How to Fill Out the Appendix G Design Professional Inspection Form (NC)

To fill out North Carolina’s Appendix G Design Professional Inspection Form, a licensed North Carolina architect or professional engineer enters the project and permit information, identifies the specific component inspected and the code edition it was checked against, signs and seals the attestation, and delivers the completed form to the local code enforcement office. Done correctly, the certification relieves the local government of any further obligation to inspect that component under GS 160D-1106.¹ Done sloppily, it gets kicked back and holds up the permit.

Who Is Allowed to Sign

Only a North Carolina licensed architect or a North Carolina licensed professional engineer can sign and seal the form.¹ The license must be active when the inspection takes place.

The field work itself does not have to be done by the signing professional. GS 160D-1106 permits the inspection to be performed by a person under the direct supervisory control of the licensed architect or engineer.¹ Delegation is allowed. Delegation of legal responsibility is not: the signer still owns the certification.

Where to Download the Form

The current Appendix G form is available from the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal at ncosfm.gov.² The same form is published inside the 2024 North Carolina State Building Code: Administrative Code and Policies through the International Code Council’s online portal.³ A few local jurisdictions host their own copies on their permit office websites; the content mirrors the state template. Before you fill in anything, confirm the copy you are using references the current code year.

Filling Out Each Section

The form fits on a single page, but every field matters. Local code enforcement offices routinely reject submissions that are missing information or contain inconsistent entries.

Project Information

Check whether the project is residential single-family or commercial. Enter the code enforcement project number and the building permit number assigned by the local jurisdiction; both appear on the permit documents issued at approval. Add the project name, property owner’s name, street address, and suite number if there is one.³

Record the contractor’s name and license number. The statute requires both, not just a company name.¹ Enter the date of inspection, which must be the actual date the work was observed in the field.

Inspector Contact Details

Identify the responsible licensed architect or engineer. Full name, firm name, office and mobile phone numbers, email, and mailing address. This is how the building official reaches you during their review.

Applicable Code and Inspection Description

Mark which edition of the building code applies. The form uses abbreviations such as 2024 NCBC for the North Carolina Building Code and 2024 NCRC for the North Carolina Residential Code.³ The wrong code year is one of the quickest ways to have the form sent back.

The description field is where you say exactly what you inspected and the type of inspection performed. Be specific. “Structural steel connections at second floor framing” tells a plan reviewer what they need to know; “structural inspection” does not. The form notes that a subgrade form or letter may also be required depending on the type of work, so check with the local jurisdiction before submitting anything that involved below-grade elements.

What a Local Jurisdiction Can and Cannot Require

GS 160D-1106 lists exactly six data points the form must contain: permit number, date of inspection, type of inspection, contractor name and license number, job address, and the professional’s name, address, and phone number. A local government cannot require information beyond what the statute specifies.¹ If a building department asks for supplemental documentation that goes past these items, you have statutory grounds to push back.

Signing and Sealing

The attestation at the bottom is the legal core of the form. By signing, you certify that the identified component was inspected by you or someone under your direct supervision and that it complies with the applicable code.³ Your professional seal must appear with the signature, and both have to be clear and legible.

Engineers submitting a physical document must place the written signature over or near the seal on the original.⁴ A facsimile signature is not acceptable on physical originals. For digital submissions, the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors requires a digital signature that is unique to you, capable of verification, under your sole control, and linked to the document so that any alteration invalidates it.⁵ The digital signature still has to be accompanied by your seal.

Submitting the Form

Send the completed and sealed form to the local Authority Having Jurisdiction, usually the county or municipal code enforcement or inspections department. GS 160D-1106 allows either electronic or physical delivery, and the local government must promptly acknowledge receipt through the same method you used.¹ Many jurisdictions accept uploads through their online permit portals, but some still want hand delivery of the sealed original. Call the local inspections office before your first submission to confirm their preferred method.

Timing matters. Submit after the inspected work is complete but before the project’s final inspection. A late submission can stall the entire construction schedule because the building official cannot close out the permit without it.

What Acceptance Means

Once the local building official accepts the form, the local government is discharged from any liability, duties, or responsibilities related to the certified component.¹ That liability shifts to the design professional who signed. If a certified structural connection fails years later and someone is injured, the signer is the one facing the claim, not the county.

The form itself notes that the inspection will be recorded in all inspection records, including the Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Compliance.³ A missing or rejected Appendix G can block the certificate entirely, since no building can be legally occupied until the inspection department issues a certificate of compliance confirming the work meets applicable state and local law.⁶

If the Form Is Rejected

If the local building official rejects the form or issues a stop order on the certified work, the owner or builder can appeal to the State Fire Marshal or a designee within five days of the decision. The appeal must be in writing, with a copy to the local inspector.⁷ The State Fire Marshal investigates, both sides can submit evidence, and a written decision follows. Work cannot proceed in violation of a stop order while the appeal is pending.

If the State Fire Marshal’s decision is unsatisfactory, the next step is an appeal to the Building Code Council or Residential Code Council, or directly to superior court.⁷ Five days is a short window, so if a rejection catches you off guard, move quickly.

1
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 160D-1106 – Alternate Inspection Method for Component or Element
2
North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal. Appendix G Form
3
International Code Council. 2024 North Carolina State Building Code Administrative Code and Policies – Appendix G Design Professional Inspection Form
4
North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors. Signing, Sealing and Electronically Transmitting Documents
5
North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. 21 NCAC 56 .1103 – Digital Signatures
6
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 160D-1116 – Certificates of Compliance and Temporary Certificates of Occupancy
7
North Carolina General Assembly. North Carolina Code 160D-1114 – Appeals of Stop Orders