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

Sec. 2-28-05 of the 2025 Revised Zoning Ordinance lets a property owner add an accessory dwelling unit in the Residential Agricultural (RA), Residential (R) and MRD districts, but only after the county approves it as a Special Requirement under Sec. 2-30. That process requires a site plan and a fee from the county fee schedule, submitted to the Zoning Officer for review; the Zoning Officer issues the Special Requirement permit once the application meets Sec. 2-28-05's four conditions and the site plan requirements at Sec.

2-30-00(C), which call for lot dimensions, adjoining property uses, existing and proposed structures, easements, and septic documentation where the lot is not on public wastewater. Sec. 2-28-05 itself requires an already-occupied single-family or modular home on the parcel, bars using a manufactured home or recreational vehicle as the ADU, limits the ADU's square footage to 60% of the principal structure's floor area or 1,200 square feet, whichever is less, and confines the ADU to the side or rear yard. A denial of the Special Requirement application is an administrative decision the applicant can appeal to the Planning Board under Sec. 2-30-00(B).