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

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 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.

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Department Functions

Subdivision Of Property Requests

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.

Requests for Variance, Special Exception, and Appeals

Application forms can be obtained through the Planning and Zoning Department or downloaded from this site and must accompany a $100.00 non-refundable fee.

Requests are evaluated by the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), a quasi-judicial board. The application and associated fee are due by 5:00 PM at least 4 weeks prior to the scheduled meeting, typically the date of the previous month’s meeting*.

The BZA meets the third Tuesday of every month* and possesses final decision-making authority on requests. All requests are advertised via a newspaper of general circulation, posted with a red Public Hearing sign, and published in the respective meeting agenda.

*Unless otherwise stated.

Rezoning Requests
Application forms for rezoning requests can be obtained from the Planning and Zoning Department or downloaded from this site and must accompany a $250.00 non-refundable fee (excepting requests to establish or amend a Planned Development District).

Each request is presented to the Planning Commission for recommendation to County Council. The Planning Commission meets the fourth Tuesday of the month*. A completed rezoning application and associated fee are due by 5:00 PM at least 4 weeks prior to the scheduled meeting, typically the date of the previous month’s meeting*.

The process for rezoning takes approximately 120 days, unless deferred. County Council has final decision-making authority on requests for rezoning. All requests are published via the County website in the respective meeting agenda and posted with a yellow public meeting sign prior to the scheduled Planning Commission meeting.

*Unless otherwise stated.

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