Building Setbacks & Zoning in Durham County, NC (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Durham County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Setbacks in Durham vary by zoning district under the joint City-County UDO. In the Residential Rural (RR) district, buildings must sit at least 50 feet from the front and rear lines and 25 feet from each side.
Durham Building Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO Sec. 6.2.1A (Residential Rural)
Minimum Street Yard 50 [feet]; Minimum Each Side 25 [feet]; Minimum Both Sides (total) 50 [feet]; Minimum Rear Yard 50 [feet].
Structure Height Limits
In Durham's Residential Rural (RR) district the joint City-County UDO caps buildings at 40 feet, or 3 stories for conventional and conservation subdivisions. Denser urban residential districts allow taller heights.
Durham Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO Sec. 6.2.1A (Residential Rural)
Maximum Height 40 [feet], or 3 stories for conventional and conservation subdivisions.
Lot Coverage Limits
Durham limits development intensity mainly through watershed impervious-surface caps rather than a single lot-coverage number. In protected watersheds, low-density residential built-upon area is capped at 6 percent in the strictest tiers, rising to 24 percent elsewhere.
Durham Lot Coverage and Impervious Limits
Some RestrictionsDurham UDO Sec. 8.7.2.B (Impervious Surface Limits)
Low Density Option: M/LR-A 6%; M/LR-B Rural Tier 6%; M/LR-B Rural Village 12%; E-A; E-A(2) 24%; F/J-B, E-B 24%.
Building Setbacks & Zoning by City in Durham County
1 cities in Durham County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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