NC · verified 2026-10-21
Gastonia, NC
Short answerYes: the City of Gastonia code allows up to 5 birds; roosters are banned; a permit is required, but the code lists no fee; and the coop setback is 10 ft.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Gastonia corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the City of Gastonia 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. 10-18. Permits for wild animals and livestock (subsection (e), chickens)
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 5 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Permit required, fee not listed in the code
- Setback
- 10 ft
Code cite: Sec. 10-18. Permits for wild animals and livestock (subsection (e), chickens)
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Sec. 10-18. Permits for wild animals and livestock (subsection (e), chickens)
How many hens
“A maximum of five hens shall be permitted on a tract of land that is between one-fourth and one-half acre in size, a maximum of ten hens on a tract of land that is larger than one-half acre.”
5 hens on ¼ to ½ acre and 10 on more than ½ acre. Lots under ¼ acre cannot keep chickens.
Sec. 10-18. Permits for wild animals and livestock (subsection (e), chickens)
Roosters
“No roosters shall be allowed.”
Permit and fee
“It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep, have or maintain any livestock or any chickens, turkeys, ducks, guineas, geese, pheasants, pigeons or other domestic fowl within the city except in accordance with a permit issued pursuant to this section.”
Apply through Code Enforcement and ask the city for the current fee.
Setback / screening
“No coop or secure enclosure shall be erected or maintained within the front yard (as defined by the zoning ordinance), within ten feet of any property line or within 50 feet of another residence.”
10 ft from property lines and 50 ft from any other home.
Coop and run size
“A coop, or combination coop and run of sufficient size, should be provided for the hens to include a minimum coop area of four square feet per chicken if a run is provided.”
Also in this section
“The tract on which the chickens will be kept shall be at least one-fourth of an acre.”
“The maximum area for all coop and run structures is 300 square feet.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Charlotte, NC metro 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 — Harrisburg (#2547)
Harrisburg — 5655 Tractor Ln, Harrisburg, NC 28075. (980) 258-0126. 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
Queen City Animal Hospital
Charlotte — 920 Belmont Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205. Its avian care page lists backyard pet chickens among the birds it sees and says it may refer advanced cases to an avian or exotic practice. Call (704) 703-1414.
Verified 2026-10-21 against Sec. 10-18. Permits for wild animals and livestock (subsection (e), chickens) at https://online.encodeplus.com/regs/gastonia-nc/doc-viewer.aspx?tocid=001.014.002.004. Read the live code before you build or order birds.