Building Setbacks & Zoning in Aiken County, SC (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Aiken County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Aiken County's zoning ordinance sets minimum yard setbacks by district and street type in Table 2 under Section 24-2.5(a). Most residential and rural districts require a 50-foot front setback from arterial streets, 40 feet from collector streets, and 30 feet from local streets, while the Industrial (IND) District must sit back 100 feet from arterials. Rear setbacks for residential uses hold at 20 feet countywide.
Aiken County Zoning Setback Minimums
Some RestrictionsAiken County Code § 24-2.5(a), Table 2
Minimum Yard & Building Setback (measurement in feet from property line or easement width) Front: Arterial Street 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 100 100/50* 50 50 50 50 100/50 Collector Street 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 75 75/40** 40 40 40 40 100/40 Local Street 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 50 50/30*** 30 30 30 30 100/30 Side: Residential (C) 10 10 10 10 10 NA 5 5 5 10 10 10 10 10 100/10 Rear Residential (C) ...
Structure Height Limits
Aiken County caps residential building height at 35 feet in most zoning districts under Table 2 of the zoning ordinance, measured from average finished grade to the highest point of a flat roof or the midpoint of a pitched roof. The Residential Multifamily Development (RD), Urban Development (UD), and Industrial (IND) Districts carry no fixed limit, but must add 3.5 feet of side and rear setback for every floor above the second.
Aiken County Residential Building Height Limit
Some RestrictionsAiken County Code § 24-2.5(a), Table 2
RC RD RM RH5 OR NC UD LD IND RUD RUC HCO RH5B RRC AP(P) Maximum Height (ft) (G) 35 (F) 35 35 35 35 (F) 35 (F) 35 35 35 35 35 35 (F)No limit; however, required minimum side and rear setbacks shall be increased at the rate of three and one-half (3.5) feet for each floor over the second.(G)Measurement from the average finished grade at the building line to the highest point of a flat roof or midpo...
Lot Coverage Limits
Aiken County caps how much of a lot can be covered by buildings and pavement through the impervious surface ratio in Table 2 of the zoning ordinance. Residential and rural districts hold the tightest limits, 35 to 45 percent, while commercial and industrial districts such as NC, UD, and LD can cover up to 70 percent, and the Highway Corridor Overlay tops out at 75 percent.
Aiken County Maximum Impervious Surface Limits
Some RestrictionsAiken County Code § 24-2.5(a), Table 2
RC RD RM RH5 OR NC UD LD IND RUD RUC HCO RH5B RRC AP(P) Maximum Impervious Surface Area Ratio 35% 45% 40% 35% 55% 70% 70% 70% 70% NA 55% 75% 55% 55% 55%
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