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ADUs are allowed in Unincorporated Wake
Types:DetachedInternal

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Rules for Unincorporated Wake, NC

Is your property eligible for an ADU?

# of Properties
74,080
Owner-occupied
83%
Zoning districts
289
Avg Home Value
$575,579
Median Lot Size
0.85 acres
Avg Income
$134,407
Residential Types:
74,080 housing units
Single Family
95%
Other
5%
Zoning Districts:
113,554 parcels · 289 districts
R-30
21%(23,956)
R-40W
20%(22,258)
RA
8%(8,827)
R-80W
7%(7,770)
Other
45%(50,743)

ADU Rules

What can you build in Unincorporated Wake, NC?

Unincorporated Wake, NC follows state and local rules for Accessory Dwelling Units. Here is a concise overview of the local rules.

Interior / Attached ADU Size Limits

  • –Maximum size is 50% of the principal dwelling’s gross floor area.

Detached ADU Size Limits

  • –Maximum size of 50% of the principal dwelling’s gross floor area
  • –Maximum size cannot exceed the main building’s total floor area (aggregate accessory-building cap)

Max Units

  • –1 ADU per lot

Owner Occupancy

  • –No owner-occupancy requirement

Parking

  • –1 off-street space per ADU (in addition to principal dwelling parking); no separate ADU driveway; required spaces cannot be off-site; paving not required for residential facilities with five or fewer spaces

Rental Restrictions

  • –Short-term stays capped at 30 consecutive days; no cooking facilities in guest rooms.
  • –Sub-monthly rentals are treated as lodging and must comply with the county's short-term rental standards.

ADU State Law

What can you build in North Carolina?

  • –North Carolina does not have a statewide ADU mandate; ADU rules are set by individual municipalities.
  • –Building/fire codes are set statewide, but whether an ADU is allowed is local zoning.
  • –There is active proposed legislation (H627 / S495, "Regulation of Accessory Dwelling Units") that would create G.S. 160D-917 and require local governments to allow at least one ADU in certain single-family areas, but it is not enacted.

What's allowed on your lot?

These are the municipality-wide rules. What's allowed on a specific property also depends on state laws, setbacks, floor area ratio, lot coverage, environmental constraints, topography, and other property-specific factors. Search your address on FutureLot to see what's allowed on your property.

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Is your property eligible for an ADU?

ADU rules in other North Carolina municipalities

Rules change at the town line. Check the municipality your property is actually in.

Wake County

ApexCaryFuquay VarinaGarnerHolly SpringsKnightdaleMorrisvilleRaleighRaleigh EtjRolesvilleWake ForestWendellZebulon
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