Raleigh permits accessory dwelling units, sometimes called backyard cottages, under Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Section 2.5.1 and Section 6.7. Permits are issued ministerially through the Development Services Department for residential districts.
Raleigh UDO Section 2.5.1 establishes accessory dwelling units as a use permitted by right in R-1, R-2, R-4, R-6, R-10, R-X, RX-, and most mixed-use residential districts. UDO Section 6.7 sets the development standards: maximum 800 square feet, located in the side or rear yard, and limited to one ADU per lot. Detached ADUs must meet a 5-foot side and rear setback. The lot must contain a primary single-family detached dwelling. Applicants submit through the Raleigh Development Services Customer Service Center for a building permit, and zoning compliance is verified at permit issuance. North Carolina has no statewide ADU preemption (proposed HB 144 did not pass), so Raleigh retains full local discretion. Wake County does not regulate ADUs inside city limits.
Building an ADU without permits triggers a stop-work order under the State Building Code and a Notice of Violation under UDO Section 10.4. Permit fees double for after-the-fact permits, and unpermitted ADUs cannot be legally rented.
Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC
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See how Raleigh's adu permits rules stack up against other locations.
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