Beaufort County, NC: flood zone, zoning and property lines by address
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Towns in Beaufort County: Washington, River Road, Belhaven.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA's countywide study for Beaufort County has 161 FIRM panels, the newest effective January 2025; coastal V zones, where waves add to the flood, are mapped along its shore.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a Beaufort house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the county or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the NC OneMap statewide parcel layer (each county tax office's parcels, published by the NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis), so a Beaufort lot shows the same lines the tax office draws. Beaufort County covers about 532,934 acres of land and 83,289 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Beaufort County tax office keeps the parcel record (Beaufort County website); every county's office is on the state's county assessors list; a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
Beaufort County zones its unincorporated land, and Washington, Belhaven each zone the land inside their limits. ParcelSheet shows the use the tax office lists for the lot and links the county planning office for the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs.
ADU and guest houses
Chapter 160D of the North Carolina General Statutes lets local governments allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Beaufort lot can add one depends on its district; the county planning office has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Beaufort County is soil survey area NC013, Beaufort County, North Carolina, last updated September 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Beaufort County needs a permit from the Beaufort County health department, under the NC DHHS On-Site Water Protection Branch, which tests the soil on the lot itself.
Setbacks
Setbacks in Beaufort County come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; the county zoning office gives them for the lot's district, and Washington and Belhaven for land inside their limits.
Hazards that apply
- Storm surge. Beaufort County has coastal V zones on its FEMA map, so storm surge reaches its shore. The county's evacuation zones are on its emergency management site; ParcelSheet shows the FEMA zone and the 3 ft sea level rise map at the lot.
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Beaufort lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Beaufort County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA's countywide flood map for Beaufort County has 161 panels, the newest effective January 2025. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Beaufort County?
Open the North Carolina map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the county tax office shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Beaufort County?
Zoning in Beaufort County is set by the county for unincorporated land and by each city (such as Washington, Belhaven) inside its own limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code the tax office lists and links the office that sets the zoning; the planning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Beaufort County?
Chapter 160D of the North Carolina General Statutes lets counties and cities allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Beaufort County ask the zoning office for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Beaufort County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Beaufort County needs a permit from the Beaufort County health department, under the NC DHHS On-Site Water Protection Branch. ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area NC013 (Beaufort County, North Carolina).
Next to Beaufort County: Craven County, Hyde County, Martin County, Pamlico County, Pitt County, Washington County.
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