Bolthole Index

Horry County, South Carolina

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Town of Briarcliffe Acres, SC

The Town of Briarcliffe Acres, South Carolina requires a building permit before excavation, construction, moving or alteration of buildings, including accessory buildings.1 Town zoning applies inside town limits in Horry County; the town’s published process starts with town approval before submission to Horry County Code Enforcement.23 SCDES handles septic approval for homes without public or community sewer service.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required before covered building work; town approval precedes the county application13
Zoning
Town zoning applies; district map is on file with the clerk2
Septic permits
SCDES approval required where public or community sewer does not serve the home5
RV living
Human habitation in an RV on a residential lot is prohibited6
Manufactured homes
Excluded from the town’s R-1, CP and CSC districts7
Building coverage
In R-1, all buildings together may occupy no more than 15% of lot area8
Owner-builder
Conditional state exemption for a home for the owner or family; building and zoning compliance still required9

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Town of Briarcliffe Acres Town Office

Starting contact for town building application forms and questions about town zoning.

843.272.8863

[email protected]

121 North Gate Road, Myrtle Beach, 29572, United States of America

Building permits

Horry County Code Enforcement

Receives the county building application after town approval, according to the town’s published residential permitting brochure.

843.915.5090

1301 2nd Ave., Suite 1D09 Conway, SC 29526

Septic permits

South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES)

State septic-system approval and permitting.

(803) 898-3432

[email protected]

2600 Bull St. Columbia, SC 29201

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Briarcliffe Acres means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Do you need a building permit in the Town of Briarcliffe Acres, SC?

Briarcliffe Acres requires a building permit before excavation, construction, moving or alteration of a building, including an accessory building.1 The building plans, specifications and intended use must conform to the town zoning chapter, so a building-code-compliant design still needs to fit the permitted land use.10 Briarcliffe Acres has adopted the state-referenced building and safety codes for construction and building maintenance.11 A town building permit expires if work has not begun within 6 months of issuance; plan the application around a realistic construction start.10

Who handles building applications in the Town of Briarcliffe Acres?

Begin with the Briarcliffe Acres Town Office: the town’s published brochure directs applicants to complete and submit a town building permit application there.3 The town website provides a building permit application download on its ordinances page.12 After town approval, the published process directs the applicant to submit a Horry County building permit application, the town approval letter and required documentation or drawings to Horry County Code Enforcement.3 Ask both offices to confirm the current submission requirements and fees before filing; the published town brochure is dated 2019.3

Does the Town of Briarcliffe Acres have zoning and lot-size rules?

Briarcliffe Acres has town zoning, with district boundaries shown on the zoning map kept in the clerk’s office.2 In the R-1 residential district, the footprint of all buildings, including accessory buildings, cannot exceed 15% of the total lot area; include the proposed house and accessory structures when checking coverage.8 Manufactured homes are excluded from the R-1, CP and CSC districts.7 We could not confirm the R-1 minimum lot area, minimum dwelling size, setbacks or maximum height; ask the Town Office for the current district schedule before commissioning a design.212

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Briarcliffe Acres?

For a Briarcliffe Acres home without public or community sewer service, SCDES approval and a permit to install a septic system are required first.5 Town rules also require an application for a new septic permit when remodeling adds at least 500 square feet, adds a bedroom or a room with a door that could serve as a bedroom, or completely reconstructs a residence.13 Private septic and sewer systems must be maintained or repaired to prevent soil and water contamination, and specified sewer-improvement-district lots must connect to sewer.14 Ask the Town Office whether the parcel is in that sewer area and SCDES about wastewater approval before choosing a house plan.1415

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Town of Briarcliffe Acres?

Briarcliffe Acres prohibits human habitation in an RV parked on a residential lot; the parking allowance does not authorize living in the RV while building a house.6 Residential-lot RV parking is limited to 7 consecutive days without habitation, and the same RV cannot be parked in town more than once in 30 days unless inside a completely enclosed structure.6 We could not confirm a separate tiny-home, accessory-dwelling or tent-camping rule; ask the Town Office how the proposed use would be classified before buying.12 Rental of a single-family dwelling for fewer than 6 consecutive months is prohibited as commercial activity.16

What are the steps to build a home in the Town of Briarcliffe Acres?

  1. Ask the Town Office to identify the parcel’s zoning district and obtain the applicable dimensional requirements; the town zoning map is on file with the clerk.212
  2. Establish the wastewater route: obtain SCDES septic approval where sewer does not serve the property, and check whether town sewer-connection requirements apply.514
  3. Submit the town building application, then send the town approval letter with the county application and required documents to Horry County Code Enforcement.3
  4. Confirm the construction schedule: failure to issue a certificate of occupancy within 18 months after permit issuance is treated as a nuisance by the town code.17

An owner-builder must meet South Carolina’s personal-or-family-occupancy conditions, supervise construction, personally sign the application and record the required notice; the exemption does not waive building codes or zoning.9

What should you check before buying in the Town of Briarcliffe Acres?

