Durham, NC Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- RS-20 street yard (min.)
- 35 feet
- RS-20 side yard (single, min.)
- 12 feet
- Rear yard (all listed districts)
- 25 feet
- RU-M / RC street yard (min.)
- 10 feet
- RU-M / RC side yard (single, min.)
- 5 feet
- Governing section
- UDO Sec. 7.1.2.B
Summary
Durham's UDO sets minimum front, side, and rear yards for a single-family detached house by zoning district, from 35-foot street yards and 25-foot lot lines in the RS-20 suburban district down to 10-foot street yards in the RU-M and RC districts. Rear yards hold at 25 feet in every district.
B. Development Standards A single-family detached house shall be permitted in accordance with the table below. A single-family detached house shall also be permitted in the RR District in accordance with the standards of paragraph 6.2.1A, Dimensional Standards. Yards (min. feet): Street Yard (adjoining collector or greater street) RS-20 35, RS-10 25, RS-8 25, RS-M 25, RU-5/RU-5(2) 15, RU-M 10, RC 10. Street Yard (adjoining local street) RS-20 35, RS-10 25, RS-8 25, RS-M 20, RU-5/RU-5(2) 10, RU-M 10, RC 10. Side Yard (single) RS-20 12, RS-10 10, RS-8 9, RS-M 5, RU-5/RU-5(2) 5, RU-M 5, RC 5. Rear Yard 25 in all districts.
Full Breakdown
Sec. B, Development Standards, in the Durham UDO sets the yard minimums for a conventional single-family detached house across the city's residential districts: RS-20, RS-10, RS-8, RS-M, RU-5/RU-5(2), RU-M, and RC. Street yards, the setback from the front lot line, run largest in the lowest-density RS-20 district at 35 feet on both collector-or-greater and local streets, stepping down through RS-10 and RS-8 at 25 feet, RS-M at 25 feet (20 feet on a local street), RU-5/RU-5(2) at 15 feet (10 on a local street), and RU-M and RC at 10 feet.
Side yard minimums for a single side range from 12 feet in RS-20 down to 5 feet in RS-M, RU-5/RU-5(2), RU-M, and RC, with combined both-sides totals of 30 feet in RS-20 tapering to 15 feet in RS-M and no combined total requirement in the Urban Tier districts. The rear yard minimum is flat at 25 feet in every one of these districts regardless of density. 1A. These figures govern the base zoning envelope; they can still be modified by other UDO provisions such as the Sec.
6 Affordable Housing Bonus (up to a 35% yard reduction), infill standards in Sec. 8, watershed overlay limits, or a local historic district, so a specific lot's buildable envelope should be checked against any overlay before design.
Violations & Fines
Building within the required street, side, or rear yard without an approved variance, special use permit, or applicable overlay adjustment is a zoning violation Durham City-County Planning enforces through a notice of violation and a stop-work or correction order; unresolved encroachments can hold up certificate-of-occupancy issuance and be referred for civil enforcement under the UDO's general remedies provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum front yard setback for a house in Durham's RS-20 district?
Is the rear yard setback the same in every Durham residential district?
Can Durham's standard yard setbacks be reduced?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Durham
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