Greenville, SC Zoning
Districts & Requirements
Every zoning district in Greenville with permitted uses, setbacks, height limits, and density requirements — in plain English. Greenville adopted a form-based Development Code in July 2023. The district number tells you the max base stories — MX-3 means 3 stories by right. RC and MX districts can add 2 bonus stories with affordable units, no rezoning needed.
22
Zoning districts
9
Overlay districts
74,000
Population
2023
Code adopted
Quick Reference
Find your district, see what you can do. Click any row for details.
| District | At a glance | Height | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| RH-A | Single-family only. No subdivision potential. One house + one ADU on large lots. | 2.5 stories / 32 ft | 20% |
| RH-B | Standard single-family lots. Room for a home + detached ADU. Most common house district. | 2.5 stories / 32 ft | 30% |
| RH-C | Narrow-lot, zero-lot-line possible. Good for infill and cottage courts. 4,000 SF minimum. | 2.5 stories / 32 ft | 50% |
| RH-D | Micro-lots, 25-ft wide. Rowhouse-scale single-family. Rare but used for affordable infill. | 2.5 stories / 32 ft | 60% |
| RN-A | Duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses. Missing middle housing at 2.5 stories. | 2.5 stories / 32 ft | 70% |
| RN-B | Same uses as RN-A but 3 stories. The extra half-story significantly increases unit yield. | 3 stories / 40 ft | 80% |
| RN-C | Same as RN-B but 5-ft front setback instead of 10. More urban street presence. | 3 stories / 40 ft | 80% |
| RC-2 | 2 stories base, 4 with affordable bonus. No rezoning needed for bonus height. Apartment-scale. | 2 stories (4 with bonus) | 80% |
| RC-3 | 3 stories base, 5 with bonus. Build-to line, 0-ft side setback. Major apartment projects. | 3 stories (5 with bonus) | 85% |
| RC-5 | 5 stories by right, 90% coverage, minimal setbacks. No bonus available — 5 is the max. | 5 stories | 90% |
| MX-2 | Residential + commercial, 2 stories. Ground-floor retail allowed but not required. | 2 stories | 80% |
| MX-3 | 3 stories, full mixed-use flexibility. The workhorse district for walkable corridors. | 3 stories | 85% |
| MX-5 | 5 stories, 90% coverage. Substantial mixed-use without DRB review. Near-downtown sites. | 5 stories | 90% |
| MX-D | No height cap. DRB approval required. The most valuable and flexible zoning in Greenville. | No fixed max (DRB approval) | 100% |
| MXS-2 | Like MX-2 but ground-floor retail is required. Budget for commercial-grade buildout. | 2 stories | 80% |
| MXS-3 | 3 stories with required retail. Most common shopfront district along commercial streets. | 3 stories | 85% |
| MXS-5 | 5 stories with required retail. Structured parking needed at this density. | 5 stories | 90% |
| MXS-D | No height cap + required retail. Greenville's most valuable commercial zoning. DRB required. | No fixed max (DRB approval) | 100% |
| BG | Auto-oriented commercial. The district for drive-throughs, car lots, and big-box retail. | 3 stories / 45 ft | 80% |
| BH | Warehousing, distribution, outdoor storage. Wider buffers than BG. | 3 stories / 45 ft | 80% |
| IX | Light manufacturing, warehouse, office mix. 65-ft height for high-bay buildings. | 5 stories / 65 ft | 80% |
| IG | Heavy industrial. 50-ft front setback, 25-ft side/rear. Manufacturing and processing. | 5 stories / 65 ft | 80% |
Residential — House Scale
4 districts in Greenville
RH-A
House ASingle-family on large lots (18K+ SF). No path to density without rezoning. If you're evaluating an RH-A site, you're building one home.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family home
- ✓One ADU
- ✓Home occupation
- ✗Duplexes, townhouses, or multifamily
- ✗Commercial or retail
- ✗Subdivision below 18,000 SF lots
Key numbers
- Height
- 2.5 stories / 32 ft
- Lot min
- 18,000 SF (~0.4 acres)
- Width
- 80 ft
- Coverage
- 20%
- Front
- 30 ft
- Side
- 10 ft (12 ft on lots >100 ft wide)
- Rear
- 20 ft (5 ft accessory)
What this means in practice
20% coverage on 18,000 SF = 3,600 SF max footprint. On a 2.5-story build that's ~8,000 SF total. The math only works for custom homes. If you have a larger RH-A parcel and want density, you need a rezoning to RN or RC — check what adjacent parcels are zoned.
