Charlotte, NC
Siding help in Charlotte, NC
Siding repair or replacement in Charlotte, NC: when a permit or historic district approval may apply, what EPA says about older paint, and what NC officials say to ask a contractor.
Siding is one of those jobs where the first question is often not "who" but "what do the rules say about my house?" This page collects the Charlotte-specific points that come up before a siding repair or replacement, and points to the official source for each one. We are not the permit office, the historic district staff or a contractor, so use the links and phone numbers below to confirm anything that affects your home.
Do I need a permit?
Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement handles permits for the county. Its permitting page says permits are required for residential work on one- and two-family homes and townhomes that involves new construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair or removal of any building. The same page says smaller projects may not need a permit, with listed exceptions. It does not mention siding by name, so do not assume either way. Code Enforcement's number on that page is 980-314-CODE (2633). Ask the contractor who will pull any permit that is needed, and ask to see it.
Is your home in a local historic district?
If it is, the City of Charlotte says a Certificate of Appropriateness must be obtained before work starts on the exterior of a property in a local historic district. The city's page does not mention siding specifically and says to consult staff first. The Historic District Commission office lists 704-336-2205 and [email protected]. A short call before you sign anything is cheaper than undoing work.
Older homes and paint
For homes built before 1978, EPA has a lead-safe work rule called RRP. On a page about siding work on a pre-1978 home, EPA says the rule applies even if only the paint on new siding is disturbed, unless a trained and certified person determines that lead-based paint is not present on the surfaces being disturbed. If your house is older, ask any contractor how they handle this before work begins.
Questions to ask any contractor
The North Carolina Department of Justice has plain advice for hiring someone to work on your home:
- Ask friends and neighbors for recommendations, and check with the Better Business Bureau.
- Call the Department of Justice to ask whether a contractor has complaints against them.
- Get at least three estimates from different companies and compare them.
- Agree to a contract in writing.
- Do not pay for the work in advance.
The Department's Consumer Protection hotline is 1-877-5-NO-SCAM. Our form sends your request to one contractor, but nothing stops you from asking others for an estimate too, and the state suggests you do.
Send a request
If you would like a siding contractor to look at your home, use the form on this page. Tell us what you see, where on the house it is, and whether it started after a storm. The contractor contacts you by phone or email, and you decide what happens next.
Sources
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