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 Sec. 7.1.2.B sets minimum yards for a single-family detached house by zoning district: rear yards of 25 feet in every residential district, single side yards from 12 feet in RS-20 down to 5 feet in RS-M through RC, and street yards from 35 feet down to 10 feet. Sec. 7.1.2.C adds a small lot option with its own yards.
Durham Single-Family Detached House Setbacks and Lot Standards
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO Sec. 7.1.2.B, Single-Family Detached House Development Standards
detached house shall also be permitted in the RR District in accordance with the standards of paragraph 6.2.1A, Dimensional Standards . ... Street Yard A space on the same lot with a building or group of buildings, which space lies between the building or group of buildings and the nearest lot line. (adjoining collector or greater street) 35 25 25 25 15 10 10 ... Side Yard A space on the same l...
Structure Height Limits
Durham's Residential Suburban districts (RS-20, RS-10, RS-8 and RS-M) cap buildings at 3 stories and 40 feet under UDO Sec. 6.3.1.A. In the Suburban Tier, RS-20, RS-10 and RS-8 lots earn one extra story for every ten feet of added setback, never past 45 feet. RS-M projects reach 5 stories and 60 feet only with a minor special use permit.
Durham Residential Suburban (RS) Building Height Limits
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO Sec. 6.3.1.A (Dimensional Standards, RS Districts)
Height Stories ... 3 ... 3 ... 3 ... 3 Feet 2 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 additional story ... f...
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 →