A carport in unincorporated Dorchester County is a roofed accessory structure that needs a building permit and must meet the zoning district's setbacks. In the Lowcountry it is built to resist the region's wind loads.
Because a carport is a roofed structure, Dorchester County reviews it as an accessory structure with a building permit and a site plan showing setbacks from the property lines. It is built to the 2021 SC Residential Code, with footings and anchorage that resist the coastal wind loads of the Charleston-area Lowcountry, and a prefabricated metal carport typically needs engineered plans. A carport counts toward the lot's maximum coverage. Front-yard placement is often limited, and in a flood zone the county's flood ordinance governs how it is anchored.
Building a carport without a permit is illegal work. A carport inside the required setback, or a metal one without engineered plans where required, will not pass inspection.
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