Homeowner guide · Updated November 2026

Do you need a permit for concrete on the Grand Strand?

It depends on where you live and which part of the job you're doing. A patio in Carolina Forest, a driveway apron in North Myrtle Beach and a pool deck on Ocean Isle Beach all follow different rules. Here's how it works, town by town.

The short answer

• Patios, sidewalks and driveways at ground level in unincorporated Horry County usually don't need a building permit.
• The driveway apron, where your driveway meets the street, usually sits on public land and needs approval from whoever owns the road.
• Flood zones, HOAs and lot coverage limits can apply even when no building permit is needed.
• Over the line in North Carolina, NCDOT and the state's coastal rules (CAMA) can come into play.

When you hire us, we work out what your address needs and handle the permit for you.

Unincorporated Horry County

This covers Carolina Forest, Socastee, Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Longs and most areas outside city limits. Horry County's residential permit brochure lists patios, sidewalks and driveways no more than 12 inches above the surrounding ground as exceptions to the building permit, as long as they aren't over a basement or a story below.

Being exempt from a building permit doesn't mean anything goes. Zoning rules still apply, and the county's flood rules are stricter in flood zones. Horry County also says permit fees are doubled for work started without a required permit. If you're not sure, Code Enforcement takes questions at 843-915-5090.

See our work in Socastee, Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Longs and Loris.

Driveway aprons and the right-of-way

The strip between the edge of the road and your property line usually belongs to whoever owns the road. To pour or replace a driveway apron there, you need an encroachment permit from that owner:

• State roads: the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT).
• County roads: Horry County Engineering, 843-915-5160.
• City streets: the city, such as Myrtle Beach or North Myrtle Beach.

Horry County's encroachment permit also notes that the county doesn't maintain driveways in its right-of-way, and can ask the owner to move them later if the road is changed. Replacing only the part of the driveway on your own property, behind the right-of-way line, usually doesn't involve the road owner at all.

City of North Myrtle Beach

Inside North Myrtle Beach city limits, work in the city's right-of-way needs the city's approval. That includes the apron and the sidewalk area. Since September 1, 2025, the city has required a current property survey with building permit applications, so plan for that if your project needs a building permit. The city's main number is 843-280-5500. See our North Myrtle Beach page.

City of Myrtle Beach

Inside Myrtle Beach city limits, the city handles permits instead of the county. Many Myrtle Beach addresses, including much of Carolina Forest and Socastee, are actually in unincorporated Horry County, so check which one your address falls under. See our Myrtle Beach page.

Surfside Beach: watch the lot coverage

Surfside Beach limits how much of a lot can be covered with hard surfaces like concrete. The zoning code we found caps it at 40% of the lot in the R-1 district and 50% in R-3. If you're adding a wider driveway, a parking pad or a pool deck, the new concrete counts. Check the current limit with the town first. See our Surfside Beach page.

Flood zones

Much of the coast, the marshes and the waterway sits in a flood zone. Flat concrete at ground level, like a driveway or a patio, is treated very differently from a building. But Horry County's flood rules tighten in AE zones, and new structures there have to be built higher. If your project includes anything raised, attached to the house or enclosed, check your flood zone first. Horry County's "Build Responsibly" page explains its flood rules.

North Carolina: Calabash to Shallotte

Calabash, Carolina Shores, Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach and Shallotte are in Brunswick County, one of North Carolina's 20 coastal counties under the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA). A CAMA permit is only needed for development in an Area of Environmental Concern, which mostly means property along the ocean, sounds, marshes and waterways.

A driveway that connects to a state-maintained road needs an NCDOT driveway permit, filed online through the Connect NCDOT portal. Each town also sets its own rules for driveway width and lot coverage. See Calabash, Carolina Shores, Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach and Shallotte.

HOAs

Many Grand Strand neighborhoods have an HOA with its own rules for driveway width, color and stamped finishes. Most want to approve the plan before work starts. Ask your HOA for its architectural review form early, because approval can take a few weeks.

Questions about permits

Planning a project?

See our concrete driveways, patios and stamped concrete, pool decks and foundations and slabs. We handle the permit for every job that needs one.

Sources

Rules change, and your exact address matters. This guide is general information, not legal advice, and was checked against these sources in November 2026:

• Horry County: when to get a building permit
• Horry County: residential permit brochure
• Horry County: encroachment permit
• Horry County: build responsibly (flood zones)
• SCDOT: Access and Roadside Management Standards
• City of North Myrtle Beach: survey requirement
• Surfside Beach zoning: district regulations
• Brunswick County: Coastal Area Management Act
• NC DEQ: CAMA counties
• NCDOT: driveway permit submissions guide