Start here
How to build a house in the Triangle, from finding land to moving in
The order of steps, from checking who regulates a lot to the final inspection, and which Wake or Johnston County office handles each one.
Guides
Plain-English answers to the questions families ask when they buy land and build in the Triangle.
Start here
Finding land
All 4 →
Finding land
Found a lot you like? What to check before you buy, and who to call
A walk through North Carolina's standard land contract, the checks it lets you make, and the Wake and Johnston County offices that can answer your questions.
Finding land
What is a perc test, and how do you get one for a lot in the Triangle?
How the septic soil evaluation works in Wake, Johnston, Chatham and Franklin counties, what it costs, the private soil scientist option, and what a failed lot means.
Finding land
How to get a private well permit in Wake or Johnston County
Who issues the permit, who can drill, where the well can go, how deep Wake wells run, which water tests apply and what each county charges.
Costs and loans
All 6 →
Costs and loans
What does it cost to build a house in the Triangle, and what do families forget?
National and regional build prices, where the money goes, and the Wake, Johnston and Raleigh fees to budget for.
Costs and loans
How does a construction loan work when you build a home in the Triangle?
How construction loans and one-time close loans differ, how the builder gets paid, what FHA, VA and USDA allow, and a North Carolina rule to know.
Costs and loans
How to hook up to city water and sewer near Raleigh and in Johnston County
The steps, offices and rules for connecting a new home to public water and sewer in six Wake towns and Johnston County's system, with Raleigh's 2026–27 connection fees and Johnston County's new monthly rates.
Permits and rules
Permits and rules
How to look up a lot's zoning and see how big your house can be
Where to find a lot's zoning in Raleigh, Cary, unincorporated Wake County and Johnston County, and how setbacks, height limits and hard-surface caps shape where your house sits and what you can add.
Permits and rules
Can you build on a Triangle lot with a creek or pond?
How the state's 50-foot stream buffers in the Neuse and Jordan Lake areas shape where a house, septic system and driveway can go, and who decides.
Permits and rules
Can you build a backyard cottage or in-law suite on your Triangle lot?
What Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Wake County and the new state law say about ADUs, and what to check before you plan a second home on your lot.
Towns and counties
All 5 →
Towns and counties
How to find out which public schools your Triangle address is assigned to
How to look up assigned schools in Wake, Johnston, Durham, Chatham and Franklin, why Wake's answer can change after you buy, and who to call.
Towns and counties
Building a home in Apex: permits, water and sewer, fees and who to call
Where your Apex lot sits decides how you get water and sewer, whether you need annexation, and what you pay. Here are the steps, fees and phone numbers.
Towns and counties
Building a home in Johnston County: which offices handle permits, septic, water and schools
Which office gives you the permit, the order to get septic, well or water approvals, how to look up schools, and who to call in Johnston County.
The build
The build
How long does it take to build a house in Wake or Johnston County?
The stages from permits to move-in, using Census building averages and the review waits Wake and Johnston counties and state law set out.
The build
How to check a home builder's license in North Carolina before you sign
How to look up a builder's state license, what limited, intermediate and unlimited mean, which papers to collect, and what the state can and can't do if a job goes wrong.
The build
Crawl space or slab: which foundation suits a new Triangle home?
What most new homes in the South sit on, what a closed crawl space is, what North Carolina's code requires, and what each choice means for moisture, ducts and termites.