Sullivan’s Island · Charleston County, South Carolina
Custom Home Builder on Sullivan’s Island, SC
On Sullivan’s Island, a new home goes through the Town’s Design Review Board before it ever reaches the permit counter. Chris Eller holds both a South Carolina residential builder’s license and a broker’s license, so the person who sizes up the lot, negotiates the purchase and presents the plans to the DRB is the same person who builds the house.
Sullivan’s Island has almost no vacant land, no new subdivisions, and a zoning code written to keep new houses in scale with the cottages and Station-era homes around them. Building here is less about the floor plan you want and more about what this particular lot will allow — and how to put it in front of the Design Review Board so the answer is yes the first time.
The Design Review Board
New construction on Sullivan’s Island goes to the Town’s Design Review Board in three stages: conceptual review, preliminary approval and final approval. The package needs a certified as-built survey showing flood zone, setbacks, spot elevations and any OCRM critical line, plus a site plan, floor plans and elevations that call out finished floor, lowest structural member and base flood elevation. Incomplete applications are rejected, and every missed agenda is another month of carrying costs on the lot.
What the Lot Will Carry
The zoning standards cap principal building square footage, principal building coverage and impervious coverage, which tops out at 30% of the lot with no relief available. Front setbacks start at 25 feet, and the front façade is limited to 50 feet or two-thirds of the lot width, whichever is less. We run these numbers before you buy, not after an architect has drawn a house the lot cannot hold.
Asking for Relief
Under Section 21-111 the DRB can grant modifications — up to 15% more principal building square footage on new construction (capped at 500 square feet), up to 20% more building coverage, and up to 25% on side setbacks — but only when the design is compatible with the neighborhood. Relief requests are expected to include streetscape renderings and perspectives showing the house beside its neighbors, so we build that work into the schedule from the first meeting.
Historic Homes and Additions
Much of the island sits inside the local historic district, and designated historic resources are reviewed against the Town’s preservation standards and the Secretary of the Interior’s guidelines. Renovating or adding onto one of those homes is a different project from a teardown and rebuild, with different relief allowances, drawings and costs. We price and schedule it that way from the start.
Elevation, Flood and Wind
Sullivan’s Island sits in FEMA AE and VE flood zones. The zoning foundation standard is measured at eight feet to the lowest structural member (9′4″ to finished floor), adjustable by up to a foot through the DRB. Add pile or elevated foundations, impact-rated openings and a high-wind roof assembly, and much of the structural budget is set before the first finish is chosen.
Builder and Broker, One Team
Most buyers here are competing for a teardown or one of a handful of lots. Chris writes the offer with a due diligence period sized for a survey, a zoning analysis and a builder’s budget, so you know what the finished house will cost before your earnest money goes hard. Brokerage services are provided through The Cassina Group; construction is by Iconic Developments.
Nearby Markets & Guides
Isle of Palms
The next island up: the same flood and wind demands, a different permitting path and more buildable lots.
Custom Builder · Isle of PalmsMount Pleasant
Mainland lots across the causeway, from the Old Village to Dunes West, with lighter foundation costs.
Custom Builder · Mount PleasantBuild on Your Lot
Already own the land? How we evaluate, budget and permit a custom home on a lot you control.
Guide · Charleston AreaThe Building Process
Every phase from first meeting to certificate of occupancy, and what you decide at each one.
Guide · ProcessIconic Developments builds under a cost-plus contract with a fixed markup set by scope up front, and every draw is backed by invoices and receipts. Completed homes across the Charleston area are in the photo gallery, and client letters are on the reviews page.
Free · No Obligation
Send Chris the address before you write an offer
A Sullivan’s Island lot is only worth what the Design Review Board will let you build on it. Before you commit, Chris will review:
- Maximum principal building square footage and coverage under current zoning
- Whether the house you want needs DRB relief, and how much
- The flood zone, base flood elevation and the foundation the lot requires
- Whether the property is a designated historic resource
- A realistic construction budget and a DRB-to-permit timeline
At a Glance
| Service Area | Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482 — plus Isle of Palms, Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, Downtown Charleston and James Island |
|---|---|
| What We Do | Lot evaluation, DRB submittals, new custom homes, historic renovations and additions, buyer and seller representation |
| Licenses | South Carolina Real Estate Broker (2003); South Carolina Residential Home Builder |
| Designations | Certified Master Builder of South Carolina (HBASC), NAHB Certified Green Professional, CRS, CLHMS, ABR |
| Brokerage | Chris Eller, Broker Associate, The Cassina Group |
| Contract Type | Cost-plus with a fixed markup set by scope up front; every draw backed by invoices and receipts |
| Direct Line | (843) 343-3359 · Chris@IconicDevelopments.com |
Sullivan’s Island Building Questions
Do I need Design Review Board approval to build on Sullivan’s Island?
For new construction, yes. The Town’s DRB reviews new homes, additions and renovations in three stages — conceptual, preliminary and final — and it is the only body that can grant relief from the zoning standards. The current application fee for new construction is $1,280. Build the DRB calendar into your timeline before you close on the lot.
How large a house can I build on my lot?
It depends on the lot. Zoning sets a maximum principal building square footage, a principal building coverage limit and a 30% impervious coverage cap. The DRB can add up to 15% more square footage on new construction, capped at 500 square feet, when the design is compatible with the neighborhood. Have it calculated before closing, not after design.
What does it cost to build a custom home on Sullivan’s Island?
On the barrier islands we publish a working range of roughly $500 to $800 or more per heated square foot, before the lot. Elevated foundations, impact glazing, high-wind roofing and historic-district detailing drive the number, and pools and elevators sit on top. Every project is priced cost-plus with the markup fixed up front.
How long does it take to build on Sullivan’s Island?
The DRB is the variable. Three review stages, each tied to a monthly agenda, sit in front of the building permit, and a relief request adds drawings and neighbor-compatibility work. Once we see the lot and the program, we give you a schedule with the actual DRB dates in it.
Can you help me buy the lot as well as build the house?
Yes. Chris Eller is a licensed South Carolina broker with The Cassina Group and a licensed residential builder, so the lot search, offer, due diligence and construction stay with one person. If you already own on the island, start with a build-on-your-lot review.
Talk to the builder before you talk to the DRB
Whether you own on Sullivan’s, are under contract, or are deciding between Sullivan’s and Isle of Palms, one call will tell you what the lot will carry and what it will cost.