Gadsden

Richland County (state-capital county; ~415,000 residents — central South Carolina; encompassing Columbia, Forest Acres, Eastover, Arcadia Lakes, Blythewood, Irmo partial, and unincorporated tracts in the Sandhills, Congaree River bottoms, and Wateree River area) regulates land use in unincorporated areas through the Richland County Land Development Code (LDC), administered by the Richland County Planning and Development Services Department. South Carolina has no statewide ADU preemption — South Carolina's stateAduLaw is netEffect 'no-statewide-law' — and is generally a Dillon's Rule state with broad municipal home-rule under SC Const. Art. VIII. Counties have zoning authority over unincorporated areas under SC Code § 6-29-310 et seq. (SC Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act). The Richland County LDC permits 'accessory residential dwellings' / 'guest houses' in agricultural and large-lot residential districts (RU, RR, RS-MD, RS-LD) by right on parcels meeting size minimums, subject to size limits (commonly 1,200 sq ft or 50% of principal dwelling), one-per-lot limit, and parking. Smaller residential districts treat ADUs as conditional uses requiring Board of Zoning Appeals approval. The Richland County Council updated the LDC most recently in 2024.

• flood-zone
• airport-noise
• other