Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of St. Stephen, South Carolina

Town of St. Stephen’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Structures and signs inside St. Stephen town

  • A zoning permit must be issued by the zoning administrator before a building permit issues.

  “building permits are required for all structures and signs constructed or erected after the effective date of this ordinance. no building permit shall be issued until a zoning permit has been issued by the zoning administrator,”

• InspectionsRequired

  New construction and modifications inside St. Stephen town

  • Pre-occupancy inspection required under zoning ordinance 5.3.4; town Building and Code Enforcement department provides inspection service.

  “providing building inspection service for new construction and modifications while providing code enforcement of st. stephen ordinances”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Structures inside St. Stephen town

  • Inspection is conducted by county employees or an entity under contract with the county, per the 1998 text.

  “an inspection of the structure will be required prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy. this inspection will be conducted either by employees of the county, or by an entity under contract with the county.”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land and structures within the corporate limits of St. Stephen town

  • Ordinance text on the town site is dated 1998 (digitized 2022); later amendments were not located.
  • Adopted under the SC Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994.

  “these regulations govern the development and use of all land and structures within the corporate limits of the town of st. stephen.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside St. Stephen town

  • Districts: Town Center (TC), Traditional Neighborhood Residential (TNR), Highway Commercial (HC), Light Industrial/Office (LIO), Manufacturing (M), Planned Development (PD).
  • Version on the town site is the 1998 ordinance.

  “4.3: traditional neighborhood residential district (tnr) 29 4.3.1: intent 29 4.3.2: general 29 4.3.3: uses 30”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes inside St. Stephen town

  • Temporary manufactured home only after a disaster destroys an occupied single-family dwelling (damage over 60% of tax value); zoning permit up to 9 months, one renewal.
  • Not in front yard; at least 15 feet from another structure and 10 feet from any lot line.
  • TNR district allows up to four units per lot, two of which may be mobile homes meeting section 4.2.3:e standards; permanent placement rules in other districts not reviewed.

  “manufactured homes may be allowed on a temporary basis in a zoning district in which such use in not listed as a permitted use, if a disaster occurs which results in an occupied single-family dwelling being destroyed (i.e., it receives damage greater than 60% of its tax value).”

• Permit processPartial

  Building and zoning permits inside St. Stephen town

  • Permit application form and online payment portal are linked on the town building page; detailed steps not reviewed.
  • Permits lapse if work not started within six months.

  “no building permit shall be issued until a zoning permit has been issued by the zoning administrator”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of St. Stephen or Berkeley County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder inside St. Stephen town
• Building code adopted — Building code inside St. Stephen town
• Minimum dwelling size — Main residential district (TNR)
• Minimum lot size — Main residential district (TNR)
• Setbacks — Main residential district (TNR)

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.