The zoning laws can be quite burdensome. They can tell you:
what color to paint your house
all utilities must be underground
the depth of the UG utilities
utilities have to be in conduit, with spares
minimum lot size
how large your house can be
how small the house can be
the design of the house (no contemporaries, only contemporaries)
the number of bedrooms
the age of the dwellers (no children)
the height of the building
the type of shingles (wood or slate)
the number or size of windows
distances from the lot lines
if you can build a fence
you have to build a fence
you have to plant a tree or two
you have to plant grass
you can't plant grass
use your imagination for others
What about historical districts, business districts, wetlands, enterprize zones, and the like?
They can't violate federal law as regards race, gender, accessibility for the impaired, sexual preference or income, but they can raise your taxes so high that only members of the elite can afford to live there.
Any of these local regulations are in addition to the NEC, and may be in conflict with the NEC.
