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Family Housing Developments

2 - 6 Homes on a Single Parcel

This packet explains what you need to do to have your manufactured home placed on a lot when there are between 1 and 5 other homes on the same parcel. If you are placing a home on a site where another manufactured home was before, please use the information for "One Home Replacing Another". Please keep this packet and use it as you go through the process.

The Town of Hilton Head Island has recently adopted new regulations for Family Housing Developments, which are neighborhoods where there are between 2 and 6 homes on a single parcel of land (as defined on the Beaufort County Tax Map). If you are adding a new home to a parcel which has between 1 and 5 homes already on it, you must follow the process as descibed in this pamplet. If you are adding a home to a parcel which has 6 or more homes on it, you must follow the process as described in the pamphlet titled "Manufactured Home Park". If you are replacing a home which already exists, regardless of whether it is on a parcel by itself or with other homes, you need to follow the process described in the pamphlet "One Home Replacing Another".

Family Housing Developments are permitted in the RS-4, RM-4, RM-12, CMU and RD zoning districts. Each Family Housing Development must meet the following standards:

A. Dimensional Requirements:

  1. The parcel must be a minimum of one-half (1/2) acre in size, exclusive of tidal wetlands.
  2. The density cannot exceed the density allowed for the underlying zoning district. For RS-4, RM-4 and CMU the density is 4 units per acre, for RM-12 it is 12 units per acre, and for RD it is 8 units per acre. Please note that you are limited to a maximum of 6 units on a single parcel in a Family Housing Development.
  3. Each home site within the Family Housing Development must be a minimum of 5,000 square feet, with a minimum width of 40 feet. If the homes are to be served by individual septic systems for sewage disposal, then the minimum site size may need to be larger to fit the septic systems plus the home.
  4. There must be a setback from the street right-of-way to the homes: 50 feet if the street is an Arterial or 20 feet if it is any other street (public or private).
  5. The homes must be set back from the side and rear lines of the home site a minimum of 3 feet to 1 inch. This may be increased depending on the type of construction of the home, if you need verification of the separation distance between homes please contact the Department of Building and Fire Codes.
  6. The homes must be set back at least 20 feet from tidal wetlands (the OCRM Critical Line).
  7. There must be parking space provided on each home site for two (2)vehicles.

B. Design and Other Requirements:

  1. The street providing access to the home sites within the Family Housing Development must be constructed to town standards, including a minimum right-of-way width of 30 feet for developments up to 5 or fewer homes, or 40 feet for developments of 6 homes. The travel width must be 18 feet wide in either case, and needs to be paved unless you get permission to leave it unpaved from the Town Engineer. To do that, you need to contact the Town Engineer to find out what you will need for a finished surface and any drainage system. In addition, no home sites can have their own driveway accessing an arterial street.
  2. The homes must be constructed or placed in compliance with the flood zone standards, meaning they must be elevated above the flood elevation.
  3. Each home must have an approved water supply, sewage disposal system (either a public sewer system connection or an individual septic system), electrical connection, telephone connection, and gas connection, if gas is to be used in the home (for heating, cooking, etc.).
  4. You must pay all applicable impact fees for the Town and County. At this time the Town of Hilton Head Island has a transportation impact fee per home. Beaufort County has several impact fees, which will be collected for the County by the Town when the building permit is applied for. Please contact Beaufort County for more information.

There are a number of costs involved in the process outlined in this packet. They include:

  • having a surveyor prepare the site plan and install flood zone benchmarks for each home;
  • having septic systems designed and installed;
  • having a licensed electrician wire for electrical power from the pole to the home;
  • having a licensed mechanical contractor connect the HVAC system;
  • Palmetto Electric for getting electrical power to the site;
  • Town of Hilton Head Manufactured Home Permit fee; (Inspections Department)
  • Beaufort County registration fee;
  • Abbreviated Development Plan Review fee per new home;
  • Impact fees.

Driveway Access

You may be required to obtain a permit (called an encroachment permit) to allow you to use a driveway or build a new driveway into your home site. There are four different categories of roads in the town: State Roads, County Roads, Town Roads and Private Roads. The Planning Information Center has a listing of these roads. Please note that this is not a part of the Planning Department approval, this information is being provided as a courtesy.

Application forms for encroachment permits are available from the Engineering Department at Town Hall.

Before you can get your electrical power turned on to your home, you will need to do the following:

Get Planning Approval:

A 1: Get the septic system designed and approved. You must get a septic system designed and approved for each new house. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) will approve the design at this point, and after it is installed they will approve the installation. Call them at 843-757-2251 for more information. You must have a separate septic system for each house on the parcel.

A 2: Get an Abbreviated Development Plan Review Approval from the Town of Hilton Head Island Planning Department. Come to the Planning Information Center in Town Hall.

