FENCE RULES – HORRY (COUNTY), SOUTH CAROLINA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within Horry County, subject to local regulations. This page applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of Horry County; incorporated municipalities such as Conway, Myrtle Beach, and North Myrtle Beach may regulate fences under their own ordinances.
Horry County publishes fence and wall rules in the Horry County Zoning Ordinance, especially Section 412, Fences and Walls, rather than in a separate standalone fence code. Related requirements also appear in Code Enforcement building-permit guidance, the Horry County Land Development Regulations, Stormwater Department encroachment materials, Historic Preservation Commission materials, and the County’s pool-barrier affidavit.
This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction’s adopted materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the code does not specify one.
Compiled From the Horry County Zoning Ordinance, Horry County Code of Ordinances, Horry County Land Development Regulations, Horry County Code Enforcement building-permit guidance, Horry County Planning and Zoning Department materials, Horry County Stormwater Department materials, Horry County Historic Preservation Commission materials, and Horry County Pool Fence Affidavit as of May 2026.
GOVERNANCE
Horry County Council is the governing authority for the unincorporated areas of Horry County.
The Horry County Planning and Zoning Department administers and enforces the Horry County Zoning Ordinance and Horry County Land Development Regulations.
The Horry County Code Enforcement Department issues building permits, performs inspections for new construction and improvements, and administers relevant building-code review in the unincorporated County.
The Horry County Stormwater Department administers stormwater-related review and issues encroachment permits for approved items within County outfall easements.
The Horry County Historic Preservation Commission reviews designated historic-property and historic-district work under the County’s historic-preservation procedures.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Building Permit Trigger: Under Horry County Zoning Ordinance Section 412, a building permit is required when a fence is greater than 7 feet. Horry County’s building-permit guidance lists fences not over 7 feet as exempt from building permits.
• Zoning Compliance: Horry County’s building-permit guidance states that building-permit exemptions do not authorize work that violates other laws or ordinances, and that zoning compliance may be required.
• Site Plan for Permit-Required Fences: Fences required to obtain building permits must include a scaled site plan showing setbacks, locations, and elevations.
• Historic Properties and Districts: A Certificate of Appropriateness is required before a zoning compliance form or building permit can be issued for demolition, alteration, modification, addition, or new construction involving individually designated historic property, contributing designated historic or non-designated property in a County historic district, or property with a special tax assessment. A Certificate of No Effect process applies to qualifying minor work or repairs on historic property or contributing property in a historic district.
• Right-of-Way Encroachments: Structures and landscaping are not permitted in a public right-of-way unless an encroachment permit has been issued by Horry County or the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
• Stormwater Outfall Easements: Items proposed within Horry County outfall easements require review and approval by the Horry County Stormwater Department through its encroachment permit process.
• Pool Barrier Review: The Horry County Pool Fence Affidavit states that Horry County has adopted 2021 ISPSC Section 305, and all swimming pools must be enclosed by approved barriers and gates before final pool inspection.
• Land Development Context: Fence work that is part of a subdivision, platting action, or land development may be reviewed through the Horry County Land Development Regulations, including plat, easement, drainage, stormwater, floodplain, and sight-triangle requirements.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Front and Corner Side Privacy Fences: Privacy fences or walls installed in front yards or corner side yards must be set back 10 feet from front and corner side property lines that abut a road right-of-way or shared private drive.
• Non-Privacy Fence Placement: Split rail, uncluttered chain-link, and picket fences with less than 50% opacity in front yards or corner side yards are exempt from the 10-foot front/corner-side privacy-fence setback requirement.
• Property Lines: The ordinance does not state a setback requirement for standard residential fences from side or rear property lines; however, fences must be located entirely on the owner’s property and must not encroach into rights-of-way or easements.
• Landscape Buffers: Any use requiring a privacy fence or wall must locate the fence or wall internal to any required landscape buffer.
• Public Rights-of-Way: Fences and walls must not encroach into public rights-of-way unless the applicable regulatory agency issues an encroachment permit.
• Stormwater Outfall Easements: Fences or other items proposed within Horry County outfall easements require review and approval by the Horry County Stormwater Department.
• Sight Triangles and Driveways: Fence placement must not obstruct traffic visibility at street or driveway intersections. The Land Development Regulations define sight triangles as areas where nothing may be erected, placed, planted, or allowed to grow in a way that limits or obstructs motorists’ sight distance.
