Environmental Rules in Lee County, NC (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Lee County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Development near Lee County's water supply streams and rivers must keep a 30-foot vegetative buffer, hold built-upon area to district-specific limits like 24 percent in the Little River watershed, and get a watershed permit first, backed by a $100-per-day civil penalty for violations.
Lee County Watershed Stormwater Buffer Rules
Some RestrictionsLee County Unified Development Ordinance § 4.14
The purpose of these overlay districts is to implement the Water Supply Watershed Protection Act (the Act) (G.S. §§ 143-214.5 & 143-214.6). ... A minimum 30-foot vegetative buffer for development activities is required along all perennial waters, including streams, rivers and impoundments, indicated on the most recent versions of United States Geodetic Survey (USGS) 1: 24,000 scale topographic ...
Erosion Control
In unincorporated Lee County, land-disturbing construction activity must conform to the state Sedimentation and Pollution Control Act, and the county will not issue a zoning clearance permit for a project needing a state sedimentation and erosion control permit until that state permit is on file with the administrator.
Erosion Control in Unincorporated Lee County
Some RestrictionsLee County Unified Development Ordinance § 9.1
9.1.1.Land-disturbing activities, as defined in G.S. § 113A-52.01, shall conform to the Sedimentation and Pollution Control Act of 1973 (G.S. §§ 113A-50 to 113A-458, as may be amended from time to time).9.1.2.A zoning clearance permit shall not be issued for projects which require a sedimentation and erosion control permit from the State of North Carolina, unless or until a copy of said permit ...
Flood Zones
Unincorporated Lee County requires a development permit before any construction, filling, grading or land disturbance begins within a FEMA-designated area of special flood hazard, under Article 13 of the county's Unified Development Ordinance. The rules apply alongside identical flood regulations adopted by the City of Sanford and the Town of Broadway, and a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $50.00 fine or 30 days in jail, each day a separate offense.
Lee County Floodplain Development Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsLee County Unified Development Ordinance §§ 13.3.1, 13.3.3, 13.3.8
13.3.1.Lands to which this ordinance applies. This ordinance shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the City of Sanford, the Town of Broadway and Lee County. ... 13.3. ... 3.Establishment of development permit. A development permit shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this ordinance prior to the commencement of any development activities. ...
Flood Elevation Requirements
New construction and substantial improvements in a mapped Lee County flood hazard area must have the lowest floor, including any basement, elevated at least two feet above the base flood elevation, under Section 13.8.3.1 of the Unified Development Ordinance. Non-residential buildings may floodproof to that same two-foot freeboard instead of elevating, but only with a registered engineer's or architect's certification under Section 13.8.3.2.
Lee County Flood Elevation Building Standard
Some RestrictionsLee County Unified Development Ordinance §§ 13.8.3.1, 13.8.3.2
13.8.3.1.Residential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure (including manufactured homes) shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated no lower than two feet above the base flood elevation. Should solid foundation parameter walls be used to elevate a structure, openings sufficient to facilitate the unimpeded movements of flood waters...
All Lee County ordinances
See every category we cover for Lee County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Lee County Ordinance Hub →