Columbia, SC Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)

Sec. 17-5.11 of the Columbia Zoning Ordinance and Land Development Regulations sets the city's mandatory green building standard, adopted to ensure development includes a minimum degree of green building features that protect and conserve resources, make development more resilient, and support a healthy quality of life for residents. Unless exempt, all new development must comply.

Four categories are exempt: new residential development of fewer than three dwelling units; new nonresidential development under 5,000 square feet of gross floor area; new buildings that have already achieved LEED Gold or higher certification from the U.S. Green Building Council; and remodels, alterations, or expansions of existing buildings. Everything else must earn points from Table 17-5.11(d)(4), the Green Building Point System, which awards credit across categories including site location, energy conservation, water conservation, and healthy landscaping, such as 0.5 points for reusing a previously developed, uncontaminated site or installing a cool roof on at least half of a subdivision's units.

Minimum point thresholds scale with project size. Residential development of 3 to 29 units needs 3 points, and 30 or more units needs 4 points. Nonresidential or mixed-use development of 5,000 to 25,000 square feet needs 3 points, and anything larger needs 4 points. Compliance is reviewed at the same stage as the underlying development application, whether a planned unit development, special exception, development agreement, Certificate of Design Approval - Design Districts, or major or minor site plan under Sec. 17-2.5. Developers that exceed the minimum can also qualify for density bonuses and other incentives under the companion Sec. 17-5.12, Incentives for Green Building Practices.