Two Cabarrus County building inspectors earned statewide recognition in July as the department they work for processed what the county called a record volume of permits driven by rapid growth.

Gary Martin, a 12-year veteran of the county's Construction Standards department, was named District 3 Building Inspector of the Year by the North Carolina Building Inspectors Association. The district covers Cabarrus and 11 surrounding counties. Mike Cox, who has worked for the county more than 10 years, was named Mechanical Inspector of the Year by the North Carolina Mechanical Inspectors Association.

The county announced the honors Tuesday, Aug. 11.

Martin serves as lead codes enforcement officer on the Construction Standards Residential Building and Plumbing team, overseeing inspections of residential projects for compliance with the North Carolina State Building Code. Cox is a Level III electrical/mechanical inspector on the residential team, inspecting electrical and mechanical systems in new and existing homes.

"I like working to ensure the citizens of our county are living in homes that are safe and well-constructed," Martin said in the county's announcement. "The people that work for Cabarrus County are hardworking and dedicated to serving our customers."

Cox kept it simpler.

"I work for Cabarrus County so that I can protect the public by doing my job," he said.

The awards come as the department handles a surge in construction activity. During fiscal year 2026, Construction Standards issued 19,832 permits, completed 67,683 inspections and performed 2,348 residential and commercial plan reviews.

Construction Standards Director Matt Love said the honors reflect the technical knowledge required to inspect residential construction while providing strong customer service to contractors and partners. He called the inspectors' work essential to protecting residents and supporting safe, code-compliant development countywide.

The department, which provides building inspections, plan reviews and permitting services for all areas of Cabarrus County, has temporarily relocated from the Government Center to the Conference Center Lobby and Training Room A in the Milestone building at 4855 Milestone Ave. in Kannapolis while renovations are underway. The Government Center work is expected to be completed by early October.