Raleigh, NC Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- R-1/R-2/R-4 primary & side-street setback
- 20 feet
- R-6/R-10 primary & side-street setback
- 10 feet
- R-1/R-2/R-4 side setback
- 10 feet
- R-6/R-10 side setback
- 5 feet
- R-1/R-2/R-4 rear setback
- 30 feet
- R-6/R-10 rear setback
- 20 feet
- Governing table
- UDO § 2.2.1.B
Summary
Raleigh's UDO sets a district-by-district setback table for the Detached House building type: primary and side-street setbacks run 20 feet in R-1/R-2/R-4 and drop to 10 feet in R-6/R-10, side setbacks are 10 feet (5 feet in R-6/R-10), and the rear setback is 30 feet (20 feet in R-6/R-10).
R-1 R-2 R-4 R-6 R-10 B. Principal Building Setbacks B1 From primary street (min) 20' 20' 20' 10' 10' B2 From side street (min) 20' 20' 20' 10' 10' B3 From side lot line (min) 10' 10' 10' 5' 5' B4 From rear lot line (min) 30' 30' 30' 20' 20'
Full Breakdown
1, "Detached House," opens with a dimensional table headed "R-1 R-2 R-4 R-6 R-10", five columns for the five conventional Residential Districts, applied left to right through every row beneath. Section B, "Principal Building Setbacks," reads: B1 (from primary street, min) 20', 20', 20', 10', 10'; B2 (from side street, min) 20', 20', 20', 10', 10'; B3 (from side lot line, min) 10', 10', 10', 5', 5'; and B4 (from rear lot line, min) 30', 30', 30', 20', 20'. Read against the header, that means an R-1, R-2 or R-4 Detached House keeps a 20-foot primary-street and side-street setback, a 10-foot side setback and a 30-foot rear setback, while an R-6 or R-10 Detached House drops to 10 feet on the street-facing setbacks, 5 feet on the side and 20 feet on the rear.
7 can apply in R-4, R-6 and R-10 (marked "yes") but not R-1 or R-2 (marked "no"), potentially narrowing the primary-street setback range on an infill lot. D governs specific building-element requirements, porches, decks, chimneys and similar features, that can encroach into these base setbacks.
Violations & Fines
A Detached House built inside the applicable district's minimum setback, for example, closer than 20 feet to the primary street in R-1 or closer than 5 feet to a side lot line in R-10, is a UDO violation. The City can pursue an equitable remedy, an injunction from the General Court of Justice, or an order of abatement requiring the structure to be brought into compliance or removed, with a City lien for the cost, under § 1.1.10. A criminal violation is a misdemeanor or infraction under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back from the street must a house sit in Raleigh's R-1 district?
What's the minimum side-yard setback for a Detached House in Raleigh's R-10 district?
How big must the rear setback be for a house in Raleigh's R-4 district?
Do Raleigh's setback minimums change for infill lots?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Raleigh
Compare Raleigh to another location·View the North Carolina building setbacks & zoning overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Setback Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle setback rules.