Environmental Rules in Carteret County, NC (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Carteret County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
New subdivisions in unincorporated Carteret County must install an adequate surface water drainage system built to the Sedimentation Pollution Control Act, North Carolina stormwater runoff rules, and NCDOT standards. Section 4-6.6 of the county's Subdivision Regulations requires the design to handle a ten-year storm and forbids piping surface water into any sanitary sewer line.
Stormwater Drainage Rules, Unincorporated Carteret County
Some RestrictionsCarteret County Subdivision Regulations § 4-6.6
(A)An adequate surface water drainage system, including necessary open ditches, pipes, culverts, intersectional drains, drop inlets, bridges, etc., shall be provided for the proper drainage of all surface water. The surface water drainage system plan shall be designed in accordance with the Sedimentation Pollution Control Act, the North Carolina Stormwater Run-off Regulations, ... and the speci...
Flood Zones
Any development activity in a special flood hazard area of unincorporated Carteret County needs a floodplain development permit before work starts, under County Code § 7-38. The floodplain administrator, the county's Director of Planning and Development, reviews applications; building without full compliance violates § 7-39 and is a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying up to a $100.00 fine or 30 days in jail.
Carteret County Floodplain Development Permit Rule
Significant RestrictionsCarteret County Code §§ 7-38, 7-39, 7-43
A floodplain development permit shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this chapter prior to the commencement of any development activities within special flood hazard areas determined in accordance with the provisions of section 7-37 of this chapter. ... No structure or land shall hereafter be located, extended, converted, altered, or developed in any way without full complian...
Flood Elevation Requirements
Unincorporated Carteret County requires every new or substantially improved home, including manufactured homes, to have its reference level built no lower than the regulatory flood protection elevation, the base flood elevation plus freeboard, under Sec. 7-87(1). Commercial buildings face the same elevation floor or must be engineer-certified as floodproofed under Sec. 7-87(2).
Carteret County Base Flood Elevation Standard
Some RestrictionsCarteret County Code § 7-87
(1)Residential construction. New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure (including manufactured homes) shall have the reference level, including basement, elevated no lower than the regulatory flood protection elevation, as defined in article II of this chapter. ... (2)Nonresidential construction. New construction and substantial improvement of any commercial, ind...
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