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Understanding the development possibilities of a lot within the City of Raleigh can sometimes be complicated. In addition to knowing the zoning designation of a property, one must also navigate the City’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to determine many of the specific regulations that guide development (e.g., types of buildings allowed, physical dimensions, yards/setbacks, etc.). The following webpages help guide users through the UDO to determine the specifics for a particular property.
Find My Zoning
The first step to knowing what can be built on a lot within the City of Raleigh is to learn the property’s zoning. View the Find My Zoning to see steps on how to determine your zoning.
Navigating the UDO
The UDO has categories that classify land uses and activities based on common functional, product, or physical characteristics. The categories are ‘Residential,’ ‘Public & Institutional,’ ‘Commercial,’ ‘Industrial,’ and ‘Open.’ Use categories provide a systematic basis for treating similar land uses similarly. View the Navigating the UDO to see guidance on allowed uses and building types.
Residential Districts
The intent of the Residential District is to establish neighborhoods that are primarily residential in nature. There are 5 residential zoning districts – R-1, R-2, R-4, R-6, and R-10. View the Residential Districts to see housing options and patterns.
Mixed-Use Districts
In addition to Residential zoning districts, the City of Raleigh has Mixed Use districts as well. There are seven mixed use districts: Residential Mixed Use (RX-), Office Park (OP-), Office Mixed Use (OX-), Neighborhood Mixed Use (NX-), Commercial Mixed Use (CX-), Downtown Mixed Use (DX-), and Industrial Mixed Use (IX-). View the Mixed-Use Districts to see land use and base dimensions, heights, and frontage requirements.
Special Districts
The City of Raleigh has six special zoning districts. View the Special Districts to see descriptions of them.
Overlay Districts
Overlay Districts apply regulations “on top of” base zoning districts that achieve a specific purpose, such as environmental protection or historic preservation. Overlay Districts typically regulate only the development standards that are related to its purpose. In the event of a conflict with a General Use District, the Overlay District standards shall apply. There are 11 total overlay districts. View the Overlay Districts to see descriptions of them.