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

Section 14-75(e) of the Johnston County Code sets a single, flat limit for the agricultural-residential (AR) district: the maximum building height for residential structures is 40 feet. 5-unit-per-acre standard used for setbacks in the same section. The code measures height under the definition in Section 14-6: 'height' of a structure means the vertical distance from the mean natural grade at the foundation to the highest portion of the structure or part of a structure, so the 40-foot limit is measured from natural grade at the base, not from a finished floor or basement level.

Section 14-9 carves out a narrow exception to height regulations stated anywhere in chapter 14, including the AR district's 40-foot cap: it applies only to structures not intended for human occupancy, listing church spires, belfries, cupolas, domes, monuments, public water towers, observation towers, transmission towers, chimneys, smokestacks, conveyors, flagpoles, radio towers, masts, aerials, and grain elevators as examples of features that may exceed the height limitations of the chapter. An ordinary house, garage, or accessory building intended for occupancy or storage gets no benefit from that exception and must stay within the 40-foot cap measured from natural grade.