York County, SC Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- State authority
- S.C. Code § 6-29-720(A)
- Standard residential max
- 50 feet (Table 155.058-1)
- RMX-6 multi-family max
- 60 feet
- Cottage court exception
- 1.5 stories
- Variance route
- Board of Zoning Appeals, § 6-29-800
- Max penalty
- $500 per day (§ 155.9999)
Summary
York County's height limits trace to S.C. Code § 6-29-720(A), the state statute letting county government regulate building height within zoning districts. The county's own Table 155.058-1 puts that authority to work: most residential districts cap structures at 50 feet, cottage courts at 1.5 stories, and RMX-6 multi-family buildings at 60 feet, with a Board of Zoning Appeals variance available for hardship cases.
(A) When the local planning commission has prepared and recommended and the governing body has adopted at least the land use element of the comprehensive plan as set forth in this chapter, the governing body of a municipality or county may adopt a zoning ordinance to help implement the comprehensive plan. The zoning ordinance shall create zoning districts of such number, shape, and size as the governing authority determines to be best suited to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Within each district the governing body may regulate: (1) the use of buildings, structures, and land; (2) the size, location, height, bulk, orientation, number of stories, erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, demolition, or removal in whole or in part of buildings and other structures, including signage;
Full Breakdown
South Carolina's Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act gives York County Council its authority to cap building height at all, and § 6-29-720(A) is the specific grant: once the county has adopted the land use element of its comprehensive plan, the governing body may create zoning districts and, within each one, regulate the size, location, height, bulk, orientation, number of stories, erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, demolition, or removal of buildings and other structures. 5 stories for cottage court dwellings in RMX-20 and RMX-10, and rises to 60 feet for multi-family buildings and most other uses in the RMX-6 district.
A property owner who cannot meet the district's maximum height because of an unusual lot condition can seek relief from the Board of Zoning Appeals, which state law creates and empowers at § 6-29-780 and § 6-29-800 to hear variance and special exception requests and to grant a variance where the ordinance's literal terms would create an unnecessary hardship, provided the variance is the minimum necessary and does not alter the essential character of the neighborhood.
Violations & Fines
A structure built above the district's maximum height without an approved variance is enforced the same as any other zoning violation. York County's § 155.9999 makes noncompliance with the chapter's height and dimensional standards a misdemeanor, with the Zoning Administrator, County Attorney, Planning and Development Services Director, or County Council authorized to prosecute, and a fine of up to $500 for each day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What law lets York County limit how tall a house can be?
How tall can a house be built in unincorporated York County?
Can a homeowner get an exception to the height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
Compare York County to another location·View the South Carolina building setbacks & zoning overview
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