RH-B
House BThe workhorse single-family district. 9,000 SF lots, 60-ft wide — standard Greenville residential. Good ADU potential in the rear.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family home
- ✓One ADU
- ✓Home occupation
- ✗Duplexes, townhouses, or multifamily
- ✗Commercial or retail
Key numbers
- Height
- 2.5 stories / 32 ft
- Lot min
- 9,000 SF
- Width
- 60 ft
- Coverage
- 30%
- Front
- 20 ft
- Side
- 5 ft (7 ft on lots >60 ft wide)
- Rear
- 15 ft (5 ft accessory)
What this means in practice
30% of 9,000 SF = 2,700 SF footprint. Two stories gets you ~5,000 SF of living space plus a detached ADU. If you're buying RH-B lots for spec homes, this is Greenville's bread-and-butter product — well-understood by lenders and appraisers.
RH-C
House CNarrow-lot infill district. 40-ft wide, 4,000 SF minimum, zero-lot-line allowed. Popular for urban infill along North Main and Augusta Road corridors.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family home
- ✓One ADU
- ✓Cottage court
- ✓Zero-lot-line homes
- ✗Duplexes or townhouses (need RN district)
- ✗Multifamily
- ✗Commercial
Key numbers
- Height
- 2.5 stories / 32 ft
- Lot min
- 4,000 SF
- Width
- 40 ft
- Coverage
- 50%
- Front
- 10 ft
- Side
- 0 ft or 5 ft
- Rear
- 15 ft (3 ft accessory)
What this means in practice
The 0-ft side setback is the play here — build to the property line on one side, put your yard on the other. 50% coverage on 4,000 SF = 2,000 SF footprint, two stories gets you ~3,800 SF. Cottage courts (clustered small homes sharing a common green) are explicitly allowed and pencil well for rental income.
RH-D
House DSmallest house lots in Greenville. 25-ft wide, 2,500 SF minimum. Built for narrow rowhouse-style homes on tight urban lots.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family home
- ✓One ADU
- ✓Zero-lot-line homes
- ✗Duplexes or multifamily
- ✗Commercial
Key numbers
- Height
- 2.5 stories / 32 ft
- Lot min
- 2,500 SF
- Width
- 25 ft
- Coverage
- 60%
- Front
- 5 ft
- Side
- 0 ft or 5 ft
- Rear
- 12 ft (3 ft accessory)
What this means in practice
25-ft wide at 60% coverage = 1,500 SF footprint. Two-and-a-half stories gets you ~3,500 SF total. These are tight but functional — think Charleston-style single homes. Mostly used for affordable housing projects and narrow infill lots that can't support RH-C dimensions.
Residential — Neighborhood Scale
3 districts in Greenville
RN-A
Neighborhood AThis is where you get your first multifamily entitlement. Duplexes through small apartments, plus townhouses. Height limited to 2.5 stories — keeps it compatible with adjacent houses.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family + ADU
- ✓Duplex, triplex, fourplex
- ✓Townhouses
- ✓Small apartments
- ✓Live/work units
- ✗Large apartment complexes
- ✗Standalone commercial
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 2.5 stories / 32 ft
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF per unit
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 70%
- Front
- 10 ft
- Side
- 0 ft or 5 ft
- Rear
- 15 ft (3 ft accessory)
What this means in practice
1,800 SF per unit is the density driver. A 7,200 SF lot = 4 units. A quarter-acre (10,890 SF) = 6 units. At 70% coverage and 2.5 stories, a fourplex on 7,200 SF yields ~12,600 SF of gross floor area. Townhouse projects with 18-ft-wide attached units are the most common RN-A product.
RN-B
Neighborhood BMissing middle at 3 stories. Same building types as RN-A but the extra height changes the math — 50% more floor area per lot.
