NC H661

Prohibits inspection departments from charging fees or failing inspections when permit holders cancel residential inspections more than one business day in advance, and limits municipal street design standards to no more stringent than NCDOT standards (effective January 1, 2026)

Exempts model homes from fire protection water supply requirements during construction and exempts certain apartment buildings and hotels (2 stories or less with direct exterior egress) from in-building emergency responder communication coverage requirements

Creates inspection exemption for residential HVAC changeouts performed by licensed contractors who submit signed certification of code compliance, with local governments limited to charging no more than $20 for processing the certification (effective January 1, 2026)

Exempts floor covering and painting services from general contractor licensure requirements and building permit requirements for residential construction, and increases public contract formal bidding thresholds from $500,000 to $1.5 million for construction and from $90,000 to $180,000 for equipment purchases (effective July 1, 2026)

Modernizes State Licensing Board for General Contractors procedures including expanded disciplinary authority, protection of investigative records from public records requests, and authorization to refer violations for criminal prosecution