The landowner needs to fill out two forms:

  • Master Application
  • Abbreviated Development Plan Review (ADPR) Application

He/she needs to call us at 341-4681 and make an appointment to see one of the Current Planners to submit the application. The owner needs to bring those two forms and the following items to the appointment in the Planning Department:

  • site plan prepared, signed, and sealed by a South Carolina registered land surveyor of the proposed Family Housing Development, drawn to scale, showing at minimum the following:
    • location of the property (vicinity map)
    • the property boundaries
    • OCRM Critical Line (if applicable)
    • roads
    • the location of existing houses and their septic systems
    • location and dimensions of proposed house sites including their septic systems
    • driveways to existing and proposed houses.
  • proof of ownership - this will be one of the following: title to the property, a deed to the property, or a paid property tax receipt with your name on it for the property.
  • certification of owner's consent.
  • proof of an approved sewage disposal system - either a copy of the DHEC septic system design approval, if the site is not serviced with public sewer, or a copy of a letter from the Public Service District stating that they will provide sewer service.
  • a copy of the encroachment permit, if required. If the road is a State road, this will be a SCDOT permit, if a County road, it will be a Beaufort County permit, and if a Town road, it will be a Town of Hilton Head Island permit.
  • a copy of draft legal documents for access or other easements, if needed.
  • a letter explaining what the proposal is - for example, to add one new house to a lot with two existing houses on it.
  • a check for fees for each new house to be placed on the lot, made payable to the Town of Hilton Head Island.

Once you have provided all the above to the Planning Department, a Planner from the Current Planning Division will review the file and if everything is complete and acceptable, will approve the ADPR and prepare a Notice of Action which you will bring to the Department of Building & Fire Codes later in the process.

Second, get permit from Building & Fire Codes

If you have any questions on the following steps, please call the Department of Building & fire Codes at 341-4757

B 1. Get a flood zone determination for each new home from the Town of Hilton Head Department of Building & Fire Codes.

Bring your ADPR Notice of Action (from step A2) to the Town Hall, and ask for a flood zone determination. They will write it on your Notice of Action. If your home will be in a flood zone, you must arrange for a surveyor to put up a benchmark before the home is delivered, which shows the installer how high the home must be elevated. After the house is installed, the surveyor will return and certify that the home is at the correct height. He will give you two copies of the elevation certificate.

B 2. Get the septic system installed and approved for each new home.

Have the contractor install the septic system and get it inspected by DHEC. When DHEC grants their final approval, they will sign the form in the second space at the bottom of the form. The septic system does not have final approval until DHEC has signed both places at the bottom of the form.

B 3: Get each new home registered with Beaufort County.

This can be done at the County Building Department in Beaufort or in Bluffton at 4819 Bluffton Parkway, 3rd Floor (757-1506 - hours 8-12 and 1-4). If you have been assigned a new address, you will not be able to do this until the new address is in the County's computer, usually 1-2 days after it is assigned by the Town. Bring the following paperwork with you when you go:

  • a copy of the Town of Hilton Head Planning Department ADPR Notice of Action with the Flood Zone indicated. (from steps A2 & B1)
  • a copy of the Bill of Sale for the home.
  • title or proof that you have applied for title.
  • a copy of the site plan of the property showing where the home will be placed.
  • the septic system final approval, signed by DHEC in both places at the bottom of the form. (from steps A1& B2)
  • specification regarding Wind Zone II. (Call the County for information)

B 4: Get your Manufactured Home Permit for each new home from the Town of Hilton Head Department of Building and Fire Codes (341-4757).

Take the following paperwork with you when you visit the department:

  • a copy of the Town of Hilton Head Planning Department ADPR Notice of Action. (from step A2)
  • a copy of the Beaufort County registration. (from step B3)
  • the septic system final approval signed by DHEC in both places at the bottom of the form. (from steps A1& B2)
  • additional plans for site built items: foundation plan if the home will be permanently installed on a foundation, and drawings of any stairs and landings if they are to be built on site.
  • the Transportation Impact Fee.
  • the Beaufort County Impact Fees.
  • the permit fee.

B 5: Make arrangements for electric service to each new home.

After you have obtained your building permit, you can go to Palmetto Electric to arrange for electric service to your home site.

B 6: Get the home(s) installed on the lot.

  • The installer must have a State of South Carolina license for Manufactured Home Installation. The home must be installed to the correct height and in the correct position for connection to the septic system. There must be a landing and steps in compliance with Town Codes at each exterior doorway in order to receive final approval from the Deptartment of Building & Fire Codes.

B 7: Get the electrical wiring and HVAC system connected for each new home.

You need to hire a licensed electrician to wire for electrical power from the service pole to the home. The ditch for the wiring from the pole to the home must be left uncovered until after the Town's inspection. You will also need to hire a licensed mechanical contractor to connect the HVAC system. Mechanical Certificates must be filled out and signed by the electrician and mechanical contractor doing the work (one certificate for each).

B 8: Get the surveyor to certify the elevation of each home.

If the home is within a flood zone, then the surveyor must return to the site to measure the height of the home as installed, and if it is installed at the correct height, he will give you two elevation certificates.

B 9: Bring the remaining paperwork to the Department of Building & Fire Codes.

Bring the following paperwork to the Town Inspections Department to complete your file:

  • Signed and notarized Mechanical Certificates for the electrical wiring from the pole to the home and for the HVAC (from step B7)
  • Elevation certificates. (from step B8)

B 10: Arrange for an inspection by the Town's Department of Building & Fire Codes.

Call the Department's answering machine at 341-4750 to arrange for an inspection. If your file is complete (that is, if all the paperwork has been submitted) then the inspection will be done the next business day. You must:

  • be present for the inspection to take place
  • have your Manufactured Home Installation Manual available
  • have the address posted
  • have the County registration sticker posted

After the home installation has passed inspection, the Town will call Palmetto Electric to have the power turned on to your home(s).