NC · verified 2026-10-21
Washington, NC
Short answerYes: the City of Washington code allows up to 6 birds; roosters are banned; a permit is required, but the code lists no fee; and the coop setback is 50 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Washington corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Washington corporate limits only. An HOA or neighborhood covenant can still ban hens. Those private rules are usually not public, so HenCheck does not look them up.
Primary source: Sec. 4-3. - Keeping farm animals, fowl.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 6 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Permit required, fee not listed in the code
- Setback
- 50 ft
Code cite: Sec. 4-3. - Keeping farm animals, fowl.
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Sec. 4-3. - Keeping farm animals, fowl.
How many hens
“No more than six (6) domestic female chickens shall be maintained on one (1) lot.”
Sec. 4-3. - Keeping farm animals, fowl.
Roosters
“No roosters are allowed.”
Permit and fee
“(1) Persons keeping chickens within the city shall first secure a permit from the code enforcement officer for the city, and shall renew such permit each year thereafter, on or before the anniversary of such permit.”
Setback / screening
“No chicken house or coop may be located any nearer than fifty (50) feet from any residence, hospital, business establishment or school.”
Measured from any home, hospital, business or school.
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Greenville (Pitt County), NC area list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to North Carolina via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists North Carolina among the states it ships to, with chicks going out Mondays and Wednesdays from February to August and Wednesdays only from August to late October. Order sexed pullets if your city bans roosters or does not address them.
Feed store
Tractor Supply — Winterville (#501)
Winterville — 3985 South Memorial Dr, Winterville, NC 28590. (252) 353-7400. Store page lists livestock feed and farm supplies, including chicken coops, waterers and feeders.
Coop
OverEZ Medium Chicken Coop with Wooden 8 ft Chicken Run
Dimensions: Coop 50¼ in L × 52½ in W × 62¼ in H (includes nesting box), sized by OverEZ for up to 10 chickens; Wooden 8 ft run 8 ft W × 8 ft L × 6 ft 3 in H
Price: Coop $1,699.00 (Classic or Coastal finish; the Farmhouse finish was out of stock); Wooden 8 ft run $1,899.00. Prices as shown on overezchickencoop.com on 2026-10-21. OverEZ lists its smaller 5-chicken coop as out of stock.
The coop footprint is about 4.2 ft × 4.4 ft and the run is 8 ft × 8 ft, so with the coop at the end of the run plan on roughly 8 ft × 12.5 ft. Measure your setback from the cited code before you pick a spot, and check any height limit: the run is 6 ft 3 in tall. OverEZ ships coops and runs by tractor-trailer freight to the end of your driveway; homes on islands or on roads a truck cannot reach may need to pick up at a freight terminal.
Vet
No verified poultry vet yet
We have not confirmed a clinic here that says it treats chickens. Call local vets and ask before you need one.
Verified 2026-10-21 against Sec. 4-3. - Keeping farm animals, fowl. at https://library.municode.com/nc/washington/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH4AN_ARTIINGE_S4-3KEFAANFO. Read the live code before you build or order birds.