6 rules for unincorporated Dorchester County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Dorchester County's Zoning and Land Development Standards Section 13.2.7 caps residential fences and walls at eight feet in any yard, while agricultural and industrial fences may reach ten feet. There is no separate lower front-yard limit.
Dorchester County, SC, Zoning and Land Development Standards § 13.2.7(b), (e)
Residential uses: (1) Maximum height. Eight feet (8'), except as may be required for screening in the affected district. ... Agricultural and industrial uses: (1) Maximum height. Ten feet (10').
Dorchester County's Zoning and Land Development Standards permit fences as an accessory use and require them to meet the Section 13.2.7 height, material, and setback rules. Masonry walls and pool-enclosure fences additionally need building permits under the adopted South Carolina building code.
South Carolina has no shared-cost 'good neighbor' fence statute, so each Dorchester County owner builds and pays for their own fence on their own side of the surveyed line. County code adds one twist: a fence near a lot line must face its finished side outward.
Dorchester County, SC, Zoning and Land Development Standards § 13.2.7(a)
General Provisions: For any fence within twenty-five feet (25') of a lot line, the finished side of the fence shall face that lot line.
In Dorchester County, retaining walls are regulated through the county's adopted South Carolina building code. A wall over four feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, generally requires a building permit and engineered plans; shorter walls are usually exempt.
Residential swimming pools in Dorchester County must be enclosed by a code-compliant safety barrier, enforced through the county building-permit process under South Carolina's adopted pool and residential codes, generally a 48-inch barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates.
Dorchester County's Zoning and Land Development Standards Section 13.2.7 lists wood, wrought iron, and brick as preferred residential fence materials, allows chain-link only in side and rear yards, and flatly prohibits barbed and razor wire in residential use.
Dorchester County, SC, Zoning and Land Development Standards § 13.2.7(b)(2)
Materials. The preferred materials are wood, wrought iron, brick, or combinations thereof. Chain link is acceptable only in side and rear yards. Barbed and razor wire shall be prohibited.
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