Building permits, zoning and land rules in Horry County, South Carolina

Yes. Unincorporated Horry County requires a permit before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building, changing its occupancy, or doing regulated electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing work¹. Under the residential-code exemption, certain one-story detached accessory structures of 200 square feet or less are exempt, although zoning compliance may still apply¹. Horry County charges residential one- and two-family projects $0.20 per square foot for plan review and $0.50 per square foot for the permit, with a $50 permit minimum plus $25 in zoning fees; revisions cost $25⁹. Code Enforcement inspects new construction and building improvements in unincorporated Horry County under the locally implemented state building codes^10,11. A qualifying owner-builder must personally appear to sign the permit application, supervise the work, use licensed contractors where required and record the required notice⁴.

Horry County Code Enforcement issues building permits and inspects construction in unincorporated Horry County; call (843) 915-5090 or visit 1301 Second Avenue Ste. 1D09 in Conway¹⁰. Inside Conway, Surfside Beach and Briarcliffe Acres, municipal authorities handle building permits^12,13,14. Septic approval remains with SCDES where public or community sewer is unavailable³. The county online portal supports invoice payments and inspection scheduling for listed building-permit types; other types use telephone inspection requests¹⁵. Planning & Zoning answers county zoning questions at (843) 915-5340⁶. For a driveway or other work within county road right-of-way, Engineering reviews requests and issues approved encroachment permits at no charge; call (843) 915-5160¹⁶.

Horry County has been zoned throughout since April 17, 2001, but the county ordinance governs unincorporated land and municipalities may administer their own zoning². Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and Briarcliffe Acres administer municipal zoning^17,18,19,20. Septic approval remains with SCDES where sewer is unavailable³. For unincorporated Horry County, identify zoning by tax map number; district standards control uses, density, height, floor-area ratio, setbacks, coverage and parking². Minimum lot area also varies by district². Ask Planning & Zoning for the applicable ordinance standards before choosing a house plan or siting improvements^2,6. Subdivision approval is separate: a subdivision plat generally cannot be recorded and a building permit cannot issue until the required plan approval²¹.

SCDES approval and a septic installation permit are required for a home or manufactured home on Horry County property without public or community sewer, and Horry County cannot issue the building permit first³. The septic application costs $150, a Permit to Construct is valid for 5 years, and renewal or modification requires a new application and fee³. Before Horry County issues a residential building permit, the applicant must provide sewer-service verification from the appropriate sewer company or environmental agency²². If sewer is accessible, SCDES cannot issue an onsite wastewater permit²³. The installer must schedule an SCDES inspection before covering a new system³. Only about 1.8% of Horry County soils rate free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so settle septic feasibility before choosing a building location⁸. Private residential and irrigation wells require a Notice of Intent to SCDES before construction²⁴.

Horry County's RV rule for temporary vending locations is narrow: an RV used or stored for vending or overnight purposes must remain on the permitted lot, and the county identifies the Destination Park Zoning District for that use⁵. The vending rule does not decide whether someone may occupy or store an RV on ordinary private land, and we could not confirm a broader residential or temporary-camping rule; ask Planning & Zoning about the parcel's district before relying on an RV for housing^5,6. We also could not confirm complete tiny-home occupancy rules. A tiny home used as a dwelling must still fit the district's allowed uses, lot size, setbacks, height and coverage standards, and regulated construction requires county permitting^1,2.

1. Ask Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel's district by tax map number and confirm its allowed use, minimum lot area, setbacks, height and coverage limits².
2. Verify sewer availability; if public or community sewer is unavailable, obtain SCDES approval and a septic installation permit before seeking the county building permit^3,22.
3. Confirm flood status with Code Enforcement: buildings or additions in an identified 100-year floodplain require additional information, and flood-zone elevation rules vary by designation^7,10,22.
4. Arrange road access with Horry County Engineering for a county right-of-way or SCDOT for a state highway^16,25.
5. Submit plans and pay the applicable plan-review, permit and zoning fees to Code Enforcement^9,10.
6. Complete required inspections as construction proceeds, including the septic inspection before the system is covered^3,10.

Start with sewer and soils: only 1.8% of Horry County soils rate free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, and sewer availability determines whether SCDES may issue an onsite wastewater permit^8,23. Confirm the zoning district by tax map number and check its allowed use, lot-area, setback, height and coverage standards before relying on a listing description². Ask Code Enforcement about the parcel's flood-zone designation because flood-zone construction and improvements can trigger permits and elevation requirements^7,10. Verify legal access and any county right-of-way permit with Engineering¹⁶. Horry County is largely gentle terrain, with 100% of land at 15% slope or less, but 69.6% is wooded, so inspect drainage and clearing needs on the actual parcel⁸.