Bolthole Index

Richland County, South Carolina

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Forest Acres, SC

Forest Acres, South Carolina requires a building permit for new buildings, additions, repairs and renovations as provided by its adopted codes; work cannot begin before issuance.1 Inside Forest Acres in Richland County, the city handles building applications and zoning questions, while SCDES handles septic approvals for homes without public or community sewer service.2345

At a glance

Building permits
Required for new buildings and covered additions, repairs and renovations; obtain approval before work starts.1
Zoning
City zoning applies inside Forest Acres; request the parcel classification from Planning & Zoning.63
Septic permits
SCDES approval required for homes without public or community sewer service.54
Owner-builder
Conditional state licensing exemption for an owner or family home; city disclosure required.72
Occupancy
City certificate of occupancy required before covered occupancy or use.8
Private wells
State General Permit coverage requires a Notice of Intent before construction; local restrictions still apply.9

Who to call

Building permits

Forest Acres Building Department

City building applications, plan review and inspections

(803) 782-9475

5209 North Trenholm Road, Forest Acres SC 29206

Zoning

Forest Acres Planning & Zoning

Parcel zoning requests and city land-use questions

(803) 782-9475

[email protected]

5209 North Trenholm Road, Forest Acres SC 29206

Septic permits

South Carolina Department of Environmental Services — Onsite Wastewater Program

Onsite wastewater applications, site evaluations, permits and installation inspections

(803) 898-3432

[email protected]

2600 Bull St. Columbia, SC 29201

Floodplain permits

Forest Acres Building Department — Floodplain Questions

City floodplain repair and reconstruction questions

(803) 782-9475

5209 North Trenholm Road, Forest Acres SC 29206

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 Forest Acres means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Forest Acres, SC?

Forest Acres requires a building permit for a new building or an addition, repair or renovation to an existing building within city limits, as provided by the adopted codes.1 Forest Acres prohibits starting covered work before the building permit has been issued.10 A qualifying owner-builder can use South Carolina’s licensing exemption for a home intended for the owner or family, but construction must still comply with building codes and zoning.7 Forest Acres also requires a homeowner disclosure statement before the owner can obtain a construction permit.2

Who issues building permits in Forest Acres, and where do you apply?

The Forest Acres Building Department directs applicants to submit building permit applications at City Hall for processing and payment.2 Call City Hall at (803) 782-9475 and ask for the Building Department; City Hall is at 5209 North Trenholm Road, Forest Acres SC 29206.2 Forest Acres requires a subcontractor list when subcontractors will be used, plus a contract identifying the parties, work scope, cost and signatures.2 When the Building Official requires plan review, Forest Acres requires a plan review application.2 Ask the Building Department for the current fee, inspection schedule and submission method for your specific project.2

Does Forest Acres have zoning, and how do you check a lot?

Forest Acres has city zoning that applies to land inside its boundaries.6 Forest Acres Planning & Zoning offers a Zoning Request Form to identify a property’s zoning and links the Unified Development Ordinance for questions about what and where you can build.3 Before committing to a design, ask Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel’s permitted uses, minimum lot area, setbacks, height and accessory-building requirements under the current ordinance.3 Forest Acres says a use variance cannot authorize a use forbidden by the property’s zoning, so a variance is not a fallback for an otherwise prohibited housing use.3

How do septic permits work inside Forest Acres?

SCDES administers septic permitting in South Carolina, including Forest Acres; a home without public or community sewer service needs SCDES approval and a septic installation permit.45 Check sewer accessibility first: South Carolina does not allow an onsite wastewater permit where public sewer is accessible.11 The SCDES residential application fee is $150, and the application requires a copy of the property’s plat or deed.12 Traditional permitting includes a site evaluation, and the installer must arrange inspection before covering the system.12 Forest Acres can require an unsanitary or nuisance septic system to connect to public sanitary sewer when connection is reasonably practicable.13

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Forest Acres?

