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

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

RS district cap: 35 ft flat maximum
RO/FA/RC cap: 35 ft flat maximum
RG/CN/CG/BI rule: 1 ft setback per ft over 40 ft
Absolute ceiling: 50 ft in footnote-(F) districts
Variance body: Zoning Board of Appeals, Article 9

Summary

Unincorporated Orangeburg County caps building height at 35 feet in the RS, RO, FA and RC zoning districts under Section 2.4, Table 2 of the Zoning Ordinance. In the RG, CN, CG and BI districts there is no flat cap; instead, buildings over 40 feet must add one foot of setback for every foot of height above 40 feet, up to a 50-foot ceiling.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Orangeburg County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Zone District RS RG RO CN CG BI FA RC ... Maximum Height (ft.) 35 (F) 35 (F) (F) (F) 35 35 ... (F) Buildings in excess of 40 feet shall be setback an additional one foot for each one foot in height over 40 feet; not to exceed 50 feet.

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Full Breakdown

4 of the Zoning Ordinance lists a flat 35-foot maximum height in the RS (single-family residential), RO (residential-office), FA (forest-agricultural) and RC districts. ' In practice that means a building in one of those four districts can rise past 40 feet only by pulling back its walls an equal number of additional feet from the property line for every foot of added height, and no building may exceed 50 feet regardless of how far it is set back. 4 or the density cap for the district. Height variances, like setback variances, go to the Zoning Board of Appeals under Article 9 rather than to the Zoning Administrator.

Violations & Fines

A structure built above the applicable height limit, or above 50 feet in a footnote-(F) district without the offsetting setback, is a zoning violation subject to enforcement by the county's Zoning Administrator and Community Development/Planning Department. Relief requires a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals under Article 9; the table sets no administrative exception.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall can a house be in unincorporated Orangeburg County?

In the RS single-family district, Table 2 caps height at 35 feet. The same flat 35-foot cap applies in the RO, FA and RC districts. There is no case-by-case flexibility written into the table itself; a taller structure needs a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Can a building in a commercial district exceed 40 feet?

In the CN, CG, RG and BI districts, footnote (F) to Table 2 lets a building rise above 40 feet only if it is set back one additional foot for every foot of extra height, and it can never exceed 50 feet total.

Who grants a height variance in Orangeburg County?

The Zoning Board of Appeals hears height-variance requests under Article 9 of the Zoning Ordinance, the same body that hears setback variances; the Zoning Administrator who enforces Table 2 has no authority to waive the height limit administratively.

Sources & Official References

[1]Code of Ordinances, Orangeburg County, SC (Municode)

Other rules in Orangeburg County

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All Orangeburg County rules

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