Deerbank Capital Group, a small-business funding service in Conway, South Carolina, explains the zoning and building permit checks Horry County owners make before funding a build-out, a new site or a change of use, the records to keep, and the county's residential permit figures from the Census Bureau. Rules belong to each planning office and are marked for counsel.
At a glance
- Housing units permitted, Horry County, SC, 2025
6,511 (Building Permits Survey)
- Single-unit share of 2025 permits
98.6% (our arithmetic)
- Construction employers
1,182 (CBP 2023)
New Homes Permitted Across Horry County, SC: Three Years of Census Counts
| Year | Units authorized |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 6,513 |
| 2024 | 7,331 |
| 2025 | 6,511 |
Of the 6,511 units authorized in 2025, 6,418 were single-unit, 16 in three- and four-unit buildings and 77 in buildings of five or more units, across 6,437 buildings with a permit valuation of $1.41 billion (Building Permits Survey). That is about $215,925 of permit valuation per unit (our arithmetic). These counts cover new homes only, not commercial work or remodels.
Horry County, SC Planning: Records Partners Review
Planning approvals tell a partner that the business can use the property the way the request describes. For a new restaurant, clinic or shop, the partner may ask for the zoning confirmation, a site plan approval where one applies, and the building permit for the fit-out. Keep the approval letters and any conditions attached to them.
Conway, SC Building Permits: Paperwork Worth Keeping
- The permit and its number.
- Approved plans and any revisions.
- Inspection reports at each stage.
- The final inspection and any certificate of occupancy.
- Contractor invoices tied to each permitted phase.
Horry County, SC Zoning Before You Apply for Funding
Check zoning before signing a lease or a purchase agreement, not after. A use the zoning does not allow can mean a variance, a special exception or a different site, each of which takes time a funding timeline has to absorb. A partner reading a request for a new site will ask whether the use is allowed; have the answer in writing.
Horry County, SC Zoning Map: Common Questions
Questions owners raise about the zoning map: which district a parcel is in, whether the city or the county map applies, and what uses the district allows. The map shows the district; the ordinance lists the uses. A parcel inside a city follows that city's map, and unincorporated parcels follow the county's.
Conway, SC Building Department: Common Questions
Questions owners raise about the building department: whether interior work needs a permit, who applies (the owner or the contractor), and how inspections are scheduled. The answers come from the department; for a funding request, what matters is that the permit is issued before work starts and the inspections are recorded.
Horry County, SC Zoning Code: Paperwork Worth Keeping
Keep a copy of the zoning district designation for the property, the ordinance section listing your use, and any approval letter. If the property needed a variance or exception, keep the decision and its conditions. A partner or a landlord reading those papers later should not have to ask the planning office again.
Questions to Settle Before Signing a Lease for a New Use
- Which jurisdiction covers the parcel, and which zoning district is it in?
- Does the district allow the use outright, or does it need an approval?
- Will the change of use trigger building upgrades, such as fire separation or accessibility work?
- Who pays for those upgrades: the landlord or the tenant?
- Can the lease be canceled if the approval is denied?
Getting written answers before signing protects the business and gives a funding partner the documents it will ask for.
Signs, Occupancy Limits and Conditions Attached to Approvals
Approvals can come with conditions: limits on signs, hours, occupancy or site work. A partner funding a build-out reads those conditions because they shape what the space can earn. Keep the approval letter with its conditions, and tell the partner about any condition that limits the use described in the request.
A Build-Out Funded in Stages Against Permits and Inspections
Illustration only, invented figures: a clinic's build-out costs $140,000 in this invented example, and the partner releases it in three stages of about $46,667 each (our arithmetic), at permit issue, at the framing and rough-in inspections, and at the final inspection. Each release follows the inspection record, so a delayed inspection delays the money.
Contractors and Equipment Tied to Permitted Work
Construction employers numbered 1,182 in Horry County in 2023, with 67.1% under five employees (County Business Patterns). The construction business loans page covers contractor credit lines and draws, and the equipment financing page covers machines. County figures are on the Conway, SC page; every guide is on the resources page.
By Deerbank Capital Group ยท Updated
