Title: Flag Lot: What It Is and When a Town Allows One | FOUND Description: A flag lot reaches the street through a narrow strip called the pole. What the pole, the flag, and the front lot must meet, and when a town says no. Canonical: https://lotsfound.com/insights/flag-lot/ # Flag lot: what it is and when a town allows one A flag lot is a rear lot that reaches the street through a narrow strip of land, the pole. A town allows one only where its ordinance sets a flag lot standard, and the pole, the flag, and the lot left in front must each meet it. [Start an infill lot search](/services/infill-lots/) In this article 1. [What a flag lot is](#what-a-flag-lot-is) 2. [How the three parts work](#how-the-three-parts-work) 3. [What two North Carolina ordinances require](#what-two-north-carolina-ordinances-require) 4. [Access, the driveway, and utilities](#access-the-driveway-and-utilities) 5. [When a town says no](#when-a-town-says-no) 6. [What the record shows, and who confirms it](#what-the-record-shows-and-who-confirms-it) 7. [Key recap](#key-recap) 8. [Questions](#questions) 9. [References](#references) > **Quick summary:** This guide explains what a flag lot is, the rules two North Carolina ordinances set for one, and how access and setbacks work on it. It is for owners of deep lots and for infill builders who want a second lot behind an existing house. The key takeaway: the local ordinance decides whether a flag lot is an option at all, and the pole, the house on the flag, and the front lot each carry their own rules. ## What a flag lot is A flag lot is a lot with two parts: a building area set behind another lot, and a narrow strip that connects that area to the street. The strip is the pole. The building area is the flag. One adopted definition shows the parts clearly. Durham's [defined terms](https://udo.durhamnc.gov/udo/17_03_Defined%20Terms.htm) say the flag is the only building site on the lot, meets the district's lot width, and sits behind another lot. The pole connects the flag to the street and gives the lot its only street frontage and access. At some point, the pole is narrower than the district's minimum lot width. The shape solves a frontage problem. Most ordinances require each lot to touch a street. Raleigh's [lot rules](https://udo.raleighnc.gov/sec-833-lots) say every lot shall have frontage on a public street, with a short list of exceptions. A flag lot meets that test with a strip of land instead of a full lot width. Flag lots usually come from a split of a deep lot. The existing house stays on the front lot, and the new lot sits behind it. See [Lot split: can you split your lot](/insights/lot-split/) for the general rules on a split. ## How the three parts work A flag lot split creates three pieces of land that a reviewer checks one at a time. | Part | What it is | What the rules address | |---|---|---| | **Pole** | The strip from the street to the flag | Width, the driveway, shared access | | **Flag** | The rear building area | Area, depth, setbacks, house size | | **Front lot** | The lot left with the existing house | Width, depth, setbacks against the new lines | **Where width is measured.** On a flag lot, the width test moves off the street. Durham's [definition of lot width](https://udo.durhamnc.gov/udo/17_03_Defined%20Terms.htm) measures width at the building line on flag lots, not at the street setback line. The flag must be wide enough. The pole only has to meet its own minimum. **Where setbacks are measured.** An ordinance can redefine which lines count as front, side, and rear on a flag lot. Read that clause before you place a house. See [Setback requirements: what they are and how to find them](/insights/setback-requirements/) for the kinds of setbacks. ## What two North Carolina ordinances require Two adopted ordinances show how far the rules can differ from one town to the next. ### Durham Durham's [flag lot section](https://udo.durhamnc.gov/udo/6_12_Measurement%20and%20Computation.htm), Sec. 6.12.5, sets these rules: - **Pole width.** A standard pole is at least 20 feet wide. - **Reduced pole.** In the Urban Tier, and on lots zoned RU or RS-M in the Suburban Tier, a pole can be 12 feet wide. The house on that flag is then limited to the lesser of 2 stories or 32 feet in height, and to 1,200 heated square feet. A recorded plat states the limit. - **Front lot.** The standard lot left from the parent parcel must be at least 35 feet wide. - **Setbacks.** Every perimeter line of the flag lot is a side yard for setback purposes. - **Access.