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

3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Wake County, North Carolina.

Verified from official government sources

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

Setback Rules

Wake County's UDO sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks by residential district, ranging from 40 feet in R-80 down to 20 feet in R-15 through R-5.

Wake County Yard Setback Minimums by Zone

Some Restrictions

Wake County UDO § 5-11-2

R-80 R-40 R-30 R-20 R-15 R-10 R-5 HD Minimum Required Setbacks (feet) Front and Corner 40 30 30 30 20 20 20 30 Side 20 15 10 10 10 10 10 10 Rear 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Structure Height Limits

Wake County caps residential building height at 35 feet in the R-80 through R-10 and HD districts, per the UDO's non-watershed district standards table.

Wake County Residential Building Height Limit

Some Restrictions

Wake County UDO § 5-11-2

R-80 R-40 R-30 R-20 R-15 R-10 R-5 HD Minimum Lot Area per Dwelling Unit [1] (square feet) 80,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 30,000 Minimum Lot Width (feet) 150 110 95 75 65 55 55 95 Minimum Lot Frontage (feet) 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 Minimum Required Setbacks (feet) Front and Corner 40 30 30 30 20 20 20 30 Side 20 15 10 10 10 10...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Lot Coverage Limits

Residential lots in Wake County's non-watershed zoning districts may not exceed 30 percent impervious surface coverage under the UDO's dimensional standards table.

Wake County Residential Impervious Coverage Limit

Some Restrictions

Wake County UDO § 5-11-2

R-80 R-40 R-30 R-20 R-15 R-10 R-5 HD Minimum Lot Area per Dwelling Unit [1] (square feet) 80,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 30,000 Minimum Lot Width (feet) 150 110 95 75 65 55 55 95 Minimum Lot Frontage (feet) 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 Minimum Required Setbacks (feet) Front and Corner 40 30 30 30 20 20 20 30 Side 20 15 10 10 10 10...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Building Setbacks & Zoning by City in Wake County

3 cities in Wake County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.

RaleighPop. 467,665

3 verified rules • Lot Coverage Limits, Setback Rules

CaryPop. 174,721

3 verified rules • Lot Coverage Limits, Setback Rules

ApexPop. 58,780

2 verified rules • Setback Rules, Structure Height Limits

All Wake County ordinances

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