Carteret County, NC Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

Sec. 1607, 'Setbacks for lots in un-zoned areas,' governs unincorporated Carteret County parcels that fall outside the county's standard zoning districts, such as certain remote Down East and unclassified tracts. It sets minimum building setbacks of 20 feet from the front property line, rising to 40 feet where the lot abuts a major thoroughfare street; 10 feet from a side property line, rising to 15 feet on a corner lot's street-side yard; and 30 feet from the rear property line. Accessory structures get more room to work with: a detached garage, carport, or accessory building can sit as close as five feet to a side or rear property line, but must still hold 15 feet from a corner lot's street-side line and 20 feet from the front line.

A separate provision, Sec. 1609, lets a narrow, nonconforming lot average its side-yard requirement with the established nonconforming setbacks of primary structures within a 300-foot radius, though no part of a structure, including cornices, eaves, or steps, may come within seven feet of a side line. Lots that ARE assigned to a district, such as RA, R-20, or B-1, instead follow that district's own dimensional standards adopted under Sec. 3002. The Planning Department's zoning enforcement officer determines yard locations on irregular lots and administers both provisions.