SC proposes changes to lines that guide beachfront development in Beaufort County
Owners of beachfront properties have specific limitations on where they can and can’t build, even on their own land. South Carolina is in the process of releasing new boundaries for beachfront building.
The state Department of Environmental Services has published a proposed update to demarcations known as beachfront jurisdictional lines for Beaufort County. These updates are required to be completed every seven to 10 years. The lines, which put specific limitations on how beachfront property owners can develop sensitive land close to public beaches, play an important role in the state’s beachfront management law. The law is intended to protect the sensitive and constantly shifting beachfront that’s a boon for the tourism economy and the first line of defense against damage caused by hurricanes.
What is Reddy’s Wall and how is it involved?
Rules surrounding the management of beaches and property in South Carolina have drawn increasing attention recently. In a highly publicized lawsuit, a judge recently ruled that wealthy Isle of Palms homeowner Rom Reddy would need to tear down an illegal seawall at a beachfront home. Some in the state legislature have also pushed for lessened restrictions on beachfront development, according to previous reporting from The State.
There are two jurisdictional lines in question – the baseline, which is more seaward and typically set at the front of the first dune, and the setback line, which is more landward and determined by the area’s erosion rate. They create a horizontal area of beach between the two lines that are subject to specific development rules for homes, erosion control structures such as seawalls and pools. Building closer to the ocean from the baseline requires a specific permit.
The updated lines are for Daufuskie Island, Hilton Head Island, Bay Point Island, St. Phillips Island, Little Capers Island, Pritchards Island, Fripp Island, Hunting Island and Harbor Island beach fronts.
On Hilton Head, the newly proposed jurisdictional lines remain largely the same, with the proposed setback line moving more seaward in some places on the northern part of the coast, near Burke’s and Singleton Beach. Heather Woolwine, a spokesperson with the Town of Hilton Head, said the town was aware of the proposed changes and plans to monitor public input over the coming months.
“As presented, the proposed changes may impact new development if adopted,” Woolwine said.
For Daufuskie Island, the proposed lines for the beachfront around the Melrose Resort are pushed further back from the shoreline. That part of Daufuskie has experienced significant erosion and damage from hurricanes recently, prompting some homeowners to move their houses away from the waterfront.
On Fripp Island, the proposed jurisdictional lines are largely the same as the current lines.
Some of the lines are pushed further back on Harbor Island. The changes are proposed near where a number of homes were sitting on an active beach, with their foundations inundated at high tide due to the high erosion rate. The removal of those houses is the subject of a years-long lawsuit regarding their removal.
Any interested parties are able to comment on the proposed jurisdictional lines before Jan. 15, 2025.
There are two more phases to the update process, with the middle section of the coast expecting new jurisdictional lines in summer 2026 and the north coast getting new lines in the winter of 2027.
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
