Bolthole Index

Randolph County, North Carolina

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Randleman, North Carolina

Randleman, North Carolina (Randolph County) zones land inside city limits under its own Unified Development Ordinance1. The city's Planning and Zoning office issues zoning permits2. Septic and private-well permits for Randolph County come from the county's Environmental Health office, not the city3. Who issues Randleman's building permits is not confirmed here, so ask the city first.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, city UDO applies inside city limits1
Building permit
Required by state law; confirm the issuing office with the city4
Septic
Randolph County Environmental Health3
RV living
Family campgrounds only, 15-day limit, conditional zoning5
Owner-builder
Statewide exemption with affidavit at $30,000 or more6
Minimum lot (R-1 / R-2)
20,000 / 15,000 sq ft78

Who to call

Zoning

City of Randleman Planning and Zoning

Zoning permits, plat review, zoning determinations and code enforcement inside Randleman

(336) 495-7502

204 South Main St., Randleman, NC 27317

Septic permits

Randolph County Environmental Health

Septic and private-well permits and inspections for Randolph County

336-318-6262

204 E Academy Street, Central Permitting Building, Asheboro, NC 27203

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 23, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Randleman, NC have zoning?

Yes. Randleman adopted a Unified Development Ordinance that governs land inside city limits, and the same ordinance also reaches into the city's extraterritorial area1. The ordinance sets base zoning districts, and the city's Zoning Map fixes their boundaries9. The city's Planning and Zoning office issues zoning permits and reviews plats2.

Two residential districts show the range. In R-1, the minimum lot is 20,000 square feet, with 30-foot front, 15-foot side and 25-foot rear setbacks710. In R-2, the minimum lot is 15,000 square feet, with 30-foot front, 10-foot side and 25-foot rear setbacks811. A principal dwelling and its accessory buildings together may cover no more than 20 percent of a residential lot12. Both districts cap building height at 35 feet1314.

Do you need a building permit in Randleman, and who issues it?

North Carolina law requires a permit under the State Building Code before anyone starts building, altering or moving a structure, with narrow exceptions4. Randolph County says each municipality must issue its zoning permits and clearance before the county issues a building permit15. For Randleman, that points to a city zoning permit first. We could not confirm whether the city or Randolph County Building Inspections issues the building permit itself, so ask the Planning and Zoning office before you apply2.

A certificate of compliance or temporary certificate of occupancy is required before a new building can be occupied16. Inside the Special Flood Hazard Area, a Floodplain Development Permit is required before any development begins, applied for through the Floodplain Administrator17.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Randleman?

Not on an ordinary residential lot, as far as we can confirm. Randleman's ordinance allows camping and RV use in family campgrounds, which are available only through conditional zoning, and no person, RV or tent may occupy the campground more than 15 days5. Camping and RV spaces must sit at least 100 feet from adjoining lot lines18. In flood-hazard areas, an RV may stay fewer than 180 consecutive days only if it is fully licensed and ready for highway use5.

We could not find a tiny-home definition or occupancy rule in Randleman's ordinance, so ask Planning and Zoning before buying a lot for one2. Manufactured homes on individual lots must meet the single-family lot size, width and setback rules of their district, plus HUD construction and anchoring conditions19. An accessory dwelling needs conditional zoning and must be a guest house or a home for an immediate family member of an owner-occupant20.

How do septic permits work in Randleman?

Randolph County Environmental Health, not the city, issues septic and private-well permits across Randolph County3. A new septic system takes two permits, an Improvement Permit and a Construction Authorization, whenever you build on a tract without municipal sewer21. The Construction Authorization must be in hand before installation and before a building permit can be issued21. After installation, an environmental health specialist inspects the system, and an Operation Permit follows if it passes22.

The county can require a larger lot than the zoning minimum for a septic system, case by case7. New or replacement wells need a New Well Permit from the county23, but we could not confirm the county's well-permit service area inside Randleman city limits, so ask Environmental Health24. Randolph County's soil survey rates about a third of soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation25.

