ADU Pass
Clinton
Laurens County portion
Also in: Newberry County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Clinton, Laurens County, South Carolina navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 2 ZIP codes.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: unclear
South Carolina leaves ADU regulation to local municipalities under home-rule or Dillon-rule authority. Clinton permits ADUs subject to local conditions per its zoning ordinance.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $1,500 | $33,000 | $34,500 |
| 600 | 600 | $1,500 | $132,000 | $133,500 |
| midpoint | 525 | $1,500 | $115,500 | $117,000 |
| maximum | 900 | $1,500 | $198,000 | $199,500 |
Fee breakdown
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU generally permitted; landlord-tenant law and any city rental-registration ordinance apply.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Clinton regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
- Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.
Utilities
- Water: Clinton Water Utility · 30d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Clinton Sewer / Wastewater · 30d connect · $5,500
- Electric: Clinton Electric Utility · 21d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Clinton Gas Utility · 30d connect · $1,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 10mo · worst 16mo
Financing
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
South Carolina has no statewide statute that voids HOA bans on ADUs. Common-interest communities in SC are governed primarily by the South Carolina Homeowners Association Act (Title 27, Chapter 30 of the SC Code) for HOAs and by the Horizontal Property Act (Title 27, Chapter 31) for condominiums. Restrictive covenants in declarations and bylaws — including those prohibiting accessory structures or secondary kitchens — remain enforceable per their terms.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: City of Clinton Municipal Code — Accessory Dwelling Units, adopted 2020-01-01, last amended 2024-04-01
- 2024-01-01 — City of Clinton ADU code refresh (city-ordinance)
Conforming local-code amendments aligning with current South Carolina accessory-dwelling framework.
Effect: Codified permissive ADU standards consistent with state law and local zoning.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ZIP Codes
- 29325
- 29351
Post Office
- 202 Elizabeth St, 29325