SC · verified 2026-10-21
Summerville, SC
Short answerYes: the Town of Summerville code allows up to 8 birds; roosters are banned; the cited code does not mention a permit; and the hen section sets no numeric setback.
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the Town of Summerville corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the Town of Summerville corporate limits only. An HOA or neighborhood covenant can still ban hens. Those private rules are usually not public, so HenCheck does not look them up.
Primary source: UDO 3.4.10.A Backyard Pens/Coops/Beehives
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 8 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Code does not mention a permit
- Setback
- No numeric setback in the hen section
Code cite: UDO 3.4.10.A Backyard Pens/Coops/Beehives
The rule, quoted
Word for word from UDO 3.4.10.A Backyard Pens/Coops/Beehives
How many hens
“For lots less than 1 acre in total area, the keeping of more than 8 hens is prohibited.”
Lots of 1 acre or more have no hen number in this section.
UDO 3.4.10.A Backyard Pens/Coops/Beehives
Roosters
“The keeping of roosters or of cows, bulls, oxen, horses, donkeys, mules, sheep or any other similar large animals or livestock is prohibited.”
Permit and fee
Code does not mention a permit. Ask the city whether a permit is needed before you buy birds.
Backyard pens and coops are a conditional use (C) in most residential districts, which means they are allowed when they meet the standards in UDO 3.4.10.A.
Setback / screening
No numeric setback in the hen section.
UDO 3.4.10.A sets no coop-specific distance. Accessory-structure setbacks for your zoning district still apply, so check with Planning.
Also in this section
“All animals shall be kept in the rear yard in a fenced area or other enclosure sufficient to prevent their encroachment on neighboring properties.”
“The non-commercial keeping of small animals such as poultry, rabbits, miniature goats and other similar small creatures is permitted.”
Town Code Sec. 4-4
“It shall be unlawful for any person to permit or allow any chickens, ducks, geese or other poultry of any kind or description to be at large within the corporate limits of the municipality, except on lands owned, leased or controlled by such person.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Charleston, SC metro list: same stores for every city in this metro.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to South Carolina via USPS Priority Mail. Cackle's FAQ lists South Carolina among the states it ships to, with chicks going out Mondays and Wednesdays from February to August and Wednesdays only from August to late October. Order sexed pullets if your city bans roosters or does not address them.
Feed store
Tractor Supply — Summerville West (#2715)
Summerville — 10524 Dorchester Rd, Summerville, SC 29485. (843) 376-7063. Has a Feed Center. Store page lists livestock feed and farm supplies, including chicken coops, waterers and feeders.
Coop
OverEZ Medium Chicken Coop with Wooden 8 ft Chicken Run
Dimensions: Coop 50¼ in L × 52½ in W × 62¼ in H (includes nesting box), sized by OverEZ for up to 10 chickens; Wooden 8 ft run 8 ft W × 8 ft L × 6 ft 3 in H
Price: Coop $1,699.00 (Classic or Coastal finish; the Farmhouse finish was out of stock); Wooden 8 ft run $1,899.00. Prices as shown on overezchickencoop.com on 2026-10-21. OverEZ lists its smaller 5-chicken coop as out of stock.
The coop footprint is about 4.2 ft × 4.4 ft and the run is 8 ft × 8 ft, so with the coop at the end of the run plan on roughly 8 ft × 12.5 ft. Measure your setback from the cited code before you pick a spot, and check any height limit: the run is 6 ft 3 in tall. OverEZ ships coops and runs by tractor-trailer freight to the end of your driveway; homes on islands or on roads a truck cannot reach may need to pick up at a freight terminal.
Vet
Exotic Vet Care
Mount Pleasant — 814 Johnnie Dodds Blvd A, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464. Its backyard poultry page says it cares for chickens, turkeys and other domestic poultry, plus ducks and geese. Call (843) 216-8387.
Verified 2026-10-21 against UDO 3.4.10.A Backyard Pens/Coops/Beehives at https://www.summervillesc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5333/CURRENT-SUMMERVILLE-UDO-Amended-July-9-2026. Read the live code before you build or order birds.