Cabarrus County, NC Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

Cabarrus County treats accessory dwelling units as a performance based standards use under Chapter 7, Section 7-3, item 1 of the Development Ordinance, meaning Planning and Zoning staff can approve one administratively once the listed standards are met. The use is permitted in the Agricultural/Open, Countryside Residential, Low Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, High Density Residential/Mixed Use, Limited Commercial, General Commercial and Limited Industrial districts. In the AO, CR, LDR, MDR and HDR districts, the accessory dwelling unit cannot exceed fifty percent of the base area of the primary structure as recorded on the Cabarrus County Tax Card.

If the unit is instead sited as part of a commercial or industrial building, it must be incorporated into the building's overall design and cannot exceed twenty-five percent of that structure's base area. The accessory dwelling unit must meet the same principal-building setbacks Chapter 5 sets for the zoning district, and its height cannot exceed the height of the principal structure on the lot. A manufactured home cannot serve as an accessory dwelling unit. Only one accessory dwelling unit is allowed per parcel, county-wide. Off-street parking has to be provided for vehicles belonging to the accessory unit's occupants, and that parking must be screened from public rights-of-way, either with a buffer yard or by the mass of the house and accessory dwelling unit itself.

Where the unit sits inside an existing accessory building, the owner must file a notarized statement with the county confirming the accessory building's use and the exact square footage set aside for the dwelling.