What you can build
- ✓Single-family + ADU
- ✓Duplex through fourplex
- ✓Townhouses
- ✓Small apartment buildings
- ✓Live/work units
- ✗Large apartment complexes
- ✗Standalone commercial
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 3 stories / 40 ft
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF per unit
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 10 ft
- Side
- 0 ft or 5 ft
- Rear
- 15 ft (3 ft accessory)
What this means in practice
The jump from 2.5 to 3 stories at 80% coverage is significant. On 7,200 SF: 80% coverage × 3 floors = 17,280 SF gross — enough for 8-12 apartments depending on unit size. This is the sweet spot for small-scale multifamily that pencils without structured parking.
RN-C
Neighborhood CIdentical to RN-B in uses and density. The only difference: 5-ft front setback creates a tighter urban street wall. Found closer to downtown.
What you can build
- ✓Same as RN-B
- ✗Same as RN-B
Key numbers
- Height
- 3 stories / 40 ft
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF per unit
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 5 ft
- Side
- 0 ft or 5 ft
- Rear
- 15 ft (3 ft accessory)
What this means in practice
If you're comparing RN-B and RN-C sites, the only difference is 5 feet of front setback. Same density, same height, same uses. RN-C just puts the building closer to the street.
Residential — Community Scale
3 districts in Greenville
RC-2
Community 2Medium-density apartments and townhouse complexes. The bonus program is the headline: include affordable units and go from 2 to 4 stories by right — no variance, no rezoning, no discretionary review.
What you can build
- ✓Apartment buildings
- ✓Townhouse complexes
- ✓Senior housing
- ✓4 stories with 15% affordable at 80% AMI
- ✗Standalone commercial
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 2 stories (4 with bonus)
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft or 5 ft
- Rear
- 15 ft (3 ft accessory)
What this means in practice
The bonus doubles your building. On a half-acre RC-2 site: 2 stories = ~35,000 SF gross. With bonus: 4 stories = ~70,000 SF. The affordable unit requirement (15% at 80% AMI) is a real cost, but the extra 2 stories of market-rate units more than pay for it. Run the numbers — the bonus almost always pencils.
RC-3
Community 3Higher-density residential along Greenville's corridors. 5 bonus stories with affordability. Build-to lines mean no surface parking in front — parking goes behind or below.
What you can build
- ✓Large apartment buildings
- ✓Townhouse complexes
- ✓Senior housing
- ✓5 stories with affordable bonus
- ✗Standalone commercial
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 3 stories (5 with bonus)
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 85%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
At 5 bonus stories and 85% coverage, a 1-acre site yields ~185,000 SF of residential — roughly 150-200 apartments. You'll need structured parking at this density. The build-to requirement eliminates surface parking between the building and street. This is where most of Greenville's new apartment construction happens.
RC-5
Community 5Greenville's highest-density residential district. 5 stories, 90% lot coverage, building nearly lot-line to lot-line. Near-downtown locations.
What you can build
- ✓Large apartment buildings
- ✓Townhouse complexes
- ✓Senior housing
- ✗Standalone commercial
- ✗Industrial
- ✗Bonus height (5 stories is the cap)
Key numbers
- Height
- 5 stories
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 90%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft
- Rear
- 5 ft
What this means in practice
No bonus available here — 5 stories is already the max. At 90% coverage, a 1-acre site = ~196,000 SF gross. Structured parking is mandatory at this density. Compare carefully with RC-3 + bonus, which also gets you 5 stories but may have a lower base land cost due to the affordability requirement.
Mixed Use
4 districts in Greenville
MX-2
Mixed Use 2Low-rise mixed-use with flexibility. You choose: all residential, all commercial, or a mix. Ground-floor retail is allowed but not required — that's the key difference from Shopfront (MXS) districts.
What you can build
- ✓Apartments above retail
- ✓Standalone residential
- ✓Office or retail
- ✓Live/work
- ✓Hotels
- ✗Drive-throughs
- ✗Auto-oriented (car wash, gas station)
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 2 stories
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
The value of MX over RC: you can do commercial without a use variance. A 2-story mixed-use building with a coffee shop, salon, or office on the ground floor and 4-6 apartments above is the classic MX-2 project. If you don't need commercial, RC districts give you the same residential density.
MX-3
Mixed Use 3Greenville's most common mixed-use district. 3 stories by right, full flexibility on ground-floor use. Found along corridors where the city wants walkable development to replace strip malls.
