Craven County, NC Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Horizontal zone cap
- 169.0 feet above mean sea level
- Conical zone cap
- 369.0 feet above mean sea level
- Approach zones
- Sloped limits (20-50 ft outward per ft of rise)
- Blanket exception
- Structures up to 50 ft outside the approach surface
- Applies in
- Mapped Coastal Carolina Regional Airport height zones only
Summary
Near Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, Craven County caps structure heights by zone: the horizontal zone tops out at 169 feet above sea level, and the outer conical zone allows up to 369 feet above sea level. Approach and transitional zones use sloped limits instead of flat heights, and any structure that would endanger aircraft is barred outright.
301.3Airport height zone restrictions. Except as otherwise provided in this Part, no structure shall be erected, altered, or maintained in any zone created by this Part, to a height in excess of the applicable height limit herein established for such zone. ... 5.Horizontal zone: Established at 150 feet above the airport elevation or at a height of 169.0 feet above mean sea level.6.Conical zone: Slopes 20 feet outward for each foot upward beginning at the periphery of the horizontal zone and at 150 feet above the airport elevation and extending to a height of 350 feet above the airport elevation, 369.0 feet above mean sea level.7.Excepted height limitations: Nothing in this Part shall be construed as prohibiting the construction or maintenance of any structure to a height up to 50 feet above the surface of the land. This exception would only apply to construction or maintenance of structures outside of the approach surface.
Full Breakdown
3 of the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport Zoning and Height Control Ordinance (Chapter 41, Article III, Part III) sets the height ceiling for every zone the county has mapped around the airport. Approach zones use sloped limits measured from the runway: the utility runway visual approach zone allows 20 feet of rise for every foot moved outward for 5,000 feet, the non-precision instrument approach zone allows 34 feet outward per foot of rise for 10,000 feet, and the precision instrument approach zone allows 50 feet outward per foot of rise for the first 10,000 feet, then 40 feet outward per foot for another 40,000 feet.
Transitional zones slope seven feet outward for each foot of rise up to a height of 150 feet above the airport elevation. 0 feet above mean sea level. An exception lets any structure be built or maintained up to 50 feet above the ground everywhere outside the approach surface, regardless of these zone limits. These height limits apply only inside the mapped airport height restriction zones near Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, not countywide.
Violations & Fines
No structure may be erected, altered, or maintained above the height limit set for its zone under § 301.3, and § 301.1 separately bars any structure that would endanger or interfere with aircraft landing, takeoff, or maneuvering, regardless of the numeric limit. Violations run through Chapter 41's general enforcement, § 901: the Planning Director can issue a notice of violation or stop-work order, appealable to the Board of Adjustment, and a stop-work violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can I build near Coastal Carolina Regional Airport?
Is there any height allowed everywhere regardless of the zone?
Do these height limits apply across all of unincorporated Craven County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Craven County
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