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

Town of Pembroke’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Pembroke town limits.

  • The cited Article 9 also addresses the Town's extraterritorial jurisdiction; this claim is limited to land inside town limits.

  “the Town of Pembroke and its extraterritorial jurisdiction are divided into the following classes of zones:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts and the official zoning map for land inside Pembroke town limits.

  • The UDO article also describes extraterritorial jurisdiction; this claim is limited to town limits.
  • Conditional zoning is subject to an approved overall site plan and the district must be at least three acres.

  “official zoning map for the Town of Pembroke”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development activity inside Pembroke town limits where the Town's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance applies.

  • The ordinance defines the permit as being required before commencement of development activity.

  “prior to the commencement of any development activity.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Subdivision applications inside Pembroke town limits.

  • For a two-lot subdivision that is not a family subdivision, Article 11 lot requirements apply.
  • Family subdivisions are permitted only in the Town's extraterritorial jurisdiction, not established here for town-limit land.

  administrator review period: <= 15 working days (Two-lot and family subdivision review; may extend up to 45 days if agencies have been consulted and the Administrator is awaiting a reply)

  “This review shall take not more than 15 working days.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Pembroke

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

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, movement, removal, or demolition of a building or structure inside Pembroke town limits.

  • Except as provided in § 160D-1110(c) and § 160D-1110.1(h).
  • The statute's stated exception includes certain work costing $40,000 or less under § 160D-1110(c).

  “Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, and subsection (h) of G.S. 160D-1110.1, no person shall commence or proceed with any of the following without first securing all permits required by the North Carolina State Building Code and any other State or local laws applicable to any of the following activities: (1) The construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, movement to another site, removal, or demolition of any building or structure.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-10 Residential District dwelling units inside Pembroke town limits.

  • Lot size is 10,000 square feet with water and sewer, 15,000 square feet with water or sewer, and 20,000 square feet without water and sewer.

  minimum lot area with water and sewer: 10000 square feet (R-10 Residential dwelling units) · minimum lot area with water or sewer: 15000 square feet (R-10 Residential dwelling units) · minimum lot area without water and sewer: 20000 square feet (R-10 Residential dwelling units)

  “R-10 Residential (Dwelling Units) -With water AND sewer -With water OR sewer -Without water and sewer 10,000 15,000 20,000”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-20 Residential-Agriculture District inside Pembroke town limits.

  • Measured from the property line; Article 11 contains corner-lot rules.

  front yard: 40 feet (R-20 Residential-Agriculture) · side yard: 15 feet (R-20 Residential-Agriculture) · rear yard: 30 feet (R-20 Residential-Agriculture)

  “*Measured from the property line. On corner lots, the side yard, on that side of the lot abutting the side street shall not be less than 20 feet or 40 feet on a highway or state primary aid street.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-20 Residential-Agriculture District inside Pembroke town limits.

  • Lot coverage includes the total ground area covered by principal and accessory buildings.

  maximum lot coverage: 20 percent (R-20 Residential-Agriculture)

  “**The total ground area covered by the principal building and all accessory buildings shall not exceed these requirements.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-20 Residential-Agriculture District inside Pembroke town limits.

  • Article 11 lists enumerated structures exempt from height limits.

  maximum height: 35 feet (R-20 Residential-Agriculture)

  “Church steeples and belfries, chimneys, water tanks or water towers, fire towers, flag poles, spires, monuments, and similar structures and necessary mechanical appurtenances are not subject to the height limit regulations contained in this article.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-site wastewater systems serving land inside Pembroke town limits that is not served by an approved wastewater system.

  • An engineered-option permit or Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator option may apply under the cited statute.

  “The local health department shall issue a Construction Authorization”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation, construction, or repair of an on-site wastewater system serving land inside Pembroke town limits.

  • Does not apply when acting under the stated engineered-option or Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator criteria.
  • No Improvement Permit or Construction Authorization is required for maintenance of a wastewater system.

  “an Improvement Permit and a Construction Authorization have been obtained”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  On-site wastewater systems for residences, businesses, or public assemblies inside Pembroke town limits that are not served by an approved wastewater system.

  • The site must be evaluated by the local health department or a qualified professional under the listed statutory options.
  • An improvement permit and construction authorization are required unless a stated alternative permit option applies.

  “Any proposed site for a residence, place of business, or place of public assembly in an area not served by an approved wastewater system shall be evaluated by either (i) the local health department in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to this Article or (ii) by a professional engineer, licensed soil scientist, or licensed geologist acting within the engineer's, soil scientist's, or geologist's scope of work, as applicable, and pursuant to the conditions of the engineered option permit in G.S. 130A-336.1 or the Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator permit option in G.S. 130A-336.2.”

• Well permitRequired

  Private drinking-water wells inside Pembroke town limits.

  • Does not apply to wells permitted by the Environmental Management Commission under G.S. 87-88.
  • A repair permit is not required for repair or replacement only of a pump or tank.

  “unless a construction permit has been obtained from the local health department”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders of residential construction inside Pembroke town limits.
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Pembroke town limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Pembroke town limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwelling size in Pembroke zoning districts.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Pembroke 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.