Lexington County, SC Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Sec. 10, Height Regulations, rewritten as part of Ord. No. 23-17 on June 25, 2024, bases maximum structure height on a height control slope measured perpendicular to the property line: an initial 20-foot rise is allowed at the line, and beyond that a ratio of vertical rise to horizontal distance applies depending on the district and activity, for example a 2:1 ratio adding 1 foot of allowed height for every 2 feet a structure sets back from the property line. 5 feet up to 220 feet, with the actual applicable slope set by Sec.

50's chart of height requirements by activity type and location. Most single-family homes never have to run this calculation: the ordinance exempts any Residential Detached or Residential Attached (two dwelling unit) activity that meets a 5-foot setback from adjoining property from the section's height requirements altogether, because the International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings already caps those structures at three stories above grade. The Limited Restriction district carries its own flat cap of two above-ground stories regardless of the slope calculation. Properties near the Saluda River, Edisto River, Congaree River, and Lake Murray fall under the separate, stricter waterfront height rules in Sec.

11, which apply the most restrictive of the applicable height methods, though detached and two-unit residential activity is likewise exempted from those special waterfront requirements.