What you can build
- ✓Mixed-use (residential + commercial)
- ✓Standalone residential or commercial
- ✓Office buildings
- ✓Hotels
- ✓Live/work
- ✗Drive-throughs
- ✗Auto-oriented uses
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 3 stories
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 85%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
The typical MX-3 project: 2 floors of apartments over ground-floor retail, parking behind the building. Build-to requirement puts the storefront at the sidewalk — no parking lot in front. On a half-acre site at 85% coverage: ~55,000 SF mixed-use gross.
MX-5
Mixed Use 5High-intensity mixed-use. 5 stories, 90% coverage, no Design Review Board unless you're in the downtown overlay. Several recent Augusta Street and South Main projects are MX-5.
What you can build
- ✓Large mixed-use buildings
- ✓Apartment buildings
- ✓Office (5-story)
- ✓Hotels
- ✓Retail and restaurants
- ✗Drive-throughs
- ✗Auto-oriented uses
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 5 stories
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 90%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft
- Rear
- 5 ft
What this means in practice
At 5 stories and 90% coverage, plan for structured parking — surface parking won't fit. A 1-acre site yields ~200,000 SF of mixed-use. That's 15,000 SF retail + 150 apartments, or 50,000 SF office + 100 apartments. The absence of DRB review (unless in the downtown overlay) makes MX-5 faster to permit than MX-D.
MX-D
Downtown Mixed UseNo fixed height limit — build as tall as the Design Review Board approves. 100% lot coverage. The practical constraint is the street wall guideline: 2-5 stories / 50 ft at the street, step-backs above.
What you can build
- ✓High-rise mixed-use
- ✓Apartment towers
- ✓Office towers
- ✓Hotels
- ✓Entertainment venues
- ✗Industrial
- ✗Auto-oriented commercial
- ✗Projects that fail DRB review
Key numbers
- Height
- No fixed max (DRB approval)
- Lot min
- None
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 100%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft
- Rear
- 0 ft
What this means in practice
MX-D land trades at a premium because the entitlement is the most permissive in the city. Plan for 2-3 months of DRB review. Build lot-line to lot-line with below-grade or structured parking. The street wall guideline (2-5 stories at the street, step-backs above) is negotiated with the DRB, not rigid — strong design gets more flexibility.
Shopfront Mixed Use
4 districts in Greenville
MXS-2
Shopfront 2Same as MX-2 but with mandatory ground-floor commercial on the primary street. If you're in MXS, you must build a storefront — no all-residential projects.
What you can build
- ✓Ground-floor retail/restaurant (required)
- ✓Upper-floor apartments or office
- ✓Live/work with commercial ground floor
- ✗All-residential on the primary street frontage
- ✗Drive-throughs
- ✗Auto-oriented uses
Key numbers
- Height
- 2 stories
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
The ground-floor commercial requirement adds $20-40/SF to construction (14-ft ceilings, storefront glazing, grease traps if restaurant). But it creates long-term value — retail rents in Greenville's walkable corridors run $18-28/SF NNN. Factor both into your pro forma.
MXS-3
Shopfront 33-story shopfront mixed-use along Greenville's commercial streets. Ground-floor retail required, apartments or office above.
What you can build
- ✓Ground-floor retail/restaurant (required)
- ✓Upper-floor apartments (2 floors)
- ✓Upper-floor office
- ✗All-residential on primary street
- ✗Drive-throughs
- ✗Auto-oriented uses
Key numbers
- Height
- 3 stories
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 85%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
The standard MXS-3 product: 14-ft ground-floor retail, two floors of apartments above, parking behind. On a quarter-acre site at 85% coverage: ~28,000 SF mixed-use. Lenders favor the diversified income stream (retail + residential). The retail requirement actually helps your financing.
MXS-5
Shopfront 55-story shopfront on Greenville's most active corridors. Required ground-floor commercial with 4 floors of residential or office above.
What you can build
- ✓Ground-floor retail/restaurant (required)
- ✓Upper-floor apartments (4 floors)
- ✓Upper-floor office
- ✓Hotels with ground-floor retail
- ✗All-residential on primary street
- ✗Drive-throughs
- ✗Industrial
Key numbers
- Height
- 5 stories
- Lot min
- 1,800 SF
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 90%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft
- Rear
- 5 ft
What this means in practice
A 1-acre MXS-5 site can support ~150 apartments over 15,000 SF of retail. Structured parking is mandatory at 90% coverage. Compare with MX-5: same height and coverage, but MXS-5 forces the retail. If the retail market supports it, MXS-5 produces a better asset. If not, look for MX-5 sites.
