Building permits, zoning and land rules in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

At a glance

Building permits

City Construction Services handles building permits, plan review and inspections¹

Zoning

City zoning governs development within Myrtle Beach city limits²

Septic permits

SCDES; first confirm that public sewer is not accessible³⁵

RV and camping

Limited private-lot camping exception; do not assume permanent RV occupancy is approved⁶

R-5 dimensions

Single-family building coverage maximum 40%; height maximum 35 feet⁷⁸

Owner-builder

State exemption is conditional and requires compliance with building codes and zoning⁹

Private wells

State General Permit coverage requires a Notice of Intent before residential well construction¹⁰

Who to call

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

Do you need a building permit in Myrtle Beach, SC?

Myrtle Beach Construction Services handles city building permits, construction plan review, trade permits and construction inspections; contact the city department before starting a home project inside city limits.¹ South Carolina’s current mandatory building codes took effect in 2023, and the next adopted editions are scheduled for implementation in 2027.¹¹¹²

South Carolina’s owner-builder exemption can cover a home intended solely for the owner or family, subject to personal supervision, the permit application and required recorded notice.⁹ The owner-builder exemption still requires compliance with applicable building codes and zoning, and does not authorize hiring an unlicensed residential builder.⁹

Who handles Myrtle Beach building permits and inspections?

Call Myrtle Beach Construction Services at (843) 918-1111 for building-permit and inspection questions.¹ The city places building applications, documents and forms in its Documents Center; use the department’s official webpage to reach those materials.¹ Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical trade-permit and trade-card applications go to [email protected].¹

Myrtle Beach performs building inspections on all permitted projects, and inspection scheduling uses the same department phone.¹ For city floodplain information and floodplain plan review, contact the Construction Services Floodplain Coordinator at 843-918-1163.¹³ Keep the proposed parcel and scope of work ready when asking which building applications and reviews your project needs.¹

Does Myrtle Beach have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Myrtle Beach’s zoning ordinance governs all development within the incorporated city.² Myrtle Beach Planning & Zoning enforces city development requirements, including zoning, fencing, tree protection and encroachments.¹⁴ Ask that department to identify the parcel’s district and applicable dimensional footnotes before settling on a house footprint.¹⁴¹⁵

For single-family dwellings in R-5, the reviewed table gives a maximum building coverage of 40% and a maximum height of 35 feet.⁷⁸ R-5 side setbacks are 10 feet and rear setbacks are 20 feet, subject to footnote J; the front setback also depends on table footnotes.¹⁵ Lots contiguous to or fronting on King’s Highway require a minimum building-line setback of 30 feet from that highway.¹⁵ These R-5 dimensions are district-specific; ask Planning & Zoning to confirm your parcel’s lot-size and setback requirements.¹⁵¹⁴

How do septic permits and private wells work in Myrtle Beach?

SCDES administers onsite wastewater systems inside Myrtle Beach, and the Myrtle Beach regional office covers Horry County.³ Call the regional office at (843) 238-4378 for septic assistance.¹⁶ For a home on property without public or community sewer service, South Carolina requires SCDES approval and a septic installation permit first.¹⁷ SCDES cannot issue an onsite wastewater permit where public sewer is accessible, so establish sewer accessibility before paying for a septic evaluation.⁵

Horry County’s soil data rate only 1.8% of land as not limited for a conventional septic drain field; that county-level rating calls for parcel-specific evaluation and does not mean septic is impossible.¹⁸ Residential wells require a Notice of Intent for state General Permit coverage before construction, with a $70 fee.¹⁰ State well coverage does not authorize a well prohibited by a local ordinance; ask Myrtle Beach Planning & Zoning about the proposed location.¹⁰¹⁴

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Myrtle Beach?

Myrtle Beach’s camping ordinance includes an exception for camping on an owner’s vacant or undeveloped private lot when the activity is not a business enterprise and involves only friends and family.⁶ The private-lot camping exception does not by itself establish approval for permanent RV occupancy or a dwelling; ask Myrtle Beach Planning & Zoning how the proposed use fits the parcel’s zoning.⁶²¹⁴ Motor-vehicle camping on public streets, parks and public places is prohibited except for qualifying city-council-authorized special events.⁶

We could not confirm a Myrtle Beach tiny-home-specific occupancy rule, accessory-dwelling provision or minimum dwelling floor area; ask Planning & Zoning about the intended use and Construction Services about the proposed structure.¹⁴¹ A composting or incinerating toilet also needs state approval under the applicable nonwater-carried sewage rules, including engineered plans; such a toilet does not remove gray-water permitting requirements when the structure generates gray water from pressurized water.¹⁹²⁰

What are the steps to building a home in Myrtle Beach?

1. Confirm the parcel is inside Myrtle Beach and ask Planning & Zoning for the zoning district, allowed use and dimensional requirements.²¹⁴
2. Establish sewer accessibility; if public sewer is not accessible and a septic system is proposed, obtain SCDES site approval and the septic installation permit.⁵¹⁷
3. Discuss floodplain information and plan review with the city’s Construction Services Floodplain Coordinator.¹³
4. Use the city’s building application materials and arrange building plan review and applicable trade-permit submissions through Construction Services.¹
5. Schedule city building inspections for permitted work through Construction Services.¹

Before buying a Myrtle Beach property for rental income, ask Planning & Zoning to verify the use: rentals shorter than 90 days require eligible zoning, and a business license is required where that rental use is allowed.¹⁴ We could not confirm a city building-permit fee schedule or city driveway-access requirement; request those project details from Construction Services before budgeting.¹

Watch-outs

• The Myrtle Beach private-lot camping exception is conditional; ask Planning & Zoning about permanent RV occupancy before treating a vacant lot as a homesite.⁶¹⁴
• Public sewer accessibility can prevent SCDES from issuing a septic permit even where a buyer prefers an onsite system.⁵
• South Carolina’s next adopted mandatory building-code editions are scheduled to take effect in 2027; discuss the project’s timing with Myrtle Beach Construction Services.¹²¹
• Selling or renting an owner-built residence within 2 years after completion creates a statutory presumption that the home was built for sale or rent unless otherwise approved by the commission.⁹

Sources

1. Myrtle Beach Construction Services Department (cityofmyrtlebeach.com)
2. library.municode.com (Myrtle Beach), quoted and re-checked
3. Septic Tanks - Who to Call (Myrtle Beach), quoted and re-checked
4. How to know if you need a building Permit (2026 county census)
5. Professional Soil Classifiers - Sewer Accessibility Verification (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Section 14-302. General prohibitions on rights-of-way and restricted public places (Myrtle Beach), quoted and re-checked
7. library.municode.com (Myrtle Beach), quoted and re-checked
8. Article 16. Area, Height and Dimensional Requirements (Myrtle Beach), quoted and re-checked
9. South Carolina Code Title 40, Chapter 59 — Residential Home Builders (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Private Drinking Water Wells (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Building Code Adoption (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. 2024 Building Code Modification Index (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Myrtle Beach Construction Services Floodplain Coordinator (cityofmyrtlebeach.com)
14. Myrtle Beach Planning & Zoning Department (cityofmyrtlebeach.com)
15. Article 16. Area, Height and Dimensional Requirements (Myrtle Beach), quoted and re-checked
16. SCDES Myrtle Beach Regional Office (des.sc.gov)
17. Septic Tanks - Residential, Single Home Builder (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
19. South Carolina State Register Vol. 45, Issue 5 — Regulation 61-56 (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. South Carolina State Register Vol. 45, Issue 5 — Regulation 61-56 (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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.