Accessory Structures in Apex, NC (2026)
3 verified accessory structures rules for Apex, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Apex allows one accessory apartment per single-family home, attached or detached, capped by UDO size limits, but requires it stay in the same ownership as the principal home in residential districts.
Apex, NC Accessory Apartment Rules
Some RestrictionsApex Unified Development Ordinance § 4.5.6
Accessory apartment means a secondary dwelling unit either (1) in or added to an existing single-family dwelling, (2) in an accessory structure on the same lot as the principal single-family dwelling... A maximum of one (1) apartment may be permitted as an accessory use to a principal single-family dwelling unit... Outside of the Small Town Character Overlay District accessory apartments shall ...
ADU Owner Occupancy
In Apex's residential districts, an accessory apartment (Apex's term for an ADU) must stay under the same ownership as the principal single-family home: it can't be sold or conveyed separately, per the Town's Unified Development Ordinance.
Apex, NC Accessory Apartment Ownership Rule
Some RestrictionsApex Unified Development Ordinance § 4.5.6
The accessory apartment in the residential districts shall remain accessory to and under the same ownership as the principal single family dwelling unit. The accessory units in the B1 Neighborhood Business District, B2 Downtown Business District, B3 Transitional Business District, MEC-CZ Major Emp...
Shed & Carport Rules
Apex requires detached carports to stay at least 5 feet from side and rear property lines, 10 feet from the main house, and out of the front yard unless set back 60 feet, per the town's Unified Development Ordinance.
Apex, NC Detached Carport Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsApex Unified Development Ordinance § 5.2.7
Sec. 5.2.7 Dimensional Standards for Detached Accessory Structures ... Unless otherwise specified, no detached accessory building shall occupy more than 35% of the area of the required yard, nor be located closer than 10 feet to any principal building. ... With the exception of driveways, accessory structures shall only be permitted in the front yard if the structure is at least 60' from the fr...
Looking for Wake County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Apex city rules.
Accessory Structures in Wake County →