21 local rules on file · Pop. 17,737 · Greenville County
Showing ordinances that apply to Five Forks, SC
Five Forks is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 17,737 in Greenville County, South Carolina. Because Five Forks is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Greenville County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Greenville County may have different rules.
Greenville County does not allow standalone accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or accessory apartments in its single-family residential zoning districts. The County's published Zoning AnswerBook explicitly states that, in single-family residential districts, "converting a basement or garage into a separate apartment is prohibited." Only the one dwelling unit permitted by the zoning district (per Use Table 6.1 of the Greenville County Zoning Ordinance) is allowed on a single-family lot. Property owners wanting an additional dwelling unit must either own land in a multi-family district (e.g., R-M series) or apply for a zoning change or other land-use approval through the Zoning Administration office.
In Greenville County, SC, sheds and other detached accessory structures in single-family residential districts must be located in the rear yard, per the county Zoning Administration. Under South Carolina Residential Code §R105.2 (adopted state-wide), a one-story detached storage shed of 200 square feet or less is exempt from a building permit, but it must still comply with Greenville County zoning placement rules. For specific setback and dimensional requirements for a given parcel, contact the Greenville County Code Enforcement Division (864-467-7425).
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Greenville County ordinances.
Greenville County Code Sec. 4-17 declares it a public nuisance to keep a pet that howls, barks, whines or cries so as to disturb any residence within 200 feet. Animal Control acts on 2 signed complaints from separate households; owner has 7 days to cure.
Greenville County Code Sec. 15-102 prohibits noise crossing a neighbor's exterior property line above 70 dB between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. or 60 dB between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The rule applies in unincorporated areas; the Sheriff's Office enforces complaints.
Residential swimming pool, spa, and hot tub barriers in Greenville County are governed by Appendix G of the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted statewide as the South Carolina Residential Code effective January 1, 2023 by the SC Building Codes Council (SC LLR). Under IRC §AG105, any outdoor in-ground, on-ground, or above-ground pool, hot tub, or spa with water deeper than 24 inches must be surrounded by a barrier at least 48 inches above grade, with self-closing/self-latching gates that open outward and openings small enough to prevent passage of a 4-inch sphere. Enforcement in unincorporated Greenville County is through Greenville County Building Safety / Code Enforcement; municipal building departments enforce inside city limits.
Every public swimming pool in Greenville County — including hotel, motel, apartment, condominium, fitness-club, campground, school, water-park, and municipal pools — is regulated under SC Code Title 44, Chapter 55, Article 23 and the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Regulation 61-51, "Public Swimming Pools." SC Code §44-55-2390 mandates lifeguards at all Type "A" public pools as defined in R.61-51, with explicit patron-to-lifeguard ratios that scale with pool surface area (e.g., one lifeguard per 1–25 patrons in pools up to 3,000 sq ft; minimum two lifeguards in pools 3,001–9,000 sq ft; minimum three lifeguards in pools over 9,000 sq ft). Type "E" pools must file an approved lifeguard coverage plan with DHEC. Pools requiring only one lifeguard must also have a second pool-staff employee on site for emergency communication.
Pool permitting in Greenville County splits into two tracks. PUBLIC pools — including those at hotels, motels, apartments, condos, country clubs, schools, swim clubs, campgrounds, subdivisions, and water parks — require a state Construction Permit under SC Regulation R.61-51 (Statutory Authority: S.C. Code §44-55-2310 et seq.) issued by the SC Department of Public Health (DPH, formerly DHEC) BEFORE construction or alteration, plus an annual Operating Permit. RESIDENTIAL pools at single-family homes are expressly EXCLUDED from "public swimming pool" under R.61-51.A.45/A.49 and require instead a Greenville County BUILDING permit under the adopted International codes (IRC, ISPSC) enforced by Greenville County Building Safety (864-467-7060), along with compliance with Zoning Ord. Sec. 6:2(18)(B) on placement, setbacks, screening, and lot coverage.
Greenville County does not have a general county-wide tree-trimming ordinance covering private property — that is set by individual city codes. Where Greenville County does have direct jurisdiction is within the county road right-of-way: the Greenville County Public Works Division (864.467.7016) trims and removes trees within county-maintained rights-of-way, and any private party that wants to perform work — including tree trimming, removal, or planting — in the county ROW must first obtain an Encroachment Permit under Greenville County Code § 18-65. Trees in the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) right-of-way are handled by SCDOT (864.241.1224), not by the County.
