Durham, NC Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Rear yard, all seven districts
- 25 feet (conventional subdivision)
- Single side yard
- 12 feet RS-20; 10 RS-10; 9 RS-8; 5 in RS-M, RU-5, RU-M, RC
- Street yard, collector or greater
- 35 feet RS-20; 25 RS-10, RS-8, RS-M; 15 RU-5; 10 RU-M, RC
- Minimum lot area, RS-20 to RC
- 20,000, 10,000, 8,000, 5,000, 5,000, 3,500, 5,000 sq ft
- Small lot option yards
- 10 ft street, 5 ft side, 15 ft rear; 2,000 sq ft lot
- Possible yard changes
- Neighborhood Protection Overlay or Sec. 6.8 infill rules
Summary
Durham's UDO Sec. 7.1.2.B sets minimum yards for a single-family detached house by zoning district: rear yards of 25 feet in every residential district, single side yards from 12 feet in RS-20 down to 5 feet in RS-M through RC, and street yards from 35 feet down to 10 feet. Sec. 7.1.2.C adds a small lot option with its own yards.
detached house shall also be permitted in the RR District in accordance with the standards of paragraph 6.2.1A, Dimensional Standards . ... Street Yard A space on the same lot with a building or group of buildings, which space lies between the building or group of buildings and the nearest lot line. (adjoining collector or greater street) 35 25 25 25 15 10 10 ... Side Yard A space on the same lot with a building or group of buildings, which space lies between the building or group of buildings and the nearest lot line. (single) 12 10 9 5 5 5 5 ... Rear Yard A space on the same lot with a building or group of buildings, which space lies between the building or group of buildings and the nearest lot line. 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 ... modifications may be required pursuant to a Neighborhood Protection Overlay, or through application of infill regulations ( Sec. 6.8, Infill Development in Residential Districts ). ... Minimum Lot Area The total area within the lot lines of a platted lot. 2,000 square feet ... Minimum Street Yard A space on the same lot with a building or group of buildings, which space lies between the building or group of buildings and the nearest lot line. 10 feet
Full Breakdown
Sec. 7.1.2.B applies to a single-family detached house, one dwelling unit on a lot with yards on all four sides, in seven districts: RS-20, RS-10, RS-8, RS-M, RU-5 and RU-5(2), RU-M and RC. The RR District is handled separately under paragraph 6.2.1A, Dimensional Standards. In a conventional subdivision the rear yard is 25 feet in every one of the seven columns. The single side yard runs 12, 10, 9, 5, 5, 5 and 5 feet in that order, and the total of both side yards is 30 feet in RS-20, 24 in RS-10, 22 in RS-8 and 15 in RS-M, with no side yard total in the Urban Tier.
A street yard facing a collector or greater street is 35, 25, 25, 25, 15, 10 and 10 feet; on a local street (under one mile, or a loop under 2,500 feet) it is 35, 25, 25, 20, 10, 10 and 10 feet. Minimum lot area is 20,000, 10,000, 8,000, 5,000, 5,000, 3,500 and 5,000 square feet, and lot width starts at 100 feet in RS-20, 75 in RS-10 and 60 in RS-8. Lot averaging cuts those areas to 17,000 square feet in RS-20, 8,500 in RS-10 and 6,800 in RS-8, but only if paragraph 6.3.3C, 6.4.3C or 6.5.3B is met.
Once flag lots are created in RS-20, the remaining standard lot must be at least 80 feet wide. A cluster subdivision allows 5-foot street yards, 6 to 9 foot side yards and 5,000 or 4,000 square foot lots in RS-10 and RS-8. Footnote 3 warns that a Neighborhood Protection Overlay or the infill rules in Sec. 6.8 can change any yard. Under the small lot option in 7.1.2.C, a 2,000 square foot lot needs a 10-foot street yard, 5-foot side yards and a 15-foot rear yard.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 7.1.2 prints no fine or penalty of its own, so enforcement comes through the rest of the UDO. What the section does control is whether a house fits the lot. A house built inside a required yard fails the district table, and an older house that no longer meets the numbers is treated as a nonconforming structure under Sec. 14.4. A small lot must be recorded on the plat with its housing type and limits, and it must carry one approved sustainable feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a house sit from the rear lot line in Durham?
What are the side yard requirements for a single-family detached house?
Does a corner or collector street change the street yard?
Can the standard yards in the table be changed?
What is the small lot option and where does it apply?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Durham
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