commencement of any development activities within special flood hazard areas”
  • Permit processPartial

    Government-use structures in Dallas R-15, R-12, R-10, and R-6 zones.

    • A site plan must be submitted and approved by the Town Clerk and Building Inspector before the building permit issues.
    • A disapproval may be appealed to the Planning Board and then Board of Aldermen.
    “The site plan must be approved by the Town Clerk and by the Building Inspector before the building permit is issued”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Dallas or Gaston County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside Dallas town limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Dallas town limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Dallas town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside Dallas town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lots inside Dallas town limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Dallas publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Gaston County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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