Pitt County, NC Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Table 6-1, the Table of Density and Dimensional Requirements in Section 6 of the Zoning Ordinance, lists 'Building Height' for every conventional district, RA, RR, R40, SR, MFR, RC, OI, GC, HC, LI and GI, and directs readers to footnote c rather than a numeric cap. That footnote states there is no maximum building height, but building setbacks increase one foot for every foot of height between 50 and 80 feet, and no additional setback applies once a building exceeds 80 feet. In practice this means a modest single-family home built to the standard 10-foot property-line setback faces no height-driven setback increase at all, since it never approaches 50 feet, while a taller commercial or institutional building must step its walls back further from the line as it climbs past 50 feet.

Section 6(C)(1), Structures Permitted Above Height Limits, further exempts public buildings, church spires, belfries, cupolas, water towers, silos, grain elevators, chimneys, flag poles, and radio, television and communication towers, masts and aerials from any height limitation this Ordinance would otherwise impose, provided the structure still meets the NC Building Code. This height-driven setback rule for principal buildings is separate from the accessory-building rule in Section 6(B)(3), which increases accessory setbacks one foot per foot of height over 15 feet. The Airport Height Overlay in Section 4(C)(1) imposes its own, tighter maximum imaginary-surface heights near Pitt-Greenville Airport, computed under FAA Part 77, for towers, antennas and other tall structures within the mapped overlay area.