For a floodplain building site, the town’s published permitting brochure calls for a pre-construction elevation certificate and directs questions to the Horry County Flood Plain Manager through Code Enforcement.3 We could not confirm the town’s general floodplain-development permit rule or private-well permit requirements; ask the Town Office about the parcel and SCDES about the proposed water supply.1215 For land outside town limits, use the Horry County guide: the county building-permit rule cited there applies to unincorporated Horry County.18 Inside Briarcliffe Acres, use the town zoning map and town approval process described above.23

Watch-outs

  • An RV parking allowance in Briarcliffe Acres does not allow human habitation on a residential lot.6
  • A qualifying bedroom addition can trigger a new septic permit even without reaching the 500-square-foot expansion threshold.13
  • South Carolina presumes an owner-built home was intended for sale or rent if sold or rented within 2 years after completion, unless otherwise approved by the commission.9

Sources

  1. Code of Ordinances, § 32-136, Building permit required (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  2. Code of Ordinances, § 32-25, Establishment of zoning districts; boundaries (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  3. Horry County Code Enforcement (townofbriarcliffe.us)
  4. Septic Tanks - Residential, Single Home Builder (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Septic Tanks - Residential, Single Home Builder (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Code of Ordinances, § 32-59, Recreational vehicle parking (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  7. Code of Ordinances, § 32-27, Application of regulations (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  8. Code of Ordinances, § 32-27, Application of regulations (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  9. South Carolina Code Title 40, Chapter 59 — Residential Home Builders (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Code of Ordinances, § 32-136, Building permit required (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  11. Code of Ordinances, § 6-21, Adopted (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  12. Town of Briarcliffe Acres Town Office (townofbriarcliffe.us)
  13. library.municode.com (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  14. library.municode.com (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  15. South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) (des.sc.gov)
  16. Code of Ordinances, § 32-27, Application of regulations (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  17. Code of Ordinances, § 10-44, Nuisances (Town of Briarcliffe Acres), quoted and re-checked
  18. How to know if you need a building Permit (2026 county census)

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Briarcliffe Acres

Town of Briarcliffe Acres’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Excavation, construction, moving, or alteration of buildings, including accessory buildings, inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.

    • Permit must be issued before work begins.
    • Plans, specifications, and intended use must conform to Chapter 32.
    “until a building permit has been issued for such work”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction and maintenance of buildings within Briarcliffe Acres town boundaries.

    • Town code incorporates the latest State-referenced editions listed in § 6-21, including International Building, Fire, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy Conservation, Residential, and National Electrical codes.
    “the latest edition of the following codes are hereby adopted”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Structures for which a building permit has been obtained inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.

    • The code treats failure to issue a certificate of occupancy within 18 months after permit issuance as a nuisance; the supplied section does not establish a general occupancy-before-use rule.

    certificate of occupancy issuance period: <= 18 months (Measured from date of building-permit issuance in the cited nuisance provision.)

    “the certificate of occupancy has not been issued within 18 months”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.

    • District boundaries are shown on the town zoning map on file in the clerk's office.
    “the Town of Briarcliffe Acres, South Carolina, is hereby divided into three classes of districts”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Human habitation in a recreational vehicle parked on a residential lot inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.

    • Parking is allowed for no more than seven consecutive days only if the vehicle is not used for human habitation.
    • The same RV cannot be parked in town more than once in 30 days unless within a completely enclosed structure.

    residential-lot parking period: <= 7 consecutive days (Vehicle may not be used for human habitation.)

    “the recreational vehicle is not used for purposes of human habitation”
  • Manufactured homesProhibited

    Manufactured homes in the town's R-1, CP, and CSC districts.

    • The ordinance expressly lists R-1, CP, and CSC; § 32-25 identifies these as the town's three classes of districts.
    “Manufactured homes are excluded from R-1”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private septic and sewer systems inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits, including the sewer-improvement area where applicable.

    • Private systems must be maintained or repaired to prevent soil and water contamination.
    • Specified improvement-district lots must connect to sewer under § 32-94.
    “All private septic and sewer systems must be maintained or repaired”
  • Short-term rentalsProhibited

    Rental of any single-family dwelling inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits for fewer than six consecutive months.

    • The ordinance classifies such rental as commercial activity.

    rental duration: < 6 consecutive months (Applies to any single-family dwelling.)

    “Rental of any single-family dwelling for a period of less than six consecutive months constitutes a commercial activity and is prohibited within the town.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permits inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.

    • Plans, specifications, and intended use must conform to Chapter 32.
    • The cited ordinance directs users to § 6-46 for detailed procedures, which was not among supplied sections.
    • Permit expires if work has not begun within six months.

    work-start deadline: <= 6 months (Measured from issuance date.)

    “It shall be unlawful to commence the excavation for or the construction of any building including accessory buildings, or to commence the moving or alteration of any building, including accessory buildings, until a building permit has been issued for such work including a statement that the plans, specifications, and the intended use of such building in all respects conform to the provisions of this chapter.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Briarcliffe Acres

Town of Briarcliffe Acres does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 residential district inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.

    • Includes accessory buildings.

    maximum building coverage: <= 15 percent of lot area (Applies to all buildings including accessory buildings.)

    “On any lot, within an R-1 residential district, the area occupied by all buildings including accessory buildings, shall not exceed 15 percent of the total area of such a lot.”
  • Who permits septicState (with conditions)

    Qualifying residential remodeling or reconstruction inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.

    • Applies where remodeling adds at least 500 square feet, adds a bedroom or potentially bedroom-capable room, or completely reconstructs a residence.
    “Any remodeling of an existing residence that extends the square footage of a residence by 500 square feet or more, or adds a bedroom or a room with a door that could be used as a bedroom, or complete reconstruction of a residence, the owner must apply for a new septic permit from SCDHEC.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Existing residences inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits undergoing qualifying remodeling or complete reconstruction.

    • Required for an addition of 500 square feet or more, an added bedroom or room with a door that could be used as a bedroom, or complete reconstruction.

    residential expansion threshold: >= 500 square feet (Also required for the other stated bedroom-room and complete-reconstruction triggers.)

    “the owner must apply for a new septic permit”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder activity inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — R-1 low-density residential district inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.
  • Minimum lot size — R-1 low-density residential district inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.
  • Setbacks — R-1 low-density residential district inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.
  • Building height — R-1 low-density residential district inside Briarcliffe Acres town limits.
9 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Permit fees

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Briarcliffe Acres publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Horry County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Horry County: county rules, score and offices