Chatham County Sec. 4-6.1 requires that no structure sit closer than 20 feet from any design right-of-way line, nor closer than 25 feet from the property line for front yards. In an R-1-A single-family district, a detached dwelling needs a 5-foot side yard and a 25-foot rear yard.
The county measures front-yard setbacks from the centerline of the street right-of-way in Sec. 4-6.1, but its controlling footnote sets the practical limit: no structure may be located closer than 20 feet from any design right-of-way line, nor closer than 25 feet from the property line. In the R-1-A district a one-family detached dwelling requires a minimum 5-foot side yard and 25-foot rear yard, on a lot of at least 12,000 square feet and 70 feet wide. No structure (except an elevated pier or wooden deck) may be built within 25 feet of saltwater marshland, reflecting Chatham's coastal setting. Setbacks vary by district, so confirm your zoning with the MPC.
A structure encroaching into a required setback can be denied a permit or certificate of occupancy, cited by code enforcement, and required to obtain a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals or be relocated.
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See how Chatham County's setback rules rules stack up against other locations.
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