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

Section 14-75(d) of the Johnston County Code sets the minimum building setback from a property or right-of-way line for development in the agricultural-residential (AR) district, the zoning that governs most unincorporated land in Johnston County outside town limits. For a one-dwelling-unit-per-acre development, a structure must sit back 70 feet from any arterial or collector street, 50 feet from a local street not in a major subdivision, and only 25 feet from a local street inside a major subdivision. Interior lot lines require just ten feet, and access easements require 15 feet.

The code notes that the 70-foot arterial setback carries over from the county's prior standard: a 60-foot buffer area plus a ten-foot building setback measured from the buffer line. 5-dwelling-unit-per-acre development: 70 feet from arterial or collector streets, 50 feet from local streets outside a major subdivision, 20 feet from local streets inside a major subdivision, five feet from interior lot lines, and 15 feet from access easements. 5-unit-per-acre standard. Major subdivisions must also reserve drainage and utility easements of ten feet along road frontage and seven and one-half feet, or the applicable minimum setback if smaller, along interior and exterior boundary lines.