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

Town of St. George’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, demolition, change of use or occupancy inside St. George town

  • Quoted rule is in the zoning ordinance permitting section; a zoning permit is issued only when the zoning administrator finds zoning and land development codes will be met.

  “it is unlawful to construct, reconstruct, alter, demolish, change the use of, or occupy any land, building, or other structure without first obtaining the appropriate permit.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside St. George town limits (Dorchester County)

  • Document header reads 'public hearing draft march 2023'; the town site lists it as 'zoning ordinance adopted 2023'. No adoption date was stated in the text reviewed.

  “to divide the town of saint george into districts of such number, shape, and area as are deemed best suited to carry out such purposes”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Large Lot Single Family Residential district (section 5.1) inside St. George town

  minimum lot size: 20000 square feet

  “5.1. lot/site requirements a. minimum lot size: 20,000 square feet b. maximum lot coverage: building footprint(s) shall not exceed 30% of the lot area.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single Family Residential district (section 6.1) inside St. George town

    “6.1. lot/site requirements a. minimum lot size: 10,000 square feet b. maximum lot coverage: building footprint(s) shall not exceed 25% of the lot area.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single Family Residential district inside St. George town

  • Accessory structure front setback 25 feet; non-habitable accessory rear setback 5 feet.
  • Other districts have different setbacks.

  front setback, primary structure: 15 feet · side setback: 10 feet · rear setback, primary and habitable accessory: 10 feet

  “c. setbacks 1. front a. primary structure: 15 feet. b. accessory structure: 25 feet. 2. side: 10 feet [12.8.2014] 3. rear a. primary and habitable accessory structures: 10 feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single Family Residential district inside St. George town

  • Large Lot SFR district allows 30%.

  maximum lot coverage (building footprint): <= 25 percent of lot area

  “6.1. lot/site requirements a. minimum lot size: 10,000 square feet b. maximum lot coverage: building footprint(s) shall not exceed 25% of the lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single Family Residential district inside St. George town

  • Large Lot SFR district is also 35 feet.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet

  “d. maximum building height: 35 feet. 6.2. uses”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Residential Mixed Use Manufactured Home district inside St. George town

  • Manufactured homes are allowed in the dedicated district; Chapter 10 (mobile homes and trailers) and the use list in section 9.2 were not reviewed.

  “to promote the preservation of neighborhoods predominately single-family residential in character while allowing manufactured homes and limited commercial development compatible with residential development.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed

  Large Lot Single Family Residential district inside St. George town

  • One secondary living quarters per parcel; other districts not reviewed.

  “1. agriculture 2. residential a. one single-family detached dwelling b. secondary living quarters (one per parcel) c. home occupations”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder inside St. George town
• Building code adopted — Building code inside St. George town
• Inspections — Inspections inside St. George town
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy inside St. George town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside St. George town

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.