Buncombe County caps building height at 35 feet in its residential zoning districts. In the mountainous Steep Slope/High Elevation Overlay District, the maximum building height is also 35 feet. Taller limits apply to some commercial and employment districts.
Table 2 of Section 78-642 sets maximum building heights by district: 35 feet in R-LD, R-1, R-2, R-3 Residential, Neighborhood Service, and Conference/Resort districts; 50 feet in Commercial Service and Public Service; and 90 feet in the Employment district. Section 78-644(f)(3) confirms that in the Steep Slope/High Elevation Overlay District covering Asheville-area mountainsides, 'The maximum building height in the Steep Slope/High Elevation Overlay District shall be 35 feet.' Height limits near the Asheville Regional Airport are further reduced to comply with FAA regulations, and church spires are exempt (Sec. 78-699). These limits govern unincorporated county land only.
Exceeding a district's maximum height without a variance is a zoning violation; the county may withhold zoning compliance and impose a $100.00 per day civil penalty under Section 78-583.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Buncombe County, NC
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See how Buncombe County's structure height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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