House subcommittee pauses debate on bill limiting local rules on exterior siding

A House subcommittee at the State House paused consideration of House Bill H 4338 on Thursday after hearing competing testimony about whether the measure would help affordability or unduly strip local control.

Representative Sanders, the bill’s sponsor, told the subcommittee H 4338 is intended "to continue the discussion about workforce housing and affordability" and argued "every restriction that we add to a home gets passed along to the homeowner." He said the bill includes exemptions for homeowners associations, deed restrictions, historic districts, planned-unit developments and overlay zones.

Opponents — including the South Carolina Association of Counties and the Municipal Association of South Carolina — said the bill would undermine local design standards and public input that address community-specific safety and coastal or inland needs. Kent Lassane of the South Carolina Association of Counties said the association "could not support this" version of the bill and described a neighborhood fire where siding melted and neighboring houses ignited, arguing counties need discretion to set safety-focused rules.

Erica Wright of the Municipal Association said design standards are "a local issue" and noted the comprehensive planning statute requires hearings that allow residents to weigh in. She said the association was "open to that conversation" with the sponsor but did not view H 4338 as the right solution.

Industry witnesses speaking for polymeric siding manufacturers and distributors urged passage, saying local mandates can raise home prices and limit starter-home options. Walker Smith of the Polymetric Exterior Products Association said homeowners in the state want vinyl siding and highlighted local manufacturing jobs. Ryan Lathige of Lansing Building Products said such mandates "could add more than $20,000 to the cost of a home" and told the committee polymeric siding meets building-code performance standards; he also stated, "it's not gonna start on fire," while acknowledging that underlying sheathing such as plywood or OSB is combustible.

James Kane, president of the Southeast Concrete Masonry Association, argued for the value of stronger local codes that improve resilience, reduce long-term costs and stabilize insurance markets. Kane cited a construction-industry estimate that the state’s materials sector represents about $4,200,000,000 and said a study he referenced shows roughly an 8% increase in building cost when switching to noncombustible materials.

Several legislators said they supported the bill’s affordability goals but had "home-rule" concerns about preempting local standards and questioned language that would apply the rule to commercial properties. Representative Chapman, an architect, suggested targeted carve-outs or percentage-based allowances for affordable units and asked that commercial language be removed.

To allow more work between stakeholders and the bill sponsor, Mr. Kirby moved to adjourn debate; Representative Guffey seconded. The subcommittee voiced its assent, and the chair said the Municipal Association and the sponsor should work together on revisions before the measure returns. No final vote on H 4338 was taken.

The subcommittee adjourned after directing parties to continue negotiations and consider technical clarifications and targeted exceptions to balance affordability goals with local safety and design authority.