Building a home in Randleman: the steps, in order

  1. Call Randleman Planning and Zoning to confirm the district, setbacks and who issues the building permit2.
  2. If the lot has no municipal sewer, get an Improvement Permit and Construction Authorization from Randolph County Environmental Health2124.
  3. Get the city zoning permit2.
  4. Obtain the building permit and schedule inspections26.
  5. Pass the final inspection to receive a certificate of compliance before anyone moves in16.

If you build your own home, North Carolina's owner-builder exemption applies; for projects costing $30,000 or more the owner must sign a verified affidavit and personally manage construction6.

What stays with Randolph County, and what to check before you buy

The county's own zoning and building rules apply to unincorporated land, not to land inside Randleman city limits27. Land just outside the city may still fall under Randleman's zoning, because the ordinance also applies in its extraterritorial area1. See the Randolph County page for land outside both.

Before you buy, check the lot's zoning district, whether it lies in a Special Flood Hazard Area17, and whether sewer reaches it21. Randolph County's effective property tax rate is 0.7 percent, with a median bill of $1,236 a year2829.

Watch-outs

  • Who issues building permits inside Randleman is unconfirmed; call Randleman Planning and Zoning before you pay for plans2.
  • Tiny homes, short-term rentals and a minimum house size are not confirmed in Randleman's ordinance, so ask the city before relying on them2.
  • Randolph County's septic and well rules apply, but whether the county's well permit covers addresses inside city limits is unconfirmed; ask Environmental Health24.

Sources

  1. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Randleman Planning and Zoning (cityofrandleman.com)
  3. On-Site Water Protection Program, quoted and re-checked
  4. G.S. 160D-1110. Building permits. (North Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  6. North Carolina Administrative Code and Policies (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  7. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  8. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  9. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  10. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  11. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  12. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  13. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  14. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  15. Citizen’s Guide to Land Development, quoted and re-checked
  16. G.S. 160D-1116. Certificates of compliance; temporary certificates of occupancy. (North Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  18. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  19. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  20. Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina (Randleman), quoted and re-checked
  21. On-Site Water Protection Program, quoted and re-checked
  22. randolphcountync.gov, quoted and re-checked
  23. On-Site Water Protection Program, quoted and re-checked
  24. Randolph County Environmental Health (randolphcountync.gov)
  25. 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
  26. G.S. 160D-1113. Inspections of work in progress. (North Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Randolph County Unified Development Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  28. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  29. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 23, 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 Randleman

Randleman’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Randleman city limits.

    • The UDO also applies in the ETJ, but this claim is limited to the corporate limits.
    “This ordinance shall be known and may be cited as the Unified Development Ordinance of Randleman, North Carolina and shall be known as the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Randleman city limits.

    • District boundaries are established by the City of Randleman Zoning Map.
    • The UDO reports 10 base zoning districts but the excerpted list names eight base districts.
    “Base zoning districts are created to provide comprehensive land use regulations throughout Randleman. There are 10 base zoning districts that provide for a variety of uses that are appropriate to the character of the areas in which they are located.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Residential lots with accessory structures inside Randleman city limits.

    • Applies to combined principal and accessory structures under the residential accessory-structure provision.
    • Additional district and overlay controls may apply.

    maximum combined lot coverage: <= 20 percent (Principal structure and accessory structure(s) combined.)

    “Maximum lot coverage for the principal structure and accessory structure(s) combined shall be 20 percent.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    RV occupancy in Randleman family campgrounds and in special flood-hazard areas.

    • Family campgrounds are conditional-zoning-only.
    • No person, RV, or tent may occupy a campground over 15 days.
    • Within special flood-hazard areas, an RV may remain fewer than 180 consecutive days only if fully licensed and ready for highway use.

    campground occupancy maximum: <= 15 days (Family campground rule.) · flood-hazard RV stay: < 180 consecutive days (Must be fully licensed and ready for highway use.)

    “No person, recreational vehicle, or tent may occupy the campground for a period in excess of 15 days. A register of all occupants, the space occupied, and the time of arrival and departure shall be maintained.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Family campgrounds inside Randleman city limits.

    • Family campgrounds are conditional-zoning-only.
    • All camping/RV spaces must be at least 100 feet from adjoining lot lines.
    • Occupancy may not exceed 15 days.

    occupancy maximum: <= 15 days (Applies to persons, RVs, and tents in family campgrounds.)

