Charleston, SC Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

City Code Chapter 28, Article III governs every planter, canopy, bench, sandwich board, or building projection that sits on, over, or in a Charleston public right-of-way. Section 28-39 makes it unlawful to place, affix, connect, attach, fasten, erect, construct, or maintain any such encroachment without first securing an encroachment agreement. The Department of Public Service issues agreements for temporary encroachments (unsecured items like planters, awnings, and sandwich boards); the Public Works and Utilities Committee issues them for permanent ones (footings, cornices, balconies, HVAC units). Section 28-40 sets the placement standards: an encroachment must sit within six inches of a building wall, or, if that spot is unworkable, within 18 inches of the curb, and it cannot come within two feet of a sign, parking meter, street light, or planting bed; 15 feet of a fire hydrant or a roadway intersection; five feet of a crosswalk, driveway, or emergency call box; or block a display window within six inches of the building.

Above all, no encroachment may reduce the clear passageway for pedestrians below 48 inches. Canopies need nine feet of clearance to the structure and eight feet to the valance, and any canopy in the Old City District or the Old and Historic District needs sign-off from the Architecture and Preservation Division. Street furniture must withstand 100-mile-per-hour winds and cannot carry advertising. Encroachments existing before December 11, 1962 are grandfathered as "permissive encroachments" under Section 28-38 but cannot be enlarged or altered.