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Building Setbacks & Zoning in Davidson County, NC (2026)

3 rules for unincorporated Davidson County, North Carolina.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Davidson County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Setback Rules

In unincorporated Davidson County, the Zoning Ordinance's Table of Dimensional Requirements sets minimum front, side and rear setbacks by district: 30 feet front in the RA-1/RA-2/RA-3 and RS districts, dropping to 15 feet front in the PEC district and rising to 50 feet front in CS, HC and HI.

Davidson County Yard Setback Minimums

Some Restrictions

Davidson County Zoning Ordinance, § IV.13

Zoning District Minimum Maximum Minimum Minimum Minimum Minimum Maximum Lot Area Lot Coverage Lot Width Front Setback Side Setback Rear Setback Building Height RA-1-2-3 On-site Septic/Well 30,000 30% 100 30 10 20 35 RS On-site Septic/Well 30,000 30% 100 30 10 20 35 CS On-site Septic/Well 40,000 30% 125 50 0 10 35 Table Notes: 4) The side setback shall be a minimum ...

Structure Height Limits

In unincorporated Davidson County, the Zoning Ordinance's Table of Dimensional Requirements caps building height at 35 feet in most residential and commercial districts, 50 feet in Light Industrial and 125 feet in Heavy Industrial, and adds one extra foot of setback for every foot a building rises above that cap.

Davidson County Building Height Limits

Some Restrictions

Davidson County Zoning Ordinance, § IV.13, Note 6; Art. IX (Building Height)

6) For every one (1) foot in additional height above the maximum shown, one (1) additional foot of front, rear and side setback must be provided in residential districts; one-half (1/2) an additional foot setback in non-residential districts. ... BUILDING HEIGHT. The vertical distance measured from the mean elevation of the proposed or completed finished grade at the front of the building to th...

Lot Coverage Limits

In unincorporated Davidson County, the zoning ordinance caps how much of a lot buildings can cover, from 30% in RA-1, RA-2, RA-3 and RS districts up to 60% in RM-2 and mixed-use residential lots, but Table Note 3 exempts every single-family residence from the lot coverage limit entirely.

Davidson County Maximum Lot Coverage Rule

Some Restrictions

Davidson County Zoning Ordinance, § IV.1, § IV.13

Regulations governing the required minimum lot size, minimum lot width, required front, side and rear setbacks, maximum building height and maximum lot coverage for each general district shall be as shown in the Table of Area, Height and Placement Requirements. ... 3) Single family residences are exempt from lot coverage limits.

All Davidson County ordinances

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