Our zoning rules are complex, whether you are designing a subdivision or are building within one. Spending some time at the start of a project reading through our zoning regulations and asking questions about them is an excellent use of time and will you avoid time delays and frustration in the long run.   

Key Zoning Ordinance (PDF) sections for residential projects:

• Use-specific standards (4.3.3): This section includes standards regarding amenities (which are now required for neighborhoods), shared use paths or trails, sewer pump stations, HOAs, phasing, etc.
• Accessory structures (5.3): Setbacks, size, height, maximum allowed, etc.
• Lot dimensions (6.6): Lot dimensions vary by zoning district, but alley, parking, and other standards often require larger dimensions than are shown in the table—it is critical that you refer to the associated notes in the table before you configure a dwelling on a lot.
• Neighborhood design standards and street design standards:
  • 6.3 includes standards regarding the amount of parking spaces required on- and on-site for each residence.
  • 6.7 includes standards that you may need to include on the site plan, such as sidewalks or shared use paths.
  • Appendix 6-A includes street cross-sections.
• Development standards (Ch. 8): Standards regarding riparian buffers, tree protection, open space, landscaping (land use buffers, street tree options, etc.), parking, lighting, and signs.
• Site and building design standards (9.2 for single-family detached and 9.3 for single-family attached): Some of these standards affect layout, particularly the garage requirements.  Building plans will need to show sufficient information through elevations, call-outs or notes for us to determine whether the architectural standards are met.
• Construction standards (Ch. 7) 

If you call us early on, we will schedule a pre-application meeting with you so that you call tell us about your plans and so that we can guide you about the various regulations that will apply. Reach out to our zoning assistant at 803-817-5129 to schedule this meeting.

We require use of our online plan review and permitting portal for good reason—it helps you and us keep track of things far better than paper forms or email. You can use it to manage all aspects of your project from submitting plans and permit applications to scheduling inspections. 

Developing a residential subdivision includes several steps, which usually occur in this order. Each of these webpages has information about that part of the process to help guide you through that step to keep your project moving forward.

1. Annexation and/or rezoning if needed
2. Sketch plans (will be done as part of annexation/rezoning if either is needed; if not, this is the first step)
3. Traffic Impact Analysis
4. Preliminary plats
5. Civil plans (PDF)
6. Final plats

Submit your as-builts (PDF) as soon as possible to avoid delays in being able to sell lots. A final plat must be approved before you can start selling lots, and as-built plans for infrastructure must be submitted and approved prior to approval of the final plat. 

Submitting a master set of house plans will streamline the processing of permits when you are ready to build on specific lots.  This is a way for us to pre-review plans when you would like to build multiple homes with the same floor plan or model within a subdivision.

When you submit a master set of house plans (a complete set of construction plans that shows a particular model of home with all available options), the building plan reviewer will review those drawings for code compliance. That way, when you later submit a permit application to use one of the plans on a particular lot, that part of the permitting process will already be complete. 

To submit for master house plan review, simply submit a set of building plans through our online permitting software. When you are ready to build on a particular lot, cross out the options on the building plans that will not be used for that lot, and submit that version of the plans as part of your residential building permit application for the lot. 

If you have questions about any of our plan review comments, the person who wrote the comments can help you understand what they are saying the most easily.  

This is the reason we list the plan reviewers’ contact information at the top of every set of plan review comments that we send out. Our permit technicians receive a lot of calls regarding plan review comments, but they do not review plans, so that is not the best way to get your questions answered.  Instead, the subject matter expert who wrote the comments on each topic will be happy to help explain what they meant. If you have comments for multiple plan reviewers, we can also schedule a time to go over them as a group with you. 

We update our website with new fee information anytime they are changed by City Council, which typically is in July. 

Development fees

Model homes (PDF)

Construction trailers