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Straight Answers

Do I need a permit for concrete work in Winston-Salem?

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For most homeowners in Winston-Salem, NC the answer is no: replacing a driveway in its existing footprint, pouring a patio, or laying a walkway is typically routine flatwork that does not pull a permit. Where paperwork can enter the picture is the public right of way, a new or widened curb cut where your drive meets the street, structural work like a retaining wall over about 4 feet, and anything that changes drainage onto a neighbour. Rules differ between the City of Winston-Salem, the surrounding towns, and unincorporated Forsyth County, so the honest move is to have the contractor confirm what applies to your exact address before the job is priced.

Updated Aug 17, 2026 · Winston-Salem Concrete Co, Winston-Salem, NC

Concrete DrivewaysConcrete Retaining WallsDriveway Widening & Extensions

What usually does NOT need a permit

Everyday residential flatwork is generally straightforward. These are the jobs most Winston-Salem homeowners have done without a permit, though your address and any HOA can always add a rule.

Where a permit or approval can come in

The line tends to fall wherever the work touches the public right of way, structure, or drainage. None of these should scare you off the job; they just mean the paperwork gets handled before the pour.

Who should sort the permit out

The contractor doing the work should confirm what your address requires and handle any permit as part of the job, not leave it on you to discover afterward. Be wary of anyone who waves the question off entirely, and be wary of anyone who claims everything needs an expensive permit when it plainly does not. The right answer is specific to your lot, which is exactly why it gets checked before the price is set.

Common questions

Do I need a permit to replace my driveway?⌄
Usually not, if it stays in the same footprint. Replacing a driveway where it already is tends to be routine. It is widening it, changing where it meets the street, or altering drainage that can bring approval into it. Your contractor should confirm for your address.
Who pulls the permit, me or the contractor?⌄
The contractor doing the work should confirm what is required and handle it. A permit being needed is not a red flag; a contractor who cannot tell you whether one applies to your job is.
Does a retaining wall need a permit?⌄
Often, once it retains any real height. In North Carolina a wall over about 4 feet of exposed face generally needs an engineer's design, and that is usually where approval comes in. Lower landscape walls are frequently exempt. It depends on the height and the jurisdiction.

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