Right of Way Permits

It is important to know that any contractor performing work in the public right-of-way shall have a valid and unexpired permit on-site. Please allow 72 hours on average to process a completed application. The review of a Utility Plan typically takes longer, due to the complexity of the work. 

 Contractors must have comprehensive general liability insurance.

Contractors shall ‘Call Before You Dig’ and utilize NC 811 for making safe excavations.

Generally, requests for a construction start date shall be no more than 30 days from a permit issue date.

Applicants can visit Forms, Policies & Links to view documents that may be relevant to their application, such as City Standards and City code.

An 18 month warranty is required after completion of work affecting public property.

Right of Way Permit Guide(PDF, 203KB)

ROW permit applications shall be completed online. Click here for the online application. 
Potential fees are listed below.  All associated fees will be required to be paid prior to the release or update of a permit. 

Temporary Use of Public Right-of-Way Fees:

Temporary use of the public right-of-way includes daily charges for any combination of the categories A, B, C shown in the following table:

Long Term Resurfacing Fee:
Asphalt pavement cuts made for utility work, etc. are charged $325 per cut, unless oversized.

Double Fee:
When a valid ROW permit is not obtained or in effect for work activities, the fee is calculated at 2x the associated fees.

Parking Meters:
For information on parking or bagging meters for construction, visit Parking Services.

An expired permit is considered invalid. For extensions, permit holder shall contact City a minimum of 3 days prior to the original expiration date for processing. In some cases, you must reapply through the same online ROW application process. New fees may apply.

Need to know more about Wilmington streets, such as: ownership, maintenance, or info on brick streets? Click here. 

 View the GIS Gallery for maps of City or NCDOT roadways and guidance with ROW permitting.

All permit holders are expected to comply with rules issued by the city or any other agency or government with jurisdiction.

A list of technical items connected to each permit are contained in the City’s Standard Provisions(PDF, 113KB).   

This information, and more, can be found on the Forms, Policies & Links page.

Submitting a proper traffic control and/or pedestrian control plan (TCP) and a truck route is a condition of ROW permits. The Road Closure Permit Guide map is found in the GIS Gallery.  The following guidelines exist:

Sidewalk, Shoulder, Parking Lane, Travel Lane, and Roadway closures on public rights-of-way (ROW) for the purpose of temporary construction work, requires a ROW Permit from the City of Wilmington. Additional time restrictions and permit fees would apply to work on major city roadways and in the Central Business District. Contact the ROW Office for information.

On NCDOT roadways, contact NCDOT for permit needs.

Generally, allowable contractor work hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. No lane closures allowed on City Holidays (day before, day of, day after) or during local events.

City Time-Restricted roadways are subject to limited work hours.  No lane/road closures shall occur during Peak Hours from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  No weekend closures. 

Hours/days of closures shall be subject to change due to local conditions, traffic, vehicles per day, proximity to schools, or local use. Exceptions will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Generally, school zone closures are restricted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where night work may be required, allowable hours are between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. the next day.  

Applicants are required to submit a Traffic Control Plan (TCP) based on MUTCD Part 6 or NCDOT Division 11 standards or by a certified professional or engineer.  Site-specific TCPs indicating the location and methods of lane/road closures, detours, variable message boards (VMB) and advanced warning signs may be warranted. TCP levels are:

     Level 1 - Standard Details at minimum
     Level 2 - Standard Details with written summary
     Level 3 - Site Specific TCP with written summary
     Level 4 - Site Specific TCP/Detour/VMB with written summary

During construction, the traffic control devices, signs and flagging operations shall be checked daily and adjusted as needed for moving work zones. Contractors must utilize certified personnel when self-performing traffic control. All signage, barriers, drums, etc. shall be site appropriate and in good condition. Violations will be issued when permit conditions are not adhered to.

Truck routes shall be developed for contractors and suppliers which adhere to NCDOT and City of Wilmington Truck Routes and Restrictions. Trucks shall utilize the shortest lawful route from/to NCDOT streets.