Florence County, SC Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Florence County, SC, covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds, determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
Key Facts
- Building code
- 2021 SC Residential Code
- Allowed districts
- Only where manufactured homes are permitted
- Density trigger
- 3+ units require § 30-96 park standards
- Manufactured home park option
- Permitted under § 30-116(3)
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 12-2023/24, Oct. 19, 2023
Summary
Unincorporated Florence County treats tiny homes as residential structures under the 2021 South Carolina Residential Code, but zoning-wise it only allows them where standard manufactured homes are already permitted. Sec. 30-116 caps their number and placement to the same district rules as manufactured homes, and once more than two sit on one lot, the whole lot must meet the Sec. 30-96 manufactured home park standards.
Tiny homes are residential structures which are defined by the 2021 South Carolina Residential Code. The construction of such structures shall be in accordance with the applicable building code enforced at the time of permitting. ... (1)Tiny homes shall be allowed only in districts where standard designed manufactured homes are permitted to be permanently located.(2)The number of tiny homes and their placement on a lot shall adhere to the requirements for manufactured homes in their respective districts.(3)Tiny homes shall be allowed to be located within a manufactured home park.(4)Where more than two tiny homes are constructed on a single lot, the lot shall be developed in accordance with and subject to the requirements of section 30-96, manufactured home parks.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 30-116 defines tiny homes by reference to the 2021 South Carolina Residential Code and requires that construction follow whichever building code is in force at the time of permitting, not a separate tiny-home standard. Zoning-wise, the county does not create a freestanding tiny-home district or use category. Instead, Sec. 30-116(1) restricts tiny homes to 'districts where standard designed manufactured homes are permitted to be permanently located,' meaning a tiny home cannot go somewhere a standard manufactured home could not.
Placement and density follow the same rulebook: Sec. 30-116(2) requires the 'number of tiny homes and their placement on a lot' to adhere to the manufactured-home requirements for that district. A single tiny home can also sit inside an existing manufactured home park under Sec. 30-116(3). The threshold that triggers the park-development standards is two units: Sec. 30-116(4) says that once more than two tiny homes are constructed on a single lot, the lot must be developed in accordance with Sec. 30-96's manufactured home park requirements, which cover lot layout, utilities and spacing for multi-unit manufactured housing sites.
This section was adopted by Ord. No. 12-2023/24 on October 19, 2023, making it one of the newer additions to the zoning chapter, and it applies only in the unincorporated area; Florence, Lake City and the county's other towns set their own tiny-home rules.
Violations & Fines
Placing or occupying a tiny home outside the districts and density limits Sec. 30-116 allows is a zoning violation under Sec. 30-274: a misdemeanor with a court-set fine, enforceable by the zoning administrator through an ordinance summons or injunction, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a tiny home on any lot in unincorporated Florence County?
How many tiny homes can I put on one lot?
What building code applies to a tiny home here?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Florence County
Compare Florence County to another location·View the South Carolina accessory structures overview
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