Concord, NC Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

Section 9.5.4 of the Concord Development Ordinance (CDO) defines a Tiny Home as a site-built single-family detached dwelling not exceeding 600 square feet of heated floor area that meets North Carolina State Building and Housing Code requirements and sits on a permanent foundation. A tiny home located on the same lot as a principal dwelling unit is treated as an accessory dwelling unit under Section 8.3.3.C, while a tiny home on wheels is classified as a recreational vehicle, permitted only as a temporary dwelling under other applicable sections.

Standalone tiny home developments are only allowed within the Neighborhood Infill Residential (NRD) district, a site plan-controlled district requiring Planning and Zoning Commission review under Section 9.5.3, and applicable only on land designated Urban Neighborhood by the 2030 Land Use Plan. Section 9.5.5.1(A) sets dimensional standards for these developments: maximum density of 18 units per acre, minimum overall parcel size of 10,000 square feet (maximum 2 acres), between 4 and 18 dwellings per development, a maximum lot size of 4,000 square feet if subdivided, a 5-foot minimum front setback, a 5-foot minimum side setback, a 10-foot minimum street setback, and a maximum building height of 2 stories. Developments must reserve at least 30 percent open space and provide an 8-foot Type A buffer along the perimeter.

Additional standards require 2 parking spaces per unit, a shared drive at least 20 feet wide with proper access easements, and common open space at a rate of 350 square feet per dwelling, with 60 percent of lots or dwellings fronting that common open space. Developments must include a central green or common area and a pedestrian network connecting to the public sidewalk, and must be designed to accommodate solid waste collection at the public street. NRD rezonings are processed as conditional district zoning amendments with a required site plan, following the procedures in Section 3.2.