MXS-D
Downtown ShopfrontMain Street and Augusta Street. No height cap, 100% coverage, ground-floor retail required. Design Review Board approval required. This is the most valuable zoning designation in Greenville.
What you can build
- ✓Ground-floor retail/restaurant (required)
- ✓Upper-floor apartments (unlimited stories)
- ✓Office space
- ✓Hotels
- ✓Entertainment venues
- ✗All-residential on primary street
- ✗Industrial
- ✗Auto-oriented uses
Key numbers
- Height
- No fixed max (DRB approval)
- Lot min
- None
- Width
- 18 ft
- Coverage
- 100%
- Front
- Build-to line
- Side
- 0 ft
- Rear
- 0 ft
What this means in practice
MXS-D land commands the highest prices in Greenville because the entitlement is the most permissive commercial zoning in the city. Build lot-line to lot-line with below-grade parking. The street wall guideline (2-5 stories at the street, step-backs above) is your design framework. DRB review takes 2-3 months — submit early and engage the board informally before your formal hearing.
Commercial & Industrial
4 districts in Greenville
BG
Business GeneralGeneral commercial district for uses that don't fit walkable mixed-use — car dealerships, drive-throughs, big-box retail. If it needs a parking lot in front, it goes here.
What you can build
- ✓Retail and commercial
- ✓Auto-oriented businesses
- ✓Drive-throughs
- ✓Office
- ✓Light industrial/flex
- ✗Heavy industrial
- ✗Standalone residential
Key numbers
- Height
- 3 stories / 45 ft
- Lot min
- None
- Width
- None
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- Build-to or 25 ft
- Side
- 0 ft or 10 ft
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
BG is where the auto-oriented uses land — everything prohibited in MX and MXS districts. If you're looking at a BG site near a growing mixed-use corridor, consider the rezoning potential — converting BG to MX or MXS can significantly increase land value.
BH
Business HeavyHeavy commercial — warehousing, distribution, auto repair, outdoor storage. Larger setbacks buffer adjacent properties.
What you can build
- ✓Warehousing and distribution
- ✓Heavy commercial
- ✓Outdoor storage
- ✓Auto repair and service
- ✓Retail and office
- ✗Heavy manufacturing
- ✗Residential
Key numbers
- Height
- 3 stories / 45 ft
- Lot min
- None
- Width
- None
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 25 ft
- Side
- 10 ft
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
If you're adjacent to residential, additional buffer requirements apply. BH sites near downtown or along developing corridors may be rezoning candidates — check the comprehensive plan for future land use designations.
IX
Industrial FlexModern industrial flex — light manufacturing, warehouse, office, and R&D in the same building. The 65-ft height accommodates high-bay warehouses.
What you can build
- ✓Light manufacturing
- ✓Warehouse and distribution
- ✓Office and R&D
- ✓Data centers
- ✗Residential
- ✗Heavy manufacturing with major environmental impact
Key numbers
- Height
- 5 stories / 65 ft
- Lot min
- None
- Width
- None
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 25 ft
- Side
- 10 ft
- Rear
- 10 ft
What this means in practice
IX is designed for modern industrial parks. The flex designation means you can mix uses within a single building — office in front, warehouse in back. If an IX site is near a developing residential area, the long-term play may be rezoning to MX or RC.
IG
Industrial GeneralGreenville's heaviest zoning. Manufacturing, processing, salvage. Large setbacks on all sides.
What you can build
- ✓Heavy manufacturing
- ✓Processing and assembly
- ✓Large-scale warehousing
- ✓Utility installations
- ✗Residential
- ✗Retail
- ✗Hotels
Key numbers
- Height
- 5 stories / 65 ft
- Lot min
- None
- Width
- None
- Coverage
- 80%
- Front
- 50 ft
- Side
- 25 ft
- Rear
- 25 ft
What this means in practice
The 50-ft front setback and 25-ft side/rear are the largest in any Greenville district. If you're evaluating an IG site for non-industrial use, a rezoning is required — and likely supported if the area is transitioning. Check the comprehensive plan.
