SC · verified 2026-08-30
Columbia, SC
Buying notes for backyard hens inside the City of Columbia corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
These rules apply inside the City of Columbia 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: Sec. 4-35. Raising or keeping chickens, generally.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Up to 4 hens
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- $5.00 per bird per year
- Setback
- 25 ft screening trigger
The rule, quoted
How many hens
“No more than four hens shall be kept or maintained on a single premise.”
Sec. 4-35. Raising or keeping chickens, generally.
Roosters
“No roosters shall be allowed.”
Permit and fee
“No person shall keep chickens on his premises within the city without first obtaining: a. A zoning permit for an accessory structure from the planning and development services department; and b. A certificate of inspection from the animal control division, issued pursuant to this section, for which an annual inspection fee of $5.00 per bird shall be paid, and for which an acknowledgment of the receipt of an informational presentation on proper hen raising, coop design and maintenance shall be required.”
You also need a zoning permit for the coop as an accessory structure. The City of Columbia UDO fee schedule (rev. Feb 2026) lists $5.00 for a single-family residential zoning permit under $10,000. Confirm current fees with Planning & Development.
Zoning permit: Planning & Development · UDO fee schedule (PDF)
Setback / screening
“Coops must be screened from the side or rear lot line by shrubbery or a privacy fence if it comes within 25 feet of the property line and/or 50 feet of the nearest residence other than that of the owner.”
Columbia does not set a hard minimum setback for hen coops. The 25-foot / 50-foot figures are screening triggers: if the coop is that close, you must screen it from the side or rear lot line with shrubbery or a privacy fence. Zoning rules for accessory structures still apply; put the coop on a site plan when you pull the zoning permit.
Coop and run size
“Such hens must be confined in a coop not less than 18 inches in height and with a minimum square feet of floor area of two square feet per hen over four months of age, connected to a run of not less than nine square feet for one bird; 12 square feet for two birds; 16 square feet for three birds; or 20 square feet for four birds over four months of age, which shall be fully enclosed.”
Also in this section
“No person shall slaughter any chickens on his premises.”
“It shall be unlawful to raise chickens for commercial purposes within the corporate limits of the city or to sell eggs laid by chickens kept in the corporate limits of the city.”
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery
Ships live chicks to South Carolina (and most U.S. states) via USPS Priority Mail, typically Monday and Wednesday hatches. Columbia bans roosters, so order sexed pullets — not straight-run. Cap is four hens, so a 3- or 4-pullet order is the legal flock.
Feed store
Tractor Supply — Columbia Southeast (#2329)
Columbia — 7831 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29209. Stocks livestock/poultry feed, chick starter, layer pellets, waterers, and coops.
Coop
OverEZ Small Chicken Coop with Regular 8 ft Chicken Run
Dimensions: Coop 34 in L × 45 in W × 54.5 in H (includes nest box); run 7 ft W × 8 ft L × 4 ft H
Columbia requires at least 18 in coop height, 2 sq ft of coop floor per hen (8 sq ft for four), and a 20 sq ft fully enclosed run for four birds. This coop is 54.5 in tall with about 10.6 sq ft of floor. The 7×8 run is 56 sq ft — well above the 20 sq ft minimum.
The coop footprint is about 2.8 ft × 3.75 ft; with the 7 ft × 8 ft run the whole setup is roughly 8 ft × 11 ft. That fits a typical Columbia backyard. If you place it within 25 ft of a side or rear lot line (or within 50 ft of a neighbor's house), screen it with shrubbery or a privacy fence per Sec. 4-35(4).
Vet
Sunset Animal Clinic
West Columbia — 127 Professional Avenue, West Columbia, SC 29169. Lists chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys among exotic and barnyard avian patients. Call (803) 791-5575 to confirm they are accepting poultry before you need an emergency visit.
Verified 2026-08-30 against Sec. 4-35. Raising or keeping chickens, generally. at https://library.municode.com/sc/columbia/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH4AN_ARTIILI_S4-35RAKECHGE. Read the live code before you build or order birds.