Building Setbacks & Zoning in Berkeley County, SC (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Berkeley County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
In Berkeley County's R1 single-family district, front, side and rear setbacks scale with lot size, from 35 feet up front on a full 14,000-square-foot lot down to 20 feet on the smallest lots. Every yard also needs a five-foot minimum for accessory structures and a 30-foot buffer near open drainage.
Berkeley County R1 District Yard Setback Minimums
Some RestrictionsBerkeley County Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance § 5.1.9 (R1 Single-Family District)
5.1.9. Minimum yard requirements. Parcel Size | Front (feet) | Sides (feet) | Rear (feet) | Second Street Front (feet) | Open Drainage* (feet) | Ingress/Egress Easements. 14,000 sq. ft. and greater: 35, 15, 30, 35, 30. 10,000 sq. ft. to 13,999 sq. ft.: 30, 10, 25, 30, 30. 6,001 sq. ft. to 9,999 sq. ft.: 25, 7.5, 20, 25, 30. 6,000 sq. ft. and under: 20, 7.5, 20, 20, 30. Accessory structures are ...
Structure Height Limits
Berkeley County limits buildings in its R1 single-family district to "less than 40 feet to the highest part of the structure." Chimneys, antennas, church spires and flagpoles are exempt, but the airport overlay district can impose a lower ceiling on specific parcels near flight paths.
Berkeley County R1 District 40-Foot Height Cap
Some RestrictionsBerkeley County Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance §§ 2.3.21 (Building height, definition), 5.1.10 (R1 Single-Family District)
5.1.10. Building requirements. ...B. Building height: Less than 40 feet to the highest part of the structure. The height limits contained in the airport overlay district, as regulated by article 10, may apply additional height limitations to a specific piece of property. [2.3.21] Building height shall be the vertical distance between the average mean elevation of the finished grade at the front...
Lot Coverage Limits
Berkeley County caps impervious surface in its R1 single-family district at 50 percent of the lot. That single-line standard in section 5.1.10 covers the house, driveway, patio, and any other paved or roofed area, and it repeats with the same 50 percent number across the county's other urban residential zoning districts.
Berkeley County R1 District 50% Impervious Cap
Some RestrictionsBerkeley County Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Zoning Ordinance § 5.1.10 (R1 Single-Family District)
5.1.10. Building requirements. A. Impervious coverage: 50 percent maximum. B. Building height: Less than 40 feet to the highest part of the structure. The height limits contained in the airport overlay district, as regulated by article 10, may apply additional height limitations to a specific piece of property.
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