Greenville County, South Carolina has no countywide outdoor watering ordinance. The dominant water provider, Greenville Water, serves more than 750,000 residents across Greenville County and portions of Anderson, Pickens, and Laurens counties from Table Rock Reservoir, North Saluda Reservoir, and Lake Keowee, and states publicly that it has never had to ask for mandatory water restrictions — conservation is treated as a voluntary best practice. The statewide regulatory framework is the South Carolina Drought Response Act, S.C. Code Ann. §§49-23-10 through 49-23-100, which empowers SC DNR's Drought Response Committee to declare incipient, moderate, severe, or extreme drought stages by drought management area, and §49-23-90 requires every water utility (including Greenville Water) to adopt and implement a SC DNR-approved drought response plan. Violations of any restriction declared under that plan are a misdemeanor, with fines from $50 to $1,000 per violation under §49-23-90.
Greenville County regulates tall grass through Article VI (Environmental Control), Division 3 (Weeds and Rank Vegetation) of the County Code, also known as the County Environmental Ordinance. The definition section (§ 9-106) defines "weeds and rank vegetation" as dense, uncultivated, herbaceous and/or woody growth in or within 200 feet of a developed platted subdivision or a developed zoned residential area that is over 18 inches high, or any growth that serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, a refuge for vermin, or that creates a fire or traffic hazard. Enforcement is by the Greenville County Codes Enforcement Division (864.467.7090). After notice, the property owner has 20 days to bring the lot into compliance before the County may abate the nuisance and bill the owner.
Greenville County, South Carolina addresses overgrown lots and weedy properties through two complementary county ordinances enforced by the Codes Enforcement Division (864.467.7090): the County Environmental Ordinance, which gives property owners 20 days to improve an overgrown lot after notice, and the County Housing Code, which allows up to 60 days for yard cleanup at residential properties. Greenville County has not published a single numeric grass-height threshold in its public AnswerBook description; the standard applied in the field is whether vegetation has become a nuisance or health hazard. Complaints are received by phone, online, or in person at the Code Enforcement office at 301 University Ridge, Suite S-3100, Greenville, SC 29601.
Greenville County allows only one (1) non-illuminated nameplate sign — not more than 2 square feet (i.e., 1' x 2') — for a home occupation, and it must be mounted flat against the wall of the principal building. No other signs, banners, freestanding signs, or illuminated signs are permitted for home-based businesses in residential districts. The rule is set out at Section 6:2(13)(I) of the Greenville County Zoning Ordinance (Use Conditions for Home Occupations), enforced by Greenville County Code Enforcement.
Greenville County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6:2(13) limits a home occupation to an activity "clearly incidental" to the dwelling, conducted only inside the principal structure, on no more than 25% of its floor area, with at most one (1) non-resident employee in addition to the resident family. No outdoor storage, no on-site retail sale of off-premises merchandise (except service-related products like beauty supplies), no display visible from the street, no alteration of residential character, and no nuisance. Off-street parking must comply with Table 12.1. These rules together cap how many customers, clients, or deliveries can realistically occur at the home.
Greenville County, South Carolina regulates home-based businesses through the Greenville County Zoning Ordinance, administered by the Zoning Administration department (301 University Ridge, Suite S-3200, Greenville, SC 29601; (864) 467-7425; zoning@greenvillecounty.org). In single-family residential districts, the County's published Answer Book explicitly states "businesses, other than the home occupations specifically listed, are prohibited" — meaning a home occupation is allowed only if it falls within a discrete list of permitted uses in the zoning ordinance, and any other type of business is barred. Property owners pursuing a home occupation must submit the County's Home Occupation Application Guidelines through Building Safety / Zoning Administration before operating. The Zoning Ordinance applies only in unincorporated Greenville County; properties inside the cities of Greenville, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Travelers Rest, and Fountain Inn are subject to each city's own zoning code.
Greenville County administers a Floodplain Damage Prevention Ordinance (Ordinance No. 5276) that regulates development in FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zone A and Zone AE). The County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System (CRS), which earns Greenville County residents a 15% discount on flood insurance. A Floodplain Development Permit is required before any construction, fill, grading, or other development in the regulatory floodplain.
Greenville County is a regulated MS4 operator under the federal Clean Water Act NPDES Phase II program, with state coverage issued by the SC Department of Environmental Services (SCDES, formerly SC DHEC). The County has adopted a Storm Water Management Ordinance administered by the Land Development Division to control runoff, prevent flooding, protect water quality, and prohibit illicit discharges to the county storm sewer system. Erosion and sediment control / NPDES Construction General Permit review is performed by the Greenville County Soil & Water Conservation District.