Dorchester County's zoning power under South Carolina home rule includes height. Ordinance 04-13 assigns each district a maximum building height, holding residential districts to a low-rise scale measured from grade to the roof's highest point.
Dorchester County regulates building height through Zoning Ordinance 04-13, which gives every base district a maximum height. Residential districts keep buildings low-rise; commercial and mixed-use districts near Summerville and along the growing US-17A and I-26 corridors may allow more. Height is measured from average finished grade to the highest point of the structure. In the Lowcountry, flood-zone base elevations can raise a home's finished floor, which affects how tall it sits. Chimneys, antennas, and rooftop mechanical equipment are typically exempt. A taller structure needs a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Exceeding the district height limit fails plan review and can block the certificate of occupancy. A taller structure requires a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals or a rezoning.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Dorchester County, SC
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See how Dorchester County's structure height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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