We could not confirm a Forest Acres rule allowing long-term RV occupancy on private land; ask Forest Acres Planning & Zoning about the proposed address and occupancy before buying an RV for housing.3 We also could not confirm Forest Acres-specific tiny-home occupancy or minimum dwelling-floor-area standards; request a written land-use answer from Planning & Zoning.3 Forest Acres requires a certificate of occupancy before covered occupancy or use, and the proposed use must conform to city zoning.8 South Carolina’s state-park camping rules concern state-park campsites and do not establish permission to live on private land in Forest Acres.14

Building a home in Forest Acres: what are the steps?

Start with the address and proposed use, then work through the city and wastewater approvals in this order:

  • Ask Forest Acres Planning & Zoning for the parcel’s zoning and whether the proposed home is permitted.3
  • Confirm sewer accessibility; if the home will use septic, obtain SCDES site approval and a permit to install the system.115
  • Ask the Forest Acres Building Department what plans and applications the project needs; the city lists a property plat showing existing buildings and proposed construction among plan-review materials.2
  • Obtain the city building permit before starting covered work.10
  • Obtain the Forest Acres certificate of occupancy before covered occupancy or use.8

What should you check before buying land in Forest Acres?

Ask the Forest Acres Building Department about floodplain requirements before planning repairs or reconstruction on a floodplain property; the city requires a floodplain development permit for those activities on damaged structures.15 Forest Acres also requires a land disturbance permit for grading, dredging, filling or other alterations that may cause erosion or sediment relocation when there is no approved building plan.2 A proposed individual residential well needs state General Permit coverage through a Notice of Intent before construction, and that permit does not override local restrictions.9 For land outside Forest Acres city limits, use the Richland County guide for county-administered building requirements.16

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Forest Acres-specific RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy or minimum dwelling-size rules; ask Planning & Zoning before treating a parcel as suitable for alternative housing.3
  • South Carolina’s adopted 2024 building codes take effect January 1, 2027; ask the Forest Acres Building Department which code edition will govern your application.17
  • An owner-builder licensing exemption requires personal supervision and the required recorded public notice; selling or renting within 2 years creates a presumption that the home was built for sale or rent.7

Sources

  1. Code of Ordinances: Sec. 5-4. Building permit—Required (Forest Acres), quoted and re-checked
  2. Forest Acres Building Department (forestacres.net)
  3. Forest Acres Planning & Zoning (forestacres.net)
  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. Zoning Ordinance of the City of Forest Acres (Forest Acres), quoted and re-checked
  7. South Carolina Code Title 40, Chapter 59 — Residential Home Builders (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Zoning Ordinance of the City of Forest Acres (Forest Acres), quoted and re-checked
  9. Private Drinking Water Wells (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Code of Ordinances: Sec. 5-4. Building permit—Required (Forest Acres), quoted and re-checked
  11. Professional Soil Classifiers - Sewer Accessibility Verification (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Septic Tanks - Residential, Single Home Builder, quoted and re-checked
  13. Code of Ordinances: Sec. 20-13. Condemnation (Forest Acres), quoted and re-checked
  14. South Carolina Code Title 51, Chapter 3, State Parks (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Forest Acres Building Department — Floodplain Questions (forestacres.net)
  16. Building Permits, quoted and re-checked
  17. 2024 Building Code Modification Index (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.

Answers from the rulebook for Forest Acres

Forest Acres’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New buildings, additions, repairs, and renovations to existing buildings within Forest Acres city limits.

    • The requirement is as provided in codes adopted by the city.
    • No work may commence before issuance of a permit in accordance with adopted codes.
    “A building permit is required for a new building or addition, repair or renovation to any existing building located within the city limits as provided in codes adopted by the city. No work shall be commenced unless a building permit has been issued in accordance with the adopted codes.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Occupancy or use of buildings, structures, land, or premises inside Forest Acres city limits.