** Where the flag lot abuts an improved and maintained alley, vehicles take access from the alley only. - **Shared driveways.** Flag lots may share a driveway, and a shared driveway needs a recorded shared access agreement. The same section, Sec. 6.12.6, allows up to five single-family or duplex lots to be divided off one existing lot of record. Each new lot needs at least 5 feet of street frontage. ### Raleigh Raleigh's [flag lot section](https://udo.raleighnc.gov/sec-264-flag-lots), Sec. 2.6.4, sets different rules: - **Districts.** Flag lots are allowed in the R-4, R-6, and R-10 districts. - **Building type.** The flag lot takes a tiny house. The front lot, called the residual lot, follows its base district. - **Flag dimensions.** The flag lot needs a minimum width of 10 feet. Minimum depth runs from 70 feet in R-4 to 40 feet in R-10. Minimum area is 3,500 square feet, or 2,500 square feet in frequent transit areas. - **Flag setbacks.** The house sits at least 5 feet from side lot lines and the residual lot line, and at least 10 feet from the rear lot line. - **Driveway.** The driveway must be ribbon style or a permeable surface. - **Residual lot.** The front lot needs a minimum width of 48 feet in R-4, 33 feet in R-6, and 25 feet in R-10. > **Watch for:** The two ordinances differ on the pole, the front lot, and the house the flag can hold. Read the ordinance where your lot sits before you price a second house. ## Access, the driveway, and utilities The pole carries the driveway, and often the water and sewer lines, to the flag. That strip has to do several jobs at once. - **Driveway approval.** The town reviews a driveway onto a city street. If the street is state-maintained, NCDOT reviews the connection. See [NCDOT driveway permit: how access to a state road works](/insights/ncdot-driveway-permit/). - **Shared access.** When the front lot and the flag share one driveway, a recorded agreement sets who may use it and who maintains it. A real estate attorney drafts that agreement. - **Utilities.** Water and sewer service lines usually run through the pole. Ask the utility whether it will serve a second connection. On septic, the local health department evaluates the flag itself. - **Emergency access.** Ask the fire marshal's office whether the driveway length or surface needs review for fire apparatus. ## When a town says no A town says no when the lot cannot meet the ordinance's flag lot standard, or when the ordinance has no flag lot standard for that district. These are the usual reasons: 1. **No flag lot path.** The ordinance does not allow flag lots in the lot's district. Raleigh's section, for example, lists three districts. 2. **The pole is too narrow.** The strip between the existing house and the side line is narrower than the minimum pole width. 3. **The front lot fails.** The new line leaves the front lot below its minimum width, or the existing house inside a required setback. 4. **An alley exists.** An ordinance can require access from the alley instead of a new driveway, as Durham's does. 5. **A covenant bars it.** A recorded restriction can prohibit a further division that the zoning allows. See [Restrictive covenants: what they are and how to find them](/insights/restrictive-covenants/). A flag lot split is usually a subdivision. [State law](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_160D/GS_160D-802.html) applies subdivision regulations to divisions of a parcel into two or more lots for sale or building development, with listed exemptions. Planning staff confirm which review path applies. If a dimensional standard blocks the lot, a variance is the narrow route. The board of adjustment can grant one only on the findings state law requires. See [Zoning variance: when the board of adjustment can relax a rule](/insights/zoning-variance/). > **Take action:** Send the lot's address or parcel number, and get a first read of the zoning district and whether a flag lot standard applies. Start with [Can the house you want fit on this lot?](/services/infill-lots/) ## What the record shows, and who confirms it The public record shows the zoning district, the recorded lot lines, the street frontage, any platted alley, and recorded covenants. It shows the existing house on an aerial image. See [Start with the right parcel](/what-we-check/parcels-and-boundaries/) for how the parcel record fits together. The record cannot show where the house sits against the new lines to the foot. A licensed land surveyor measures that and prepares the plat. Planning