Onslow County, NC Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

The county repealed its standalone pool ordinance (Resolution 09-025, "Regulation of Permanent Swimming Pools, Spas, and Hot Tubs with a Depth in Excess of 24 Inches") when it adopted the current Zoning Ordinance, per Section 1.9(A)(2). Pools are now governed as detached residential accessory structures under Section 8.3. Table 8-2's Note 2 states plainly: "Pools are not allowed to be placed in a front yard." Table 8-3's Note 4 adds: "All pools must meet all required setbacks."

Those setbacks come from Table 8-3 (Detached Residential Accessory Structure Setback Requirements), which sets the side and rear yard distance by lot type and structure size: on an interior lot, a structure under 400 square feet needs 5 feet on the side and 5 feet on the rear, while 400 square feet or more needs 8 feet on both. Corner and double-frontage lots carry a heavier rear or property-line setback of 10 to 15 feet depending on size. The pool's water area itself is defined as "pervious" surface under the impervious-surface definition in Section 2.2, but the pool structure is still subject to the accessory-structure placement standard.

Before construction starts, the property owner has to file for a Zoning Permit under Section 4.15, which the Zoning Administrator may issue only if the application complies with all applicable Ordinance provisions; a basic site plan showing the pool's location and setbacks accompanies the application, and the permit stays valid for one year unless construction has already begun.