    “All spaces for camping and recreational vehicles shall be located at least 100 feet from any adjoining lot line.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes on individual lots and in manufactured-home parks inside Randleman city limits.

    • Individual manufactured homes must meet the district's single-family lot-size, lot-width, and setback requirements.
    • They must meet HUD construction standards and foundation/anchoring conditions.
    • Manufactured-home parks are limited to MH-O and have separate requirements.
    “The minimum size lot on which an individual manufactured home is located shall have an area no less than that required for a single-family residential use for the district in which the manufactured home is located.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwellings inside Randleman city limits.

    • Conditional zoning only.
    • The unit must be a guest house or residence for an immediate family member of the principal-dwelling owner.
    • Principal dwelling must be owner occupied.
    • Unit cannot exceed one-half the principal dwelling's total area.
    • Must meet district setbacks and North Carolina Building Standards.

    maximum accessory dwelling area: <= one-half of principal dwelling total area

    “Accessory dwellings may be located in a building separate from the principal dwelling subject to the following requirements:”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Randleman city limits.

    • UDO contains pre-application sketch-plan, preliminary-plat, construction-drawing, and final-plat requirements.
    • State approvals may be required for community/public sewer or water systems.
    “Section 12.3 Subdivision Plats & Construction Drawings 12.3.1 Preliminary Plat Submittal Requirements”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Subdivision construction drawings inside Randleman city limits where an NCDOT driveway permit applies.

    • Listed as an applicable subdivision construction-drawing requirement.
    “3 full sets of sealed construction drawings for file to include the following, if applicable: [...] (h) NCDOT driveway permits”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development within Special Flood Hazard Areas inside Randleman city limits.

    • Permit is required before development begins in Special Flood Hazard Areas.
    • Application goes to the Floodplain Administrator and requires the listed plan and technical information.
    “A Floodplain Development Permit shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this overlay prior to the commencement of any development activities within Special Flood Hazard Areas determined in accordance with the provisions of Article 3, Section B of this overlay.”

Rules another office applies inside Randleman

Randleman does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Owner-builder exemptionConditional

    Owner construction inside Randleman city limits under the statewide North Carolina contractor-licensing exemption.

    • For projects costing $30,000 or more, an owner claiming the exemption must execute a verified affidavit.
    • Owner must personally superintend and manage construction and generally be present for required inspections unless plans were drawn and sealed by a Chapter 83A licensed architect.

    project-cost threshold: >= 30000 USD (Triggers verified affidavit procedure.)

    “For projects costing $30,000 or more, property owners claiming exemption”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 Low Density Residential & Agricultural district inside Randleman city limits.

    • Randolph County Health Department may impose a higher lot size case-by-case for individual septic tank systems.
    • Conservation-development exception may apply.

    minimum lot area: 20000 sq ft (R-1 dimensional table.)

    “R-1 N/A 20,000 100 30 15 25 35 R-2 N/A 15,000 80 30 10 25 35”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 Low Density Residential & Agricultural district inside Randleman city limits.

    • Setbacks are measured from property line to nearest point of structure.
    • Front-yard exceptions, right-of-way measurement rules, and dimensional exceptions apply.

    front setback: 30 ft · side setback: 15 ft · rear setback: 25 ft

    “All setbacks shall be measured from the property line to the nearest point of the structure.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 Low Density Residential & Agricultural district inside Randleman city limits.

    • Height exceptions in UDO §3.4.3 apply, including listed structures such as church spires and belfries.

    maximum building height: <= 35 ft (R-1 dimensional table.)

    “R-1 N/A 20,000 100 30 15 25 35 R-2 N/A 15,000 80 30 10 25 35”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Randleman or Randolph County directly.

  • Minimum dwelling size — Principal dwellings inside Randleman city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Randleman city limits.
  • Well permit — Private wells inside Randleman city limits.
  • Agricultural exemption — Agricultural land use or construction inside Randleman city limits.
  • Short-term rentals — Short-term rentals inside Randleman city limits.

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 Randleman publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Randolph County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Randolph County: county rules, score and offices