Tiny home rules in Cary, NC — covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds — determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
North Carolina adopted IRC Appendix Q in the State Building Code, providing uniform standards for tiny dwellings under 400 square feet statewide.
Under N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-138, North Carolina has adopted the International Residential Code with Appendix Q, which applies to permanent dwellings 400 square feet or less. Tiny homes on permanent foundations must meet Appendix Q ceiling, loft, stairway, and egress standards. Tiny homes on wheels are regulated as recreational vehicles or manufactured housing depending on certification. Zoning permission for tiny homes as primary or accessory dwellings remains a local matter under Chapter 160D.
Occupying non-compliant tiny homes as permanent dwellings can result in code enforcement actions and certificate of occupancy denial.
Cary, NC
Cary regulates amplified music under the general noise ordinance. Sound permits available for events. N.C.G.S. §14-288.4 applies to unreasonable disturbances.
Cary, NC
Cary Code of Ordinances Chapter 22, Division 2 prohibits unreasonably loud, disturbing noises that annoy, disturb, or endanger citizens. The ordinance restri...
Cary, NC
Cary regulates construction noise through its general noise ordinance (Chapter 22). Construction activity near residential areas should be confined to reason...
Cary, NC
Cary's noise ordinance covers barking dogs under the general prohibition on disturbing noises. Persistently barking dogs that disturb neighbors may result in...
Cary, NC
Cary's Land Development Ordinance restricts parking of RVs, boats, and trailers in residential areas. These vehicles typically must be stored in rear or side...
Cary, NC
Cary restricts parking of commercial vehicles in residential zones. Large commercial vehicles, semi-trucks, and heavy equipment may not be stored in resident...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Wake County.
See how Cary's tiny homes rules stack up against other locations.
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