Landscaping Rules in York County, SC (2026)
5 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in York County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Tree Trimming
York County requires trees preserved or planted to satisfy its tree-canopy ordinance to be pruned only to ANSI A300 tree-care standards, and bars severe trimming of those protected trees: a property found to have aggressively trimmed one is declared nonconforming and must replace the damaged trees at the ordinance's minimum size and spacing.
York County Tree Pruning Standards
Some RestrictionsYork County, S.C. Code § 154.203(A), (D)
§ 154.203 TREE MAINTENANCE. (A) Applicability. This section provides for the ongoing maintenance of trees required under this part. The maintenance requirements of this section do not apply to tree save areas, which are to be maintained in a natural condition. ... (D) Maintenance standards. (1) All landscape material, maintenance, and management must conform to the minimum sta...
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
When a grand tree is removed during development in unincorporated York County, Section 154.200 requires mitigation: extra tree-save area at 150 square feet per inch of DBH, replanting at 0.75:1, or a fee-in-lieu to the York County Tree Fund. Homeowners on existing lots face no replant rule.
York County Tree Replacement Requirements
Some RestrictionsYork County, S.C. Code § 154.200(E)
(a) Preserving additional tree save area above the minimum required in § 154.199(A), at a rate of 150 sf per inch of DBH of the trees removed; (b) Planting new trees at a rate of 0.75:1 per inch of DBH of the trees removed; or (c) In cases where the total amount of additional tree save or planting is impractical or would compromise the health of preserved or planted trees, as determined by the ...
Weed Ordinances
York County treats overgrown grass and weeds in unincorporated areas as a public nuisance under Chapter 56, acting on complaints. Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, and Clover run their own weed limits. Working farms are shielded by SC's Right to Farm law.
York County Grass Height Limits
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code Ann. § 46-45-70
No established agricultural facility or any agricultural operation at an established agricultural facility is or may become a nuisance, private or public, by any changed conditions in or about the locality of the facility or operation. This section does not apply whenever a nuisance results from the negligent, improper, or illegal operation of an agricultural facility or operation.
Water Restrictions
South Carolina sets no statewide lawn-watering ban. In York County, restrictions come from your water provider and the Catawba-Wateree drought plan, triggered when SC DNR declares drought under the Drought Response Act.
York County Water Restrictions & Landscape Watering Rules
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code Ann. § 49-23-90
Municipalities, counties, public service districts, special purpose districts, and commissions of public works engaged in the business or activity of supplying water for any purpose shall develop and implement drought response ordinances or plans where authority to enact ordinances does not exist. The ordinances or plans must be consistent with the State Drought Response Plan, implemented throu...
Rainwater Harvesting
York County's land development code names cisterns and rain barrels as an approved Low Impact Development technique, and developers who capture at least 40% of a site's water quality volume through two or more LID features earn height, parking and lot-size incentives under Section 154.174, rewarding water harvesting on new construction.
York County Rainwater Harvesting Incentives
Few RestrictionsYork County, S.C. Code §§ 154.172(B)(4), 154.174(A)
§ 154.172 LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT TECHNIQUES. (A) Low impact development techniques are typically used in conjunction with on-site detention for larger storm events. (B) LID techniques may include one or more of the following: ... (4) Cisterns and water harvesting; ... § 154.174 INCENTIVE ALLOWANCES. (A) Applicability. An applicant may utilize one or more of th...
Landscaping Rules by City in York County
1 cities in York County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All York County ordinances
See every category we cover for York County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
York County Ordinance Hub →