Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Varnville, South Carolina

Town of Varnville’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside Varnville town; the ordinance requires a certificate of zoning compliance from the planning commission

  • This is the town zoning-compliance approval that precedes a building permit; the building code permit authority was not confirmed.

  “no land shall be developed or building or other structure erected, constructed, moved, added to, or structurally altered without a certificate of zoning compliance issued by the planning commission.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Varnville town limits

  • Adopted under S.C. Code 6-29-710 and the town's 2012 comprehensive plan; administered by the planning commission and board of zoning appeals.

  “pursuant to the authority conferred by the general statutes of south carolina code section 6-29-710, as amended”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Varnville town

  • Districts also include commercial, medical overlay, airport, recreational/open space, natural resources/agriculture and institutional districts per the table of contents.

  “article v - residential distr icts 43 5.1 single-family residential (sfr) district 43 5.2. traditional neighborhood residential district 50”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family residential (SFR) district inside Varnville town

  • Other districts have separate dimensional tables (not reviewed).

  minimum lot size: >= 1/3 acre · maximum density: <= 3 dwellings per acre · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet

  “minimum lot size maximum density 1/3 acre 3 dwellings per acre”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family residential (SFR) district inside Varnville town

  • Infill uses the average of the three adjacent setbacks on each side; 35 feet where no adjacent precedent exists.
  • Table column layout is garbled in the source; side/rear values 15 and 20 feet are not assigned to a specific side.

  front setback: prevailing setback or 35 in new developments feet · side/rear setback values listed: 15, 20 feet

  “100 prevailing setback or 35 in new developments 15 20 35”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single-family residential (SFR) district inside Varnville town

  • The text also shows a stray 25% figure near the table; value 30 is read from the table row.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent

  “secondary structure height (feet) lot coverage maximum lot coverage 30 table 5.2 dimensional requirements”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured and modular homes inside Varnville town

  • Permitted in traditional and flexible residential districts; conditionally permitted in single family residential districts and in NR/AG districts (section 10.8).
  • Criteria include individual sites, 2:12 roof pitch, local residential design, residential exterior materials, roof overhangs of at least four inches, and federal HUD code construction.

  minimum enclosed living area: >= 900 square feet

  “manufactured and modular homes are permitted in traditional and flexible residential districts and conditionally permitted in the single family residential districts if the following criteria are met: a. be on individual sites. b. have a minimum of 900 square feet of enclosed living area; c. have a 2:12 roof pitch.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning approvals inside Varnville town

  • Certificate of zoning compliance is required before a building permit, grading or filling, change of use, and extension of utilities.

  “3.2.2 a certificate of zoning compliance is required in advance of the following. a. the issuance of a building permit. b. grading or filling a lot. c. changing the use of any part of a structure or lot, including the increase of the number of dwelling units on a lot. d. extension of utilities to a given site.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Varnville town
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Varnville town
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Varnville town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Varnville town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Varnville town (general; manufactured homes require 900 sq ft)

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.