FAQs

The Town of Elon requires a land use zoning application for most construction activities. The application form can be found here and requires a $60 processing fee. Please provide a plat or sketch of the property showing all proposed locations of site improvements with dimensions indicating compliance with setback requirements.

The Town of Elon contracts with Alamance County for building permit processing and inspections projects within Elon’s jurisdiction. You can download the building permit here.  All building permits must be completely filled out and submitted with a survey or accurate sketch drawing for review by the Planning Director. After the Town of Elon approves the building permit, the applicant or contractor will have to submit the permit and drawings to Alamance County Building Inspections located at 201 West Elm Street, Graham, NC 27253 for review and approval.  All fees for building permits are paid to Alamance County. For further information, please contact them at 336.570.4059 or visit their website.

Yes. You can pay planning and permit fees using our online payment system, which can be accessed here.

Yes, any shed, car port, garage, or any other accessory structure needs a zoning permit. You can find one linked here. If you have any other questions about accessory structures, you can look at Section 4.5.4 Table of Common Accessory Uses in our Land Management Ordinance. 

Yes, newly installed fences require a fence permit prior to construction. The application is linked here and must include a site plan of where the fence is going to be located, along with the list of used materials. All standards regarding fences and walls can be found in section 7.5 of our Land Management Ordinance.

Linked below is our interactive zoning map. This map can show if your property is within the town limits and if your property is located within the town limits or our Extraterritorial Jurisdiction then you can find the zoning designation of your property as well.

Interactive Zoning Map

Once you find the zoning of your property, you can look in section 3 of our Land Management Ordinance and find the section with your designated zoning district, that has a table listing the setback requirements of your property. 

All pod storage containers require a temporary use permit. The application is linked here, and the fee is $60. All pod storage containers can be in the permitted location for a maximum of 90 days. The permitted zoning districts for pod storage containers can be found in table 4.6.3, and the standards are listed in 4.6.4.E of our Land Management Ordinance.

Once you find your zoning district from the interactive zoning map, you can refer to table 4.2.1 of our Land Management Ordinance to find it the use you want to implement on the property is permitted by right.

A driveway permit can be obtained through the planning department and submitted to the planning department with a fee of $50. The permit application is then processed by the public works department. Here is a link to the application.