3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Orange County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Orange County zones its unincorporated land under the Unified Development Ordinance. In the Rural Buffer, Agricultural Residential, and Rural Residential (R-1) districts a structure must sit 40 feet back from the road right-of-way, 20 feet off each side line, and 20 feet off the rear line.
Orange County, NC, Unified Development Ordinance, Sec. 3.3 (Residential Districts), Dimensional and Ratio Standards, note [1]
Accessory structures shall not be erected in any required front open space and shall also conform to all other regulations.
Orange County caps buildings in its rural and low-density residential districts at 25 feet, well below the 35-foot norm elsewhere. The UDO grants two extra feet of height for every foot a builder adds to the required front and side setbacks.
Orange County, NC, Unified Development Ordinance, Sec. 3.3 (Residential Districts), Dimensional Standards Note [3]
Two feet of additional height shall be allowed for one foot increase of the required front and side setbacks.
Lot coverage in Orange County is governed by watershed impervious limits, not a flat percentage. Most protected water-supply watersheds (University Lake, Cane Creek, Eno) cap built-upon area at just 6 percent; the general limit elsewhere is 12 percent.
Orange County, NC, Unified Development Ordinance, Sec. 4.2.5, Table 4.2.5 (Impervious Surface Limits, Residential)
6% impervious surface limit. ... EXCEPT for lots smaller than two acres that were created prior to April 2, 1990, which are subject to a 12% impervious surface limit.
1 cities in Orange County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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