    • Certificate is required before occupancy or use.
    • For issuance, the proposed use must conform to Chapter 21 and the final building must comply with submitted building-permit plans.
    • Application and required fees are required.

    issuance period after application and fee payment: <= 3 days (Only if the stated conformity and plan-compliance conditions are met.)

    “A certificate of occupancy issued by the building official is required in advance of the occupancy or use of: (1) any building, structure, land or premises; (2) any building or structure hereafter erected or moved; (3) any building hereafter altered, so as to affect the front, side or rear yards thereof, or its height; (4) any building, structure or premises in which there is a change of the type of occupancy or use.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Forest Acres city limits.

    • The ordinance applies to all land within City of Forest Acres boundaries.
    “This chapter shall apply to all land located within the boundaries of the City of Forest Acres, South Carolina.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land within Forest Acres city limits.

    • The zoning ordinance divides the city area into twelve districts.

    number of districts: 12

    “For the purposes of this chapter, the area described in section 21.2 of this chapter is divided into twelve (12) districts as follows:”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Existing septic tanks and septic systems inside Forest Acres city limits.

    • A system declared unsanitary, a nuisance, a public-health danger, or a source of foul or noxious odor or effluvia cannot continue.
    • The owner must connect to public sanitary sewer when connection can reasonably and practicably be made.
    “It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain, possess or permit to continue within the city limits any septic tank or septic tank system which has been declared by the building inspector, board of health or health officer of the city to be in an unsanitary condition, or in a condition constituting a public or private nuisance or a danger to public health or causing foul or noxious odor or effluvia.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    A septic tank or septic system inside Forest Acres city limits that has been declared unsanitary, a nuisance, a health danger, or a source of foul or noxious odor or effluvia.

    • Connection obligation applies only after the city building inspector, board of health, or city health officer declares the system to be in the specified condition.
    • Connection is required only if it can reasonably and practicably be made.
    “Any person possessing a septic tank or septic tank system in any such condition shall make connection for the disposal of sewerage to a public sanitary sewer system, if such connection can reasonably and practicably be made.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in Forest Acres special flood-hazard areas where base-flood-elevation data has been provided.

    • Applies in zones A, AE, AH, AO, and A1-30 where base flood elevation data has been provided as stated.
    • New or substantially improved residential structures, including manufactured homes, must have the lowest floor at least two feet above base flood elevation and may not have basements.

    residential lowest-floor elevation above base flood elevation: >= 2 feet (New construction or substantial improvement in identified areas.)

    “In all areas of special flood hazard (zones A, AE, AH, AO, and A1-30) where base flood elevation data has been provided, as set forth in section 22-4 or outlined in the duties and responsibilities of the local administrator, section 22-30, the following provisions are required: (1) Residential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure (including manufactured homes) shall have the lowest floor elevated no lower than two (2) feet above the base flood elevation. No basements are permitted.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building-permit process for buildings inside Forest Acres city limits.

    • Permit issuance and details are governed by adopted codes.
    • Work cannot commence before permit issuance.
    “No work shall be commenced unless a building permit has been issued in accordance with the adopted codes.”

Rules another office applies inside Forest Acres

Forest 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 coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Non-residential lots in Forest Acres R-1 low-density residential district.

    • The table labels this row as non-residential lot size.

    maximum building coverage: 25 percent (R-1, non-residential lot.)

    “(b) Lot Size: Non-residential (1) Maximum coverage of lot by building (percent) 25 30 35 40 60 60 60 NA”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory apartments for the elderly in the R-1 single-family residential district inside Forest Acres.

    • The text states that the use is subject to Sec. 21.149, whose conditions were not extracted in the opened source.
    “(7) Accessory apartments for the elderly subject, to the provisions of section 21.149.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Forest Acres or Richland County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Forest Acres city limits.
  • Inspections — Residential building inspections inside Forest Acres city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside Forest Acres city limits.
  • Building height — Building height inside Forest Acres city limits.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term occupancy of a recreational vehicle on private land inside Forest Acres city limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • 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 Forest Acres publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Richland County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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