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

Section 4.7.3.1 measures a setback as the area between the furthest projection of a principal structure and the applicable lot line, and requires that setbacks stay unobstructed from ground to sky except for listed encroachments: bay windows or overhangs up to three feet, chimneys up to two feet, overhanging roofs, eaves, gutters, cornices, or awnings up to two feet, and steps, stairs, or non-enclosed fire escapes up to six feet, plus accessory structures permitted under section 5.1. Table 4.7-1 sets the actual minimums by district: Residential Agricultural requires 30 feet front, 15 feet side, and 30 feet rear; Residential Mixed (R-6), the smallest-lot residential district, requires 20 feet front, 8 feet side, and 20 feet rear; and General Commercial requires only 10 feet front with no side or rear setback at all.

Section 4.7.3.2 governs lots with more than one street frontage: on an undeveloped multi-frontage lot the developer picks which yard is the front, but on an already-developed lot the front yard is defined as whichever frontage is shortest, with all other frontages treated as street side yards. Section 4.7.3.3 lets an applicant reduce or increase a front setback to match the average of existing developed lots within 300 feet on each side of the property, but the adjustment cannot vary by more than five feet from that neighborhood average, and the applicant must document the average using public records or actual measurements.