Environmental Rules in Charleston, SC (2026)
4 verified environmental rules for Charleston, South Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Charleston regulates stormwater runoff citywide under Chapter 27's Stormwater Management Ordinance, requiring qualifying redevelopment projects to cut runoff before it leaves the site. City Code § 27-29(a) makes qualifying redevelopment choose one of three numeric performance standards, such as cutting impervious cover by at least 20 percent, and the department of stormwater management reviews and approves the chosen approach before work begins.
Charleston Stormwater Management Ordinance Standards
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 27-29(a)(1)
(a)Other than projects with parcel areas less than one (1) acre or where more than eighty (80) percent of the existing building footprint shall remain undisturbed, one (1) of the following performance standards shall be implemented for the entire parcel in question as approved by the department of development services:(1)Reduce the impervious cover on the site by at least twenty (20) percent, b...
Erosion Control
Charleston's stormwater management ordinance directs the city to require erosion and sediment controls on new and redevelopment projects both during and after construction. City Code § 27-6(b)(5) sets that mandate as one of the article's core purposes, and § 27-24 turns it into a permitting requirement: construction disturbing a half acre or more, or smaller sites near a receiving water, must file a construction activity application before land disturbance begins.
Charleston Erosion and Sediment Control Rules
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 27-6(b)(5)
It is further the purpose of this article to direct the development and implementation of a stormwater management program (SWMP) and to establish legal authority which authorizes or enables the city at a minimum to: ... (5)Require erosion and sediment controls to protect water quality on all applicable new and re-development projects both during and after construction;
Flood Zones
Any development in a Charleston special flood hazard area needs a permit and full compliance with Chapter 27's flood hazard regulations before construction begins. City Code § 27-104 applies the division to every mapped special flood hazard area in the city, and § 27-106 bars locating, extending, converting, or structurally altering any structure or land there without meeting the article's terms.
Charleston Floodplain Development Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsCity Code §§ 27-104, 27-106
This division shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the city. ... No structure or land shall hereafter be located, extended, converted, or structurally altered without full compliance with the terms of this division and other applicable regulations.
Flood Elevation Requirements
Charleston requires new residential construction in a special flood hazard area to elevate its lowest floor at least two feet above the base flood elevation, one foot higher than FEMA's minimum. City Code § 27-117(1) sets that freeboard standard, and non-residential buildings must either meet the same two-foot elevation or be certified flood-proofed by a licensed engineer or architect under § 27-117(2).
Charleston Flood Elevation Freeboard Requirement
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 27-117(1)
(1)Residential construction. New construction shall have the lowest floor, including basement, or the applicable structural member elevated at least two (2) feet above the level of base flood elevation prescribed for that zone. Substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor, including basement, or the applicable structural member elevated at least one (1) foot ...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Charleston city rules.
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