All districts
A building permit is required for all accessory structures regardless of size, per the North Carolina State Building Code, to verify anchoring and zoning compliance. Inside corporate limits, a maximum of 3 accessory structures per zoning lot are permitted on lots of 0.3 acres or larger; lots under 0.3 acres, or lots zoned Residential Mixed-Use (RMU), are limited to 2 accessory structures. There is no maximum number of accessory structures in the ETJ. Aggregate accessory structure square footage is capped at 10 percent of lot area on lots under 1 acre, or 5 percent of lot area on lots 1 acre or greater; in the RMU district, accessory buildings are capped at 500 square feet. Most accessory structures have a minimum 8-foot setback (see Sec. 9-1302(a) through (d) for specifics by structure type). Inside corporate limits, an accessory structure may not be used for commercial or home occupation purposes, and may not be rented, leased, or sold separately from the principal structure (this restriction does not apply to an Accessory Dwelling Unit, which the Town's LDO Amendment #26 (2024) clarified may be rented separately).