Building Setbacks & Zoning in Durham, NC (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Durham, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Durham's UDO sets minimum front, side, and rear yards for a single-family detached house by zoning district, from 35-foot street yards and 25-foot lot lines in the RS-20 suburban district down to 10-foot street yards in the RU-M and RC districts. Rear yards hold at 25 feet in every district.
Durham Single-Family Yard Setback Minimums
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO Sec. 7.1.2.B, Single-Family Detached House Development Standards
B. Development Standards A single-family detached house shall be permitted in accordance with the table below. A single-family detached house shall also be permitted in the RR District in accordance with the standards of paragraph 6.2.1A, Dimensional Standards. Yards (min. feet): Street Yard (adjoining collector or greater street) RS-20 35, RS-10 25, RS-8 25, RS-M 25, RU-5/RU-5(2) 15, RU-M 10, ...
Structure Height Limits
In Durham's RS-20, RS-10, RS-8, and RS-M districts, the Unified Development Ordinance caps principal residential structures at 3 stories and 40 feet. RS-20/10/8 can add one story per 10 extra feet of setback, up to 45 feet; RS-M can reach 5 stories/60 feet with a special use permit.
Durham Residential Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO Sec. 6.3.1.A (Dimensional Standards, RS Districts)
Height Stories (visual articulation) — 3 — 3 — 3 — 3 Feet2 40 40 40 40 ... 2 Height is, or may be, further limited when using the small lot option, the reduced pole width flag lot option, infill standards, a neighborhood protection overlay, or by a local historic district. ... In the Suburban Tier, additional height in the RS-20, RS-10, and RS-8 Districts is permitted at a rate of one additiona...
Lot Coverage Limits
Durham has no citywide lot-coverage cap, but land inside the city's six Watershed Protection Overlays -- a regime jointly adopted with Durham County -- is capped at 6% to 70% impervious surface. UDO Sec. 8.7.2 sets the exact limit by overlay district and by whether a project uses the Low Density or High Density Option.
Durham Watershed Overlay Impervious Caps
Some RestrictionsUDO § 8.7.2, Impervious Surface Limits
Impervious Surface Limits Any development in a Watershed Protection Overlay shall be subject to limits on the amount of impervious surfaces permitted in accordance with the following table. Overlay | Low Density Option Impervious Surface Limit | High Density Option Impervious Surface Limit M/LR-A | 6% | Not permitted M/LR-B | Rural Tier: 6%; Rural Village: 12% | Rural Tier: Not permitted; Rural...
Looking for Durham County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Durham city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Durham County →