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Concord, NC Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

I-2 industrial cap
0.9 impervious surface ratio
Low-density option cap
0.24 ratio, overrides base district
RC district cap
0.5, up to 0.6 for infill projects
AG/RE/RL/RM-1/RM-2
no mapped ratio, lot-size controlled
Commercial-district homes
follow RC's 0.5 ratio, not commercial cap

Summary

Concord's Development Ordinance limits impervious coverage through the Impervious Surface Ratio column of Table 7.6.2-A, ranging from no district-wide cap in the large-lot AG through RM-2 districts up to 0.9 in the I-2 General Industrial district. Developments using the low-density subdivision option are held to a 0.24 ratio regardless of what the base district otherwise allows.

TABLE 7.6.2 A - DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS ... Impervious Surface Ratio (2) ... (2) Developments following the low-density option (see §4.4.2-A) may not develop at a total impervious surface ratio greater than 0.24. ... (6) May be increased to 0.6 for multi-unit projects that meet the definition of "infill" as specified in Article 14. ... * Residences permitted in nonresidential districts shall conform to the density and dimensional standards of the RC district, except that height restrictions may follow (1) below. Residences in the CC district are not subject to maximum density or dimensional limitations.

View official code

Full Breakdown

2-A, titled Density and Dimensional Standards, sets an Impervious Surface Ratio for each zoning district. The AG, RE, RL, RM-1 and RM-2 districts, sized by minimum lot area of 43,560 down to 10,000 square feet rather than by a coverage cap, carry no ratio in that column. 9, the highest ratio in the ordinance. 24, regardless of what its base zoning district otherwise allows. 5 ratio rather than the commercial district's higher figure, though CC-district residences are excused from any maximum density or dimensional limitation.

Violations & Fines

Building beyond the mapped impervious surface ratio without an approved site plan is a violation under Section 1.5.2 of the Development Ordinance. Code Enforcement issues a notice of violation with a 7-day warning period; an uncorrected first offense draws a $100 civil penalty per day, and any repeat violation on the same property within 36 months carries an immediate $300-per-day penalty, pursued as a civil debt in the General Court of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Concord's maximum impervious surface ratio?
0.9 in the I-2 General Industrial district, the highest figure in Table 7.6.2-A of the Development Ordinance. Most low-density residential districts (AG, RE, RL, RM-1, RM-2) carry no mapped ratio at all, relying on minimum lot size instead.
Is there a citywide impervious surface limit for low-density subdivisions?
Yes. Footnote (2) to Table 7.6.2-A caps any development built under the low-density option in Section 4.4.2-A at a total impervious surface ratio of 0.24, regardless of the higher ratio the base zoning district would otherwise allow.
Can the RC district's 0.5 coverage limit go higher?
Yes, up to 0.6, but only for a multi-unit project that meets the definition of 'infill' set out in Article 14 of the Concord Development Ordinance; the standard RC ratio otherwise stays at 0.5 under Table 7.6.2-A.
What impervious ratio applies to a house built in a commercial district?
The RC district's 0.5 ratio. Table 7.6.2-A's notes require residences permitted in nonresidential districts to follow RC's density and dimensional standards rather than the higher ratio otherwise mapped for that commercial or office district.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Concord

Fence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsSetback RulesSome RestrictionsStructure Height LimitsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Material RestrictionsSignificant RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Pet Groomer RulesSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic ZoningSome Restrictions

All Concord rules

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