• Floodplain and Beachfront Context: Land development in flood-prone areas must meet the Flood Damage Prevention and Control Ordinance. The Land Development Regulations also identify beachfront lots as subject to beachfront lot standards. Section 412 does not publish a separate ordinary residential fence setback for coastal or dune areas.
• Utility Safety: South Carolina law requires notice through South Carolina 811 before excavation or demolition. Fence projects that involve digging, including fence post holes, notice for excavation that does not involve a subaqueous facility generally must be given within 3 to 12 full working days, not including the day notice is given, before excavation begins.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Standard Residential Maximum Height: In zoning districts other than AC, HC, LI, AM2, RE4, MA1, MA2, MA3, MI, and HI, fences and walls must not exceed 8 feet.
• Listed-District Height Exception: In AC, HC, LI, AM2, RE4, MA1, MA2, MA3, MI, and HI, fences and walls may be up to 12 feet.
• Building Permit Threshold: A fence greater than 7 feet requires a building permit, even where the maximum allowed height is 8 feet or 12 feet, depending on the zoning district.
• Street and Driveway Visibility: No fence or wall may be designed in a manner that obstructs the vision of vehicular traffic at street or driveway intersections.
• Legal Nonconforming Privacy Fence Context: A like-type privacy fence may be installed next to a properly maintained legal nonconforming privacy fence in a front or corner side yard only if it is no higher, extends no farther toward the roadway, and is not designed or located to obstruct vehicle vision at a street or driveway intersection.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Emergency Access: All fences and walls must be designed to permit emergency access to the enclosed area, whether by gate or breakaway section.
• Opacity: Non-privacy fences such as split rail, uncluttered chain-link, and picket fences with less than 50% opacity are treated differently from privacy fences for the front-yard and corner-side-yard setback rule.
• Pool Barriers: For swimming pools, barriers must comply with 2021 ISPSC Section 305. The Horry County Pool Fence Affidavit states that pool barriers must be at least 48 inches high, must limit openings so a 4-inch sphere cannot pass through, and must use pedestrian gates that open outward, self-close, and self-latch.
• Materials Not Otherwise Specified: For ordinary residential fences, the code does not specify a general prohibited-material list, finished-side orientation rule, or standalone barbed-wire or electric-fence prohibition.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
• HOAs and Covenants: Private HOAs, covenants, deed restrictions, subdivision restrictions, easements, and architectural-review covenants operate independently and may be more restrictive than Horry County rules.
• Private Easements and Boundary Agreements: Private access, drainage, utility, and boundary agreements can affect fence placement and maintenance even where the County code does not publish a fence-specific setback for that location.
• County Review: Horry County does not state that it enforces private HOA fence restrictions as part of the standard public fence rules.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Permit-Required Height: Fences greater than 7 feet are reviewed through the building-permit process and require a scaled site plan.
• Maximum Height: Fences and walls are reviewed against the 8-foot general maximum height and the 12-foot listed-district exception.
• Front and Corner Side Privacy Setbacks: Privacy fences and walls in front yards or corner side yards are reviewed against the 10-foot setback from front and corner side property lines that abut a road right-of-way or shared private drive.
• Traffic Visibility: Fences and walls are reviewed for obstruction of vehicular visibility at street and driveway intersections.
• Sight Triangles: Site plans, plats, and regulated land-development contexts may be reviewed for sight-triangle compliance under the Horry County Land Development Regulations.
• Right-of-Way and Outfall Easement Encroachments: Fence placement may be reviewed where the fence would enter a public right-of-way, County outfall easement, drainage easement, or similar regulated area.
• Historic Review: Work involving individually designated historic property, contributing property in a County historic district, or property with a special tax assessment may require Certificate of Appropriateness or Certificate of No Effect review before zoning compliance or building-permit approval.
• Pool Barrier Review: Pool barriers, gates, and related alarms are reviewed before final pool inspection under the County’s adopted 2021 ISPSC Section 305 barrier requirements.
• Floodplain, Beachfront, and Land Development Review: Fence issues may be reviewed where the fence is part of a regulated land-development, flood-prone-area, beachfront-lot, subdivision, platting, drainage, or stormwater context.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within Horry County, based on publicly available materials reviewed as of May 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain South Carolina laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in South Carolina.
It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, permits, surveys, or professional guidance. Rules and interpretations may change, and application may vary based on zoning district, site conditions, easements, rights-of-way, coastal location, floodplain status, historic district status, rural or agricultural context, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants or private agreements. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with Horry County Planning and Zoning Department, Horry County Code Enforcement Department, and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from Horry County staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.