Get Quotes from Top Contractors in Durham, NC

How to Verify a Professional's License in Durham?

Employing licensed professionals for your project is one way to assure yourself of decent service. In Durham, professionals are licensed under any of the 32 licensing boards established by North Carolina's Chapter 55B- Professional Corporations Act. To verify the licenses of the professionals in Durham, you may call the North Carolina Consumer Complaint Division at (919) 716-6000. This agency can also provide you with information on the requirements for the licensing of any particular category of professionals. Alternatively, you may decide to utilize the online verification platform available on the website of the particular licensing board the professional belongs to. For example, to verify the license of a Landscape Architect in Durham, visit the licensee lookup portal maintained by the North Carolina Board of Landscape Architects.

Note that if you are engaging professionals for projects related to building, construction, or home improvements, you may need to ensure that proper permits are obtained in addition to making sure that your professional is licensed. In Durham, the City-County Inspections Department grants permits for electrical, building, plumbing, and mechanical-related issues. You may contact the department at (919) 560-4144 for permit requirements and other land-related issues.

Do Durham Neighborhood Councils
Issue Permits?

Durham has three wards that make up the city. Each of the three wards elects a representative to the city council which is the legislative and policy-making body for the city. The mayor and three other persons are elected at large to constitute a seven-person council. As part of its duties, the city council appoints the city managers, determines city policy, approves the city's strategic plan, and enacts ordinances and regulations. To find out more information on the different wards within the city and the council representatives, you may utilize the city's interactive maps.

The city council's duties do not extend to granting building-related permits. However, they contribute towards the infrastructural development of the city through the passing of specific property-related ordinances and the determination of the strategic plan of the city. As one of the pillars of the city's strategic plan adopted in June 2018, the city has committed to building a sustainable and natural built environment. Under this initiative, the city commits to monitoring and improving the satisfaction with infrastructure, capital need funding, energy use in the city's facilities. Likewise, in line with the desire to continue to grow Durham, the city is also home to numerous infrastructural developments such as the Atlas apartments to be completed and available for leasing by November 2021 Downtown.

How to File an Unfair Business
Complaint in Durham?

You may file consumer complaints in Durham against businesses on the basis of scams, fraud, and allegations of malpractice by the business with the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice. Online complaints may be made by filling the appropriate complaint form and attaching not more than four supporting documents. If the supporting documents exceed this number, additional supporting documents may be sent by mail alongside a printed copy of your complaint form to

• 14 West Edenton Street
• Raleigh, NC 27603

Alternatively, you may call (877) 5-NO-SCAM to file complaints, make inquiries concerning consumer complaints or check the status of your complaint.

After submitting a complaint, a copy, along with any submitted supporting documents, is sent to the business in question for a response. In some cases, a copy of the complaint may be forwarded to another local, state, or federal agency under whose jurisdiction the business falls. If there is no response from the business or the resolution reached is unsatisfactory, you may proceed to a Durham County Courthouse to institute an action. It is important to note that the Consumer Protection Division does not serve as a court or compel businesses to take any action. In some rare cases, an action may be instituted by the division if the business has shown a track record of illegal practices. This action will however not be on behalf of the complainant and there are no guarantees that it will result in refunds for you.