staff confirm the flag lot standard and the review path. The utility or the health department confirms service. A real estate attorney reads the covenants and drafts any shared access agreement. An older lot that fails today's standard raises a separate question. See [Lot of record and nonconforming lots](/insights/lot-of-record/). ## Key recap - A flag lot has a rear building area, the flag, and a narrow strip to the street, the pole. - The local ordinance decides whether flag lots are allowed in a district and sets the pole width. - The front lot must still meet its width and setbacks after the split. - Two adopted ordinances differ on pole width, house size, and driveway surface, so read the one that applies. - A surveyor prepares the plat, and planning staff, the utility, and an attorney answer the rest. ## Questions ### What is a flag lot? A flag lot is a lot set behind another lot that reaches the street through a narrow strip of land. The strip, the pole, carries the driveway and gives the lot its street frontage. ### How wide does the pole of a flag lot have to be? The local ordinance sets the width, and it differs by town. Durham requires 20 feet for a standard pole and allows 12 feet in some areas with a smaller house. Raleigh sets a minimum flag lot width of 10 feet. ### Can I build a full-size house on a flag lot? It depends on the ordinance. Raleigh's flag lot section allows a tiny house on the flag. Durham limits house size only when the pole uses its reduced width option. ### Is a flag lot split a subdivision? Usually. State law applies subdivision rules to most divisions of a parcel into two or more lots for building development, and a surveyor's plat is recorded. Planning staff confirm whether an exemption applies. ## References Primary sources cited on this page, in APA style. - City of Durham, & Durham County. (2026, June 22). *Sec. 17.3. Defined terms*. Durham Unified Development Ordinance. [https://udo.durhamnc.gov/udo/17_03_Defined%20Terms.htm](https://udo.durhamnc.gov/udo/17_03_Defined%20Terms.htm) - City of Durham, & Durham County. (2026, June 22). *Sec. 6.12. Measurement and computation*. Durham Unified Development Ordinance. [https://udo.durhamnc.gov/udo/6_12_Measurement%20and%20Computation.htm](https://udo.durhamnc.gov/udo/6_12_Measurement%20and%20Computation.htm) - City of Raleigh. (n.d.). *Sec. 2.6.4. Flag lots*. Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from [https://udo.raleighnc.gov/sec-264-flag-lots](https://udo.raleighnc.gov/sec-264-flag-lots) - City of Raleigh. (n.d.). *Sec. 8.3.3. Lots*. Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from [https://udo.raleighnc.gov/sec-833-lots](https://udo.raleighnc.gov/sec-833-lots) - N.C. Gen. Stat. ยง 160D-802 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_160D/GS_160D-802.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_160D/GS_160D-802.html) ## Residential lots and subdivision - [How many lots is this tract, really?](/services/residential-tracts/) - [Can the house you want fit on this lot?](/services/infill-lots/) - [How many lots could this tract hold?](/tools/lots-per-acre-calculator/) - [How many houses fit on an acre](/insights/how-many-houses-per-acre/) - [What is a paper lot](/insights/what-is-a-paper-lot/) - [How to subdivide land in North Carolina](/insights/how-to-subdivide-land/) - [Minimum lot size: what it is and how to find it](/insights/minimum-lot-size/) - [Lot split: can you split your lot](/insights/lot-split/) - [Land that works for the product you build](/who-we-serve/homebuilders/) - [Know the ground before you buy it](/who-we-serve/investors/) - [The land development process: from raw tract to recorded lots](/insights/land-development-process/) - [Stormwater rules for a new subdivision in North Carolina](/insights/stormwater-rules-for-subdivisions/) - [Traffic impact analysis: when a development needs one](/insights/traffic-impact-analysis/) - [Conservation subdivision: clustered lots and open space](/insights/conservation-subdivision/) - [What is infill development](/insights/infill-development/) - [Lot of record and nonconforming lots](/insights/lot-of-record/) - [Accessory dwelling units in North Carolina](/insights/accessory-dwelling-unit/) - [Demolition permit and asbestos survey before a teardown](/insights/demolition-permit-and-asbestos-survey/) - [Missing middle housing: duplexes, triplexes, and townhouses on single lots](/insights/missing-middle-housing/) Send the requirements. 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