SC · verified 2026-10-21
Irmo, SC
Short answerOnly on farm-zoned land: the Town of Irmo code allows hens only on farm-zoned land; 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 Irmo corporate limits. HOA covenants and county rules outside city limits can differ.
Heads up: These rules apply inside the Town of Irmo 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. 6-8. Hogs, cattle, chickens, horses and stables.
At a glance
- Hen cap
- Farm-zoned land only
- Roosters
- Banned
- Permit & fee
- Code does not mention a permit
- Setback
- No numeric setback in the hen section
Code cite: Sec. 6-8. Hogs, cattle, chickens, horses and stables.
The rule, quoted
Word for word from Sec. 6-8. Hogs, cattle, chickens, horses and stables.
How many hens
“It shall be unlawful for any person to keep farm animals including but not limited to peacocks, guinea hens, sheep, pigs, cattle, chickens, goats, horses, all other types of livestock, poultry, and exotic animals or stock stables and chicken houses or barns, except in agriculturally zoned property.”
On a typical residential lot, hens are not allowed. Check your zoning with the town before you buy birds.
Sec. 6-8. Hogs, cattle, chickens, horses and stables.
Roosters
“It shall be unlawful for any person to keep farm animals including but not limited to peacocks, guinea hens, sheep, pigs, cattle, chickens, goats, horses, all other types of livestock, poultry, and exotic animals or stock stables and chicken houses or barns, except in agriculturally zoned property.”
Sec. 6-8 covers all chickens, roosters included. It does not single out roosters on farm-zoned land.
Permit and fee
Code does not mention a permit. Ask the city whether a permit is needed before you buy birds.
Setback / screening
No numeric setback in the hen section.
Sec. 6-8 sets no distance for farm-zoned land. Animals must be kept in an enclosure the zoning administrator considers appropriate.
Also in this section
“All stables, houses and barns shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition and the manure not allowed to accumulate.”
“All such animals shall be contained in an enclosure appropriate to the safety and health of the animals and citizens in the discretion of the zoning administrator.”
Running at large
“It shall be unlawful for any person to allow any domestic animal or fowl to run at large on the streets or in public places in the town.”
Sec. 6-10. Running at large prohibited; leash required.
What to buy
Named products and shops are real. Confirm stock, shipping, and that the vet still sees poultry before you spend money.
Shared Columbia, 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 — Columbia Southeast (#2329)
Columbia — 7831 Garners Ferry Rd, Columbia, SC 29209. (803) 776-6626. 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
Sunset Animal Clinic
West Columbia — 127 Professional Ave, West Columbia, SC 29169. Its exotic vet page lists chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. Call (803) 791-5575 to confirm they are taking poultry before you need an emergency visit.
Verified 2026-10-21 against Sec. 6-8. Hogs, cattle, chickens, horses and stables. at https://library.municode.com/sc/irmo/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH6AN_S6-8HOCACHHOST. Read the live code before you build or order birds.