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

Section 54-211(a) treats the home occupation as accessory and subordinate to the residential use: it must be customarily conducted by the resident of record, cannot change the essential residential character of the property, and every activity and storage area must be inside a fully enclosed building except swimming instruction. The floor-area cap is explicit, thirty-three percent of the existing principal building or up to 650 square feet of an enclosed accessory building, and no electrical, mechanical, or chemical equipment beyond normal household equipment is allowed.

Staffing is limited to the resident, family members living on the premises, and no more than one full-time or part-time nonresident employee working at the residence; other employees may work off-site. Only passenger vehicles, meaning motorcycles, automobiles, pickup trucks, and vans, may be used in connection with the business; no truck cabs or large trucks are allowed. The permit issued under this section, called a Zoning Permit, expires automatically if the applicant stops occupying the premises, fails to exercise the use for twelve consecutive months, or exceeds the chapter's limitations, in which case the Zoning Administrator revokes it by certified mail and the licensee may request reinstatement before the Board of Zoning Appeals-Zoning.