Planning & Zoning

The goal of the Berkeley County Planning and Zoning Department is to provide professional and technical advice to elected officials, appointed boards & commissions and citizens to assist in understanding the County's planning and zoning ordinances, standards and policies.

Mission Statement

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DEPARTMENT HOURS: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Customer Service Walk-In Hours:

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

OTHERWISE BY APPOINTMENT

Customers may engage staff with inquiries during Customer Service Walk-In Hours. Otherwise customers may contact Styasia Ransom, Administrative Support Specialist, at 843.719.4095 or styasia.ransom@berkeleycountysc.gov or use the contact form available here to schedule an appointment with staff outside of walk-in hours.

Applications, plans/plats, and other submittals are accepted for review or, upon approval, available for pick up via Drop Box or at the Front Counter ANYTIME

Any applicable fees may be paid online at the link available here, using instructions provided by Department staff once an application/submittal is processed, or by cash or check.

Applicants seeking preliminary information and feedback on a sketch plan for subdivision, multi-family, commercial, industrial, or institutional development are encouraged to sign up for Joint Plan Review.

Department Functions

Subdivision Of Property Requests
Application for Rezoning
Variance and Special Exception Requests
Appeals
Review of building permits for Zoning Compliance
Zoning Verification/Confirmation Letters

Please be advised that as of July 24, 2007, the Berkeley County Planning & Zoning Department requires a $5.00 fee per lot/Tax Map Number requested in a Zoning Verification Letter. The Planning and Zoning Department requires that all requests be submitted using the form Zoning Verification Letter (ZVL) Request Form. Please be advised that any additional information requested may require a FOIA Request per the Freedom of Information Act, Section 30-4-10, et seq., Code of Laws of South Carolina (1976, as amended). You may visit the Berkeley County FOIA information page by clicking here.

Requests for Waivers from the Planning Commission
Zoning Use Approval Forms for 911 Addressing
Administer the Zoning and Development Standards Ordinance and the Land Development and Subdivision Regulations. To obtain information about a property, please refer to the Official Zoning Map, which is available as a layer in the Berkeley County GIS Web Map. You may also refer to the Zoning District Cheat Sheet for a brief description of each Zoning District. Setback information.

Rezoning Requests
Application forms for rezoning requests can be obtained from the Planning and Zoning Department, or downloaded from this site. There is a $250.00 non-refundable fee required for all requests. Each request is presented to the Planning Commission for recommendation to County Council.

The Planning Commission meets the fourth Tuesday of the month*. Submission date deadline is the fourth Tuesday of the month* by 5 pm for the next month’s meeting. The process of rezoning takes a minimum of 90 days.

All requests are advertised via the County website and posted with a yellow Berkeley County Planning Department hearing sign.

*unless otherwise stated

Variance, Special Exception Permit, and Appeals
Forms can be obtained through the Planning and Zoning Department and requires a $100.00 non-refundable fee for all requests.

Requests go before the Board of Zoning Appeals. Submission date deadline is the third Tuesday of the month by 5 pm for the following month’s meeting. The Board of Zoning Appeals meets the third Tuesday of every month.

All requests are advertised via a newspaper of general circulation and posted with a red Planning Department Public Hearing sign. Typically Posted with a yellow sign.

When submitting a request for rezoning, please note the Policy for the Deferral of Requests During the Public Process and Resubmittal Of Previously-Defeated Requests