Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Cherryville, North Carolina

Cherryville’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Cherryville city limits.

  • County Planning & Zoning provides planning and zoning services on behalf of the City as of July 1, 2026.

  “The provisions of this Ordinance shall apply within the corporate limits of the City of Cherryville and within the territory beyond such corporate limits as now or hereafter fixed, said territory being more particularly described on the City's Official Zoning Map as certified by the City Clerk.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Cherryville city limits.

  • The official zoning map is incorporated into the ordinance and maintained for public inspection at City Hall.

  “The boundary lines shown on said map shall be incorporated and made a part of this Ordinance as if fully set out herein. The Official Zoning Map shall be maintained for public inspection at City of Cherryville Town Hall.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational-vehicle parks in the Cherryville zoning jurisdiction.

  • Camping and recreational-vehicle parks are allowed pursuant to §7.1.17 and must meet the additional standards.
  • A park parcel must be at least three acres; new parks must be at least one mile from an existing RV park; density is limited to 15 campsites per acre.

  minimum parcel area: >= 3 acres · maximum campsite density: <= 15 campsites per acre

  “Camping and Recreational Vehicle Parks shall be allowed pursuant to 7.1.17 with the additional standards outlined below; A. No Recreational Vehicle Park shall exist on a single parcel that is less than 3 acres in size.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes in manufactured-home parks inside the Cherryville zoning jurisdiction.

  • A manufactured home may not be placed in a manufactured-home park unless it meets Class A or Class B standards defined in the ordinance.
  • Homes placed in a park on or after January 14, 2002 must meet all setback requirements.

  “No manufactured home shall be placed in a manufactured home park unless it meets the standards of either Class A Manufactured Home or Class B Manufactured Home as defined in Part 4 of this Ordinance.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Manufactured-home parks inside the jurisdiction of the Cherryville zoning ordinance.

  • Individual septic tanks must comply with County Health Department sewage-disposal regulations.
  • No more than one manufactured home may connect to an individual septic tank.

  “Individual septic tank systems are permissible in accordance with the requirement of the County Health Department's Sewage Disposal Regulations. There shall be no more than one (1) manufactured home connected to an individual septic tank.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision plats within Cherryville's planning jurisdiction, including city limits.

  • Final approval must be given by City Council or the Subdivision Technical Review Committee for abbreviated-procedure subdivisions before the Register of Deeds accepts the plat for recording.

  “No plat of a subdivision within the planning jurisdiction of the City of Cherryville shall be accepted for record”

Rules another office applies inside Cherryville

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building-code enforcement administered for construction inside Cherryville city limits.

  • Gaston County Building & Development Services identifies Cherryville among municipalities receiving building inspections and permitting services.

  “Building Inspections and Permitting: Belmont, Bessemer City, Cherryville”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Placement of a Class A manufactured home on an individual lot inside Cherryville city limits.

  • Before the county certificate of occupancy, the owner must obtain the City certificate of compliance.

  “Prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy by the Gaston County Building Inspections Department, the owner shall obtain a certificate of compliance”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in Cherryville's R-12 and R-9 Residential Districts.

  • R-12's stated 12,000-square-foot minimum is for single-family dwellings on a use-by-right basis.
  • R-9 permits planned residential developments subject to conditions and City Council review.

  R-12 single-family minimum lot size: >= 12000 square feet (Use by right basis.) · R-9 single-family minimum lot size: >= 9000 square feet

  “The minimum lot size for single-family dwellings on a use by right basis is established at 12,000 square feet. Unlike the R-15 district, pubic water and sewer are available in all R-12 zoned areas. Two-family dwellings are also permitted.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Accessory residences in Cherryville's R-9 Residential District.

  • Accessory residences are allowed on a special basis under criteria in the ordinance.

  “A limited number of private and public community uses are allowed or may be allowed on a special use basis where certain criteria specified in this Ordinance are met. Accessory residences are also allowed on a special basis.”

• Septic permitRequired

  A proposed residence, business, or place of public assembly inside Cherryville city limits in an area not served by an approved wastewater system.

  • An engineered-option permit or Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator option may apply under G.S. 130A-336.1 or G.S. 130A-336.2.
  • The statute excludes maintenance from the improvement-permit and construction-authorization requirement.

  “an improvement permit and a construction authorization are obtained”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  An on-site wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal system inside Cherryville city limits.

  • A certified Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator or engineer may conduct permitted verification or inspection under statutory alternatives.

  “until an inspection by the local health department has determined”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Planning, zoning, permit, land-development, and subdivision applications for Cherryville city limits.

  • The City directs applicants to submit permits and plans through the County Citizen Self Service Portal.

  “All applications for permits and plans must be submitted online”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Cherryville or Gaston County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Cherryville city limits.
• Inspections — Construction inside Cherryville city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Cherryville city limits.
• Building height — Principal residential buildings inside Cherryville city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Cherryville city limits outside a regulated campground or RV park.

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.