Berkeley County, SC Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

" It applies to any premises, including vacant lots, anywhere in the unincorporated county, and reaches more than tall grass: the same sentence bans letting weeds, undergrowth, trash, garbage, stagnant water, building materials, glass, wood, discarded furniture and appliances, and unsafe accessory structures such as pods, sheds, carports, or garages accumulate in a way that injures the health or welfare of residents or the public, or injures neighboring property. Unlike some county codes, Berkeley County does not print a specific inch or foot height for grass or weeds; the standard is the nuisance-style "permitted or caused to accumulate" language, so the public officer, the County Supervisor or a designee, makes the call on when growth crosses the line.

1 lets him declare the premises a nuisance. 2 then requires a return-receipt letter to the owner describing the specific violation, with two options: 30 calendar days from receipt to clear the lot, or 10 calendar days to contact the public officer's office and discuss the timeline. If the owner reaches out within that 10-day window and shows mitigating circumstances, the public officer has sole discretion to extend the abatement period further. 3 is marked "Reserved," leaving no additional listed exceptions. This provision traces back to the county's original 2004 unclean-lots ordinance (Ord. No. 04-11-68) and was amended twice, most recently by Ord. No. 15-10-43 in 2015.