Short answer: Shipyard is a gated community of about 800 acres on the south end of Hilton Head Island, entered through the 278 Parkway Gate or the Pope Avenue Gate, with single-family homes, villa regimes, golf and a beach club for owners. The Shipyard Property Owners Association (SPOA) issues each owner two vehicle decals free and charges $25 for each additional one. Golf carts aren't allowed on Shipyard roads or paths. The annual assessment and any enhancement fee at sale aren't posted publicly, so get them from the POA's resale documents.
Key facts
- Size: about 800 acres (Shipyard POA).
- Gates: two, the 278 Parkway Gate and the Pope Avenue Gate. Shipyard Security is licensed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SPOA ARB Guidelines 2025).
- Owner decals: two free, then $25 each; up to four if your primary residence is in Beaufort County, two if it isn't. Decals are valid for the calendar year (SPOA Access Policy).
- Relatives: two courtesy decals per owner for relatives living in Beaufort County, $25 each (SPOA Access Policy).
- Golf carts: not permitted on Shipyard roads or recreational paths. Registered, insured, plated low speed vehicles are allowed (SPOA Access Policy).
- Renters: a lease of six months or more qualifies for a renter decal ($25). Shorter leases get a temporary pass renewed every 30 days (SPOA Access Policy).
- Assessment: billed January 1 and due on receipt; the amount is set by the board each year and isn't posted on the public site (SPOA ARB Guidelines 2025).
- ARB fees: $1,000 for a new single-family home up to 3,000 sq ft (plus $0.50 per sq ft above), $50 to re-roof with the same shingle (SPOA ARB Guidelines 2025).
What is Shipyard like?
Shipyard is a private, gated community on the south end of the island with single-family homes, villa and condominium regimes, golf, and a few commercial properties inside the gates, including the Sonesta resort, Shipyard Golf Club, the Van Der Meer racquet club and Hilton Head Health. The golf club is part of the Heritage Collection operated by Heritage Golf Group, a separate business from the POA. The POA runs security and maintains the common roads, grounds, buildings, bike paths and lagoons.
Because the resort, golf and racquet clubs bring daily traffic, the POA's access policy sets out who can drive where, and commercial and club visitors are limited to routes to their destination.
How do the gates and decals work?
Every vehicle needs a decal or a pass, and all decals expire at the end of the calendar year.
- Owners: an owner is anyone with recorded title to a residential lot or dwelling in Shipyard. The first two owner decals are free and each additional decal is $25. Owners whose primary residence is in Beaufort County, with vehicles registered to their Shipyard address, can have four; owners living elsewhere can have two. Staff place the decal on the car at the Welcome Center, 10 Shipyard Drive.
- Guests: temporary passes run from 24 hours to 30 days and need an owner's, renter's or rental agent's authorization. Daily passes cover less than 24 hours. Neither can be used for the beach facilities, the lagoons or POA amenities.
- Vendors: owners can't call in a guest pass for a contractor, delivery, estimate or housekeeper. Vendors buy a daily pass ($15 for a car or light truck) or an annual commercial decal ($250 for Class I), and the POA's FAQ says calling in a guest pass for a vendor can bring a fine.
- Replacements: a replacement decal is $50 with the old decal surrendered.
Timeshare and quarter-share owners get temporary passes only for the weeks they own and can't get decals.
Can you drive a golf cart in Shipyard?
No. The access policy says golf carts are not low speed vehicles and may not use Shipyard roads or recreational paths. Street-legal low speed vehicles that meet South Carolina Code Section 56-2-100, carry insurance and a South Carolina plate may use the roads once registered with the POA like any other vehicle. Motorcycles and mopeds can enter residential areas only if garaged and decaled, and rental mopeds aren't allowed.
Can you rent a Shipyard home or villa?
The POA's public documents don't ban rentals; they set up the passes renters use. Long-term renters with a lease of six months or more, named on the lease, can buy a renter decal for $25 that expires with the lease. Renters on shorter leases get a temporary pass renewed every 30 days, and subtenants count as guests. Villa regimes can have their own leasing rules, so read the regime documents as well. Rentals under 30 days need the Town's short-term rental permit.
What are the POA fees?
Every owner pays an annual assessment approved by the board from the coming year's budget. It's invoiced January 1 and due on receipt. It funds security and maintenance of roads, grounds, buildings, bike paths and lagoons. The current amount isn't on the POA's public website, and neither is any fee at sale.
The POA's own FAQ refers to "enhancement income" and says the board puts 25% of it each year toward a catastrophic reserve fund. The fund's goal is $1 million and it was about three-quarters funded even after Hurricane Helene costs. The FAQ also says road paving costs have risen about 30%, guided by a 2024 life-cycle study, and that there are no plans for a special assessment for lagoon dredging. Get the current assessment and any enhancement or transfer fee from the resale documents for the property. See our guide to community transfer fees.
What needs architectural review?
All exterior work must be permitted by the Shipyard ARB. Fences are considered only around pools and inside setback lines, political signs aren't allowed, and contractors may work 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. Fees from the 2025 guidelines:
| Project | ARB fee |
|---|---|
| New single-family home up to 3,000 sq ft | $1,000, plus $0.50 per sq ft above |
| Addition of 1,000 sq ft or more | $750 |
| Pool or spa | $500 |
| New paint color or shingle color | $100 |
| Re-roofing (same shingle) or re-staining (same color) | $50 |
| Tree removal, 1 to 4 trees | $50 |
| Demolition | $250 |
Refundable deposits from both owner and contractor are required for new construction and major renovations. Approvals last 90 days, and a project not started by then must be resubmitted.
How we help
We send Shipyard listings, request the POA and regime resale documents so you see the current assessment and any fee at closing before you're under contract, and pull the flood zone and any elevation certificate on file. If you use a golf cart today, we'll flag that Shipyard won't allow it on its roads.
What about the beach and flood zones?
All owners may reach the beach at the Beach House and use its restroom during daytime hours, and owners can rent the private Beach Club for a party. Fishing isn't allowed in the common-area lagoons. Flood zones in Shipyard vary by lot; check the exact parcel with the Town's flood hazard search and read our flood zone guide.
Questions
Are golf carts allowed in Shipyard?
No. Shipyard's access policy bars golf carts from its roads and recreational paths. Street-legal low speed vehicles that meet South Carolina law, with insurance and a plate, are allowed once registered with the POA.
How many free decals do Shipyard owners get?
Two. Each additional owner decal is $25, up to four in total for owners whose primary residence is in Beaufort County and two for owners who live elsewhere. Courtesy decals for relatives in Beaufort County are $25 each, two per owner.
What is the Shipyard POA fee?
The board sets the annual assessment each year and bills it January 1, but the amount isn't on the POA's public website. Ask for the resale documents, which show the current assessment and any enhancement or transfer fee charged at closing.
Sources
- Shipyard Property Owners Association Access Policy, Shipyard POA (checked October 2026)
- ARB Guidelines 2025, Shipyard POA (checked October 2026)
- SPOA FAQ, Shipyard POA (checked October 2026)
- Shipyard POA home page, Shipyard POA (checked October 2026)
- Know Your Flood Hazard, Town of Hilton Head Island (checked October 2026)