South Carolina

South Carolina's growing coastal and metro communities are driving interest in accessory dwelling units. Charleston, Greenville, and Columbia have adopted or are considering ADU-friendly zoning provisions. ADU Pass helps South Carolina homeowners navigate the permitting process.

571 ZIP codes
46 Counties
354 Cities

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State ADU details

State insurance regimes

South Carolina operates two parallel residual property-insurance markets. The South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association (SCWHUA, the 'Wind Pool'), authorized at SC Code §38-75-330 and originally created in 1971 (expanded 2007), provides wind-and-hail coverage in the designated coastal Beach Plan territory (parts of Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Georgetown, Horry, and Jasper counties). The South Carolina Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association handles insolvency claims; the SC FAIR Plan equivalent for non-coastal fire-and-extended-coverage residual coverage is administered through assigned-risk arrangements with admitted insurers under SC Department of Insurance oversight (no separately-branded state FAIR Plan as of 2026-04-26). The SC Department of Insurance (SC DOI) regulates rates and forms.

checked 2026-04-26

Known state issues (1)

  • legislative-session (since 2025-02) — If enacted, would create the first SC statewide tax incentive specifically for ADUs (property-tax exemption conditional on tenant-income, owner-income, and Section 8 acceptance criteria). Does not preempt local zoning. Has not advanced past committee since February 2025 referral. (source)
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs

Federal ADU law

The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.

checked 2026-04-20

Federal financing programs

Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.

checked 2026-04-20

Federal tax credits

There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.

checked 2026-04-20

Federal housing programs

HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.

checked 2026-04-20

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