Building Setbacks & Zoning in Raleigh, NC (2026)
3 verified building setbacks & zoning rules for Raleigh, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Raleigh's UDO sets a district-by-district setback table for the Detached House building type: primary and side-street setbacks run 20 feet in R-1/R-2/R-4 and drop to 10 feet in R-6/R-10, side setbacks are 10 feet (5 feet in R-6/R-10), and the rear setback is 30 feet (20 feet in R-6/R-10).
Raleigh Detached House Yard Setbacks by District
Some RestrictionsRaleigh Unified Development Ordinance § 2.2.1.B
R-1 R-2 R-4 R-6 R-10 B. Principal Building Setbacks B1 From primary street (min) 20' 20' 20' 10' 10' B2 From side street (min) 20' 20' 20' 10' 10' B3 From side lot line (min) 10' 10' 10' 5' 5' B4 From rear lot line (min) 30' 30' 30' 20' 20'
Structure Height Limits
A Detached House principal building in any of Raleigh's five conventional residential districts, R-1, R-2, R-4, R-6 and R-10, is capped at 40 feet or 3 stories under the UDO's dimensional table for that building type, with residential infill height rules layered on in the R-4, R-6 and R-10 districts.
Raleigh Detached House Height Limit: 40 Ft/3 Stories
Some RestrictionsRaleigh Unified Development Ordinance § 2.2.1.D
R-1 R-2 R-4 R-6 R-10 ... D. Height D1 Principal building (max) 40'/ 3 stories 40'/ 3 stories 40'/ 3 stories 40'/ 3 stories 40'/ 3 stories
Lot Coverage Limits
Raleigh caps how much of a lot can be covered by impervious surface, scaled to base zoning district: 20% in R-1, 25% in R-2, 38% in R-4, 51% in R-6, and 65% in R-10 and all other base districts. Crossing these thresholds under UDO Sec. 9.2.2.A.4 pulls an otherwise-exempt grandfathered or subdivided lot into the city's active stormwater control requirements.
Raleigh Impervious Surface Limits by Zoning District
Some RestrictionsRaleigh Unified Development Ordinance § 9.2.2.A.4
Lots exempted by subsections A.1 or A.2 above shall be subject to Sec. 9.2.2 et seq. when the applicable maximum impervious surface area of the lot exceeds: Zoning District Maximum Percentage of Impervious Surface Coverage R-1 20% R-2 25% R-4 38% R-6 51% R-10 and all other base zoning districts 65%. ... Notwithstanding the impervious surface limitations of this subsection, any lot with either a...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Raleigh city rules.
Building Setbacks & Zoning in Wake County →