South Carolina Tiny Home Zoning Laws
South Carolina has adopted International Code Council building standards, including Appendix Q, but most counties are genuinely welcoming to tiny homes — with a small, specific, and worth-knowing exception.
- Statewide adoption of ICC standards, including Appendix Q — most counties are genuinely welcoming.
- Bamberg, Pickens, and York counties are consistently cited as restricting tiny homes — but the details vary.
- Pickens County's restriction is actually a temporary moratorium on multi-family development broadly, not a permanent, targeted ban.
- We could not confirm whether that moratorium has expired, been extended, or made permanent.
- THOWs are generally treated as RVs statewide and face placement restrictions in most municipalities.
Counties that currently restrict tiny homes, with one important nuance: Bamberg County, Pickens County, and York County are consistently cited as not allowing tiny homes.1 But Pickens County's restriction is more specific than a blanket ban: County Council adopted a six-month moratorium around April 2024 on new multi-family residential development, including townhomes, apartments, RV parks, and tiny homes, citing infrastructure strain from rapid growth.7 We could not confirm whether that moratorium has since expired, been extended, or been replaced with a permanent ordinance, and we found no comparably detailed primary sourcing explaining the specific form Bamberg's or York's restrictions take. Confirm current status directly with each county rather than assuming a uniform, permanent ban across all three. Separately, Lee, Allendale, and Calhoun counties don't have enough published information to determine their stance, so you'll need to contact those counties directly.1
1. Horry County: The Most Specific Ordinance We Found
Horry County's own zoning code (Appendix B, Section 752) explicitly permits tiny homes on foundations in one designated mixed residential district, and Section 463.5 formally defines a "tiny home" as a detached single-family dwelling under 750 square feet.5 Practically, this means tiny homes up to 750 square feet and 25 feet tall are permitted in Horry County's Multi-Residential Districts (MRDs), with standard requirements for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire safety, and structural inspections.2,4
2. Other County Examples
| County | Notable Rule |
|---|---|
| Richland County | Permits tiny homes in RM-2 (Residential Mixed) zoning districts specifically; homes capped at 400 sq ft with a minimum 6 ft 8 in ceiling height1,6 |
| Greenville County | Requires a permanent foundation and zone-specific minimum square footage, treating tiny homes similarly to standard residences2,3 |
| Charleston County | Generally favorable, cited alongside Horry and Greenville as one of the more accommodating counties4 |
3. ADU Rules Worth Knowing
Where ADUs are permitted, common conditions include a size cap around 850 square feet, owner-occupancy of the primary residence, only one ADU allowed per lot, and in at least some jurisdictions, an explicit prohibition on using the ADU as a short-term rental.6 If your plan involves an ADU-classified tiny home specifically for short-term rental income, confirm this restriction doesn't apply in your target county before counting on that revenue model — see our STR feasibility guide for the broader zoning traps that can affect this use case.
4. Homes on Wheels
THOWs are generally treated similarly to RVs across South Carolina and must be parked in approved locations such as RV parks, with specific electrical and utility connection requirements.6 As in most states in this series, confirm your target county's specific stance before assuming full-time occupancy is legal outside a designated park.
Research record: Every secondary source we found repeats the same "Bamberg, Pickens, York" list without explaining the specific mechanism behind each restriction. We found a local news report describing Pickens County's restriction as a time-limited moratorium tied to broader growth concerns, not a targeted or necessarily permanent tiny-home ban, and adjusted our framing accordingly. We were not able to find comparable primary reporting on Bamberg or York, which is itself worth noting rather than assuming they work the same way. Information last checked August 2026.
How to Verify Your Specific Situation
- Don't assume Bamberg, Pickens, or York counties have identical, permanent bans — Pickens' restriction began as a temporary moratorium; confirm current status with each county directly before ruling them out or in.
- If your county has limited published information (Lee, Allendale, Calhoun), contact the local zoning office directly rather than assuming a default answer.
- If planning an ADU specifically for short-term rental income, confirm your target jurisdiction doesn't prohibit STR use on ADU-classified structures.
- Look up the specific ordinance section for your target county, the way Horry County's Appendix B sections 752 and 463.5 spell out exact requirements.
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- Zook Cabins, "Tiny Home Regulations In South Carolina (2026 Guide)."
- TinyHouse.com, "South Carolina's Tiny Home Rules and Regulations."
- Great Lakes Tiny Home, "What Counties in South Carolina Allow Tiny Houses."
- My Tiny House Guys, "South C. Tiny Living."
- American Planning Association, "Horry County, SC, Code of Ordinances" (Appendix B); primary source: Horry County Code of Ordinances, Appendix B – Zoning via Municode Library.
- Elite Nest, "What Counties in South Carolina Allow Tiny Houses."
- WSPA News, "Pickens Co. imposes moratorium on new townhomes, apartments, RV parks," April 2024.
