Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Stedman, North Carolina

Town of Stedman’s own rules

• InspectionsLimited

  Zoning-permit plans for work or uses regulated by the Stedman zoning and subdivision ordinances.

  • This is an inspection of plans for zoning conformity; the source does not establish required construction-code inspections.

  “It shall be unlawful for the Zoning Inspector to approve any plans or issue a zoning permit for any purpose regulated by this Ordinance and the Town’s Subdivision Ordinance until he has inspected such plans in detail and found them in conformity with this Ordinance and the Towns Subdivision Ordinance.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land lying within Stedman town limits, except bona fide farms as specified by the ordinance.

  • The ordinance does not apply to bona fide farms; residences for non-farm use or occupancy and other non-farm uses remain subject to it.

  “These regulations shall govern the use of all lands lying within the Town.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Stedman town limits.

  • Current zoning status is determined by the zoning-map sheets and amendments entered in Town Board minutes.

  “All the territory included in each of the zoning areas described in Section 2.1 is hereby classified into one or more zoning districts as established in Section 1.4. and the boundaries of each of these districts are hereby adopted as shown on a series of map sheets entitled “Zoning Maps, Town of Stedman, North Carolina.””

• SetbacksSpecified

  Accessory buildings in any zoning district inside Stedman town limits.

  • An accessory building may not be closer to a street than the principal building.

  side-street-line setback: >= 15 feet · non-street lot-line setback: >= 5 feet · building separation: >= 5 feet

  “No accessory building shall be erected in any required front or side yards or within fifteen (15) feet of any side street line or within five (5) feet of any lot line not a street line or within five (5) feet of any building or other accessory building.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Multiple-family dwellings and office, commercial, and industrial buildings inside Stedman town limits.

  • For each foot of height above 35 feet, both side and rear yard setbacks increase one foot.

  height threshold: > 35 feet (Each foot above the threshold increases side and rear setbacks one foot.)

  “Multiple family dwellings and office, commercial and industrial buildings hall not be limited to height except that for each one foot of height greater than thirty-five (35) feet the side and rear yard setbacks shall be increased by one foot.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Replacement of a pre-existing nonconforming manufactured home inside Stedman town limits.

  • The replacement is limited to the period the nonconforming use may continue; it must meet applicable setback, lot-area, density, yard-space, fire, health, minimum-housing, construction, and other standards.

  “A pre-existing manufactured home in a nonconforming manufactured home park may be replaced by another manufactured home during the period in which the pre-existing nonconforming use of the land on which the park is located is allowed to continue, provided that the replacement structure, as newly positioned in the park, conforms to the following requirements:”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Bona fide farms inside Stedman town limits.

  • Farm-worker houses must be in the same ownership as, and located on, the farm; non-farm residences and uses remain subject to the ordinance.

  “The provisions of this ordinance do not apply to bona fide farms. This Ordinance does not exercise controls over crop lands, timber lands, or other farm lands, not over any farm house, barn, poultry house, or other farm buildings including tenant or other houses for persons working on said farms, as long as such houses shall be in the same ownership as the farm and located on the farm.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Development subject to the Town's Subdivision Ordinance inside Stedman town limits.

  • Zoning-permit approval requires conformity with both the zoning ordinance and the Town's Subdivision Ordinance.

  “It shall be unlawful to commence the excavation for or the construction of any building or other structure including accessory structures or to commence the moving, alteration, or repair of any structure or the use of any land or building including accessory structures, until the Zoning Inspector has issued a zoning permit for such work or use including a statement that the plans, specifications and intended use of such land, or structure in all respects conforms with the provisions of this Ordinance and the Town’s Subdivision Ordinance.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning-permit applications inside Stedman town limits.

  • Application must be in writing on Zoning Inspector forms; a zoning permit becomes void after six months unless substantial project progress has occurred.

  permit expiration absent substantial progress: 6 months (Substantial progress on the project by that time prevents voiding.)

  “Application for a zoning permit shall be made in writing to the Zoning Inspector on forms provided for that purpose. Zoning permits shall be void after six (6) months from date of issue unless substantial progress on the project has been made by that time.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Stedman

Town of Stedman does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Lots inside Stedman town limits that are not served by community water and/or sewer.

  • The lot must also comply with the regulation of its zoning district.

  “Any lot that is not served by community water and/or sewer, in addition to the regulation of the district in which said lot is located, must be certified by the Cumberland County Health Department to be large enough to meet all applicable regulations regarding water supply and/or sewage disposal.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Lots inside Stedman town limits not served by community water and/or sewer.

  • County Health Department certification that the lot is large enough to meet applicable water-supply and/or sewage-disposal regulations is required in addition to district regulation.

  “Any lot that is not served by community water and/or sewer, in addition to the regulation of the district in which said lot is located, must be certified by the Cumberland County Health Department to be large enough to meet all applicable regulations regarding water supply and/or sewage disposal.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Stedman or Cumberland County directly.

• Building permit — Residential building permits inside Stedman town limits, distinct from zoning permits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Stedman town limits.
• Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Stedman town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Stedman town limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Stedman town limits.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.