Columbia building department

The City of Columbia’s Planning and Development Services Department runs a Development Center that handles building review, permitting, inspections, and zoning for property inside Columbia city limits. Richland County’s Building Permitting