Accessory Structures in Hampton, VA (2026)
4 verified accessory structures rules for Hampton, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Hampton allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot under a zoning administrator permit, capping size at 800 square feet or half the main house, limiting detached ADU height to 16 feet, as amended through November 2025.
Hampton ADU Zoning Standards
Some RestrictionsHampton Zoning Ordinance § 1-37
Accessory dwelling units on properties containing a lawfully permitted principal single-family dwelling shall obtain a zoning administrator permit... 1. No more than one (1) ADU shall be located on a lot... 5.a. An ADU shall not exceed eight hundred (800) square feet of dwelling area, or fifty (50) percent of the dwelling area of the principal dwelling, whichever is less.
ADU Owner Occupancy
Hampton requires the fee-title owner of any property with an ADU to live on-site as a primary residence in either the main house or the accessory unit, and bars advertising both dwellings for rent at once.
Hampton ADU Owner-Occupancy Rule
Significant RestrictionsHampton Zoning Ordinance § 1-37(7)
A property owner shall reside on the property, either in the principal dwelling or in the ADU. For the purposes of this section, "reside" means to occupy the dwelling as the owner's primary residence. In no case may both a principal dwelling and an ADU be advertised or offered for rent to the public. For the purpose of this section only, the term "property owner" means a person vested with the ...
ADU Rental Restrictions
Hampton requires the property owner to live on-site in either the house or the ADU, bars renting out both units at once, and bans using an ADU as a short-term rental.
Hampton ADU Rental Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsHampton Zoning Ordinance § 1-37(7)-(8)
A property owner shall reside on the property, either in the principal dwelling or in the ADU. For the purposes of this section, "reside" means to occupy the dwelling as the owner's primary residence. In no case may both a principal dwelling and an ADU be advertised or offered for rent to the public. For the purpose of this section only, the term "property owner" means a person vested with the ...
Shed & Carport Rules
In Hampton, Virginia, an attached carport must meet the same setbacks as the primary house, while a detached carport is an accessory structure that can sit as close as five feet from the rear line under Zoning Ordinance § 1-24.
Hampton Carport Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsHampton Zoning Ordinance § 2-2
Accessory building or structure. A subordinate building or structure, clearly incidental, related to, and customarily associated with, the principal building or structure, and located on the same lot as the principal structure. Where any part of the accessory building or structure is attached to the principal building or structure, such accessory building or structure shall be counted as part o...