Berkeley County, SC Home Business: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (2026)

Home occupations are not permitted outright across Berkeley County's unincorporated zoning districts: in residential districts such as R1, a home occupation is listed as a conditional use under § 5.1.5(C)(1), meaning all conditions and regulations found in article 11.9 shall be met prior to permit approval. Article 11.9.1(A) then sets the baseline: home occupations that comply with the article's regulations are allowed as an accessory use to any allowed residential or agricultural principal use, never as a stand-alone commercial use of the lot. The floor-area cap in § 11.9.1(E) is the core zoning constraint: the home occupation cannot occupy more than 25 percent of the total floor area of the principal dwelling.

The ordinance also restricts staffing (§ 11.9.1(C) allows no employee besides a resident, except one assistant for occupations like lawyer, realtor or salesman), bars outdoor operations entirely (§ 11.9.1(F)), and requires the space used for the home occupation to clear fire and building code review under § 11.9.1(M) and to meet all tax, health department, and zoning permit requirements under § 11.9.1(N) before operations start. The zoning administrator, who administers this ordinance under § 20.1, may also add case-specific conditions under § 11.9.1(O) to protect land-use compatibility.

A home occupation that operates without meeting these standards is a zoning violation: § 20.6 makes it a misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $500.00, up to 30 days in jail, or both, with each day of continued operation a separate offense, and the administrator can order the use discontinued under § 20.7 pending compliance.