Development Bonus Program
In RC and MX districts, include 15% of units at 80% AMI (or 10% at 60% AMI) and get 2 extra stories by-right. No rezoning, no variance, no discretionary review. RC-2 goes to 4 stories. RC-3 goes to 5. The affordable units are a real cost, but the extra market-rate units on the bonus floors more than compensate. This is one of the most developer-friendly affordable housing incentives in the Southeast — run the pro forma both ways before deciding.
Overlay Districts
Downtown Design Overlay
Covers downtown, Village of West Greenville, and Unity Park areas. Certificate of Appropriateness required from Design Review Board. Key constraint: 2-5 story / 50-ft street wall, taller portions must step back. Plan for 2-3 month review. Engage the board informally before your formal hearing.
Hampton-Pinckney Historic District
Greenville's first historic overlay (1977). New construction and exterior modifications require Certificate of Appropriateness. Demolition requires review. This adds time and design constraints — budget 1-2 extra months for COA review on any project.
Pettigru Historic District
Largest district, 70+ structures from 1910-1930. Exterior modifications visible from public right-of-way need COA. Interior changes are not regulated. National Register listed.
West End Historic District
Only commercial historic district. Critical for development along Augusta Street — exterior modifications require COA. National Register 1993. If you're developing on Augusta near the West End, assume historic review.
Colonel Elias Earle Historic District
Colonial Revival and Bungalow neighborhood. National Register 1982. COA required for exterior changes visible from the street.
East Park Avenue Historic District
Early 20th-century suburb around McPherson Park. National Register 2005. COA required.
Overbrook Historic District
120+ craftsman bungalows from the 1910 trolley era. COA required. Infill development must match the historic character — modern designs face pushback.
Heritage Historic District
1920s bungalows. Local designation 2001. COA required.
FEMA Flood Overlay
FEMA FIRM effective August 2014. Check flood zone designation before making an offer — it affects buildable area, foundation requirements, insurance costs, and financing. Base flood elevation plus freeboard determines your first-floor height. Floodway vs. flood fringe makes a major difference in development feasibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check zoning for a specific property?
Use the City's GIS map at gis.greenvillesc.gov — enter an address to see the district and any overlays. For what the zoning actually means for your site, that's what Nearby Property does — enter any address and get the full property profile with permitted uses, setbacks, density, and development potential.
What changed with the 2023 code?
Greenville replaced traditional Euclidean zoning (R-1, C-2) with a form-based code. Districts now indicate scale (House, Neighborhood, Community) and base height (MX-3 = 3 stories). The code also introduced the Development Bonus for affordable housing. If you're working with old zone designations, the city has a conversion table mapping old to new.
Can I build an ADU?
Yes, in all House-Scale districts (RH-A through RH-D). One primary dwelling + one ADU per lot. The ADU follows the district's accessory structure standards — typically 2 stories max with a reduced rear setback (3-5 ft depending on district).
How does the Development Bonus work?
In RC and MX districts: provide 15% of units at 80% AMI or 10% at 60% AMI, meet open space requirements, and you get 2 extra stories by-right. No rezoning, no hearing, no discretionary review. Submit the affordable housing plan with your building permit. The bonus almost always pencils — the extra market-rate floors more than cover the affordable unit cost.
What's the difference between MX and MXS?
MXS (Shopfront) requires ground-floor commercial on the primary street. MX allows it but doesn't require it — you can do all-residential. If you're in MXS, budget for commercial buildout: 14-ft ceilings, storefront glazing, separate entrance. The trade-off is retail rent income and a more valuable building.
When do I need Design Review Board approval?
Only in the Downtown Design Overlay or MX-D/MXS-D districts. The DRB reviews street wall height (2-5 stories), step-backs, materials, and pedestrian design. Expect 2-3 months. Projects outside downtown do not require DRB review — you go straight to building permit.
Is my property in the City or the County?
This determines which code applies. The City uses the 2023 form-based code (RH, RN, RC, MX, MXS). Unincorporated Greenville County uses traditional zoning (R-6, R-10, C-1, I-1). Check jurisdiction on the GIS map. If you're in the county near city limits, annexation may be possible — which would change your zoning and could increase development potential.
Get the full property profile for
any address in Greenville
Permitted uses, setbacks, density, buildable area, overlays, and nearby development activity — for a specific parcel, not just the district.