Off-grid site report

Lexington County, SC

33.9819, -81.1008 · 285 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Lexington County, SC, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Rules change, and the deciding facts on any specific parcel (setbacks, perc results, overlay districts, deed restrictions, road frontage) live at the county or town office, not in any database. Before you buy land or build, confirm the current rules directly with the local zoning and health offices - the sources on this page tell you exactly who to call.

The local rulesLexington County, SC

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Varies locallyLexington County's zoning ordinance (administered by the Zoning Office within Community Development) governs unincorporated land only; incorporated towns have their own codes. Your parcel's district determines what's allowed, so confirm with Zoning. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Varies locallyThe county passed Ordinance 23-13 specifically regulating tiny homes (site-built, modular, manufactured, or park-model) as their own land use, and mobile/manufactured homes need Zoning approval before any other permit. Standalone permanent RV living outside a licensed park is not confirmed as allowed. source

Building permits & codes

Generally allowedLexington County Community Development issues building permits under the statewide code set by the SC Building Codes Council; manufactured home setups follow a specific inspection sequence. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedSeptic permitting is a state function handled by SCDES (formerly part of DHEC, split off in 2024); you need SCDES approval before the county issues a building permit. Composting toilets aren't addressed in any source found, so treat that as unconfirmed. source

Greywater reuse

RestrictedNo Lexington County-specific greywater rule was found; this inherits the state SCDES engineered-reuse-system baseline. Not confirmed as modified locally.

Rainwater harvesting

Unclear - verifyNo county ordinance on rainwater harvesting caps or cisterns was found. This is genuinely unconfirmed, so check with county Zoning/Building before relying on it for household water.

Private wells & water rights

RestrictedLexington County lies within South Carolina's Western Capacity Use Area, a state designation that can add groundwater monitoring/reporting on top of standard SCDES well-construction permits. The county is one of the busiest in the state for well approvals. source

Living disconnected from utilities

Varies locallyNo rule bans disconnecting from the grid, but the county's permitting chain (zoning approval, then septic/well, then building permit) effectively has to be completed first for any dwelling, manufactured or otherwise. source

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average: 5.3 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array): 4.2 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,463 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 46 in/yr
Snowfall: 1 in/yr
Heating degree days: 1,998 (mild)

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Providence Health Northeast: 11.7 mi
Fire station Columbia Fire Department Station 1: 4.7 mi
Hardware store Modern Home Improvements: 2.5 mi
Grocery KJ's Market IGA - West Columbia: 0.1 mi

From OpenStreetMap. Road miles will be longer, often much longer in hill country.

Plan this spot

These open with this location's real numbers already filled in (ZIP 29169).

Size a solar system Heat loss & insulation Firewood per winter Rainwater harvest Garden size Panel tilt

Sources: US Census Bureau geocoder; NLR PVWatts v8 (solar); NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 climate normals (nearest station) or Open-Meteo (ZIP-centroid) for weather; Open-Elevation; OpenStreetMap contributors. Public data retrieved Aug 22, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.