Horry County, SC Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- Fences or walls over 7 feet need a permit
- Max height, most districts
- 8 feet
- Max height, AC/HC/LI/AM2/RE4/MA1-3/MI/HI
- 12 feet
- Application requirement
- Scaled site plan with setbacks, elevations
- Permit expiration
- Voids after 6 months if unstarted
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 30 days jail
- Appeal body
- Board of Zoning Appeals
Summary
Horry County requires a building permit before installing any fence or wall taller than seven feet anywhere in the unincorporated county, per Zoning Ordinance § 412.B.1. Applicants must submit a scaled site plan showing setbacks, locations and elevations, and the fence still has to fit inside required landscape buffers and allow emergency access.
B.Requirements.1)Apply for a building permit when fence is greater than seven (7) feet.2)Provide a scaled site plan indicating setbacks, locations and elevations for fences that are required to obtain building permits.3)Any use requiring privacy fence or wall must locate the fence or wall internal to any required landscape buffers.5)Emergency access. All fences or walls shall be designed to permit emergency access to the enclosed area, whether by use of gate or a breakaway section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
Horry County Zoning Ordinance § 412 caps fences and walls at eight feet in most districts and at twelve feet in the AC, HC, LI, AM2, RE4, MA1, MA2, MA3, MI and HI districts. 1 building permit requirement regardless of which height cap applies to the parcel. 2, showing setbacks, exact location and elevation drawings, before the Horry County Planning and Zoning Department will issue the permit. 5 requires every fence or wall, regardless of height, to include a gate or breakaway section so emergency crews can reach the enclosed yard.
Permits lapse under § 109 if construction hasn't started within six months of issuance, though the director of building inspection can grant an extension after consulting the Zoning Administrator. 1 threshold is keyed strictly to the seven-foot mark, not to fence type or material.
Violations & Fines
Building or extending a fence over seven feet without the § 412.B.1 permit is a zoning violation. Horry County Code § 114 makes any Zoning Ordinance violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine, with each additional day of noncompliance counted as a separate offense. The Zoning Administrator can also order the illegal fence corrected or removed under § 103, and § 115 routes any appeal of that order to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a 6-foot privacy fence in Horry County?
How tall can a fence be in Horry County?
What happens if I build an over-height fence without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Horry County
Compare Horry County to another location·View the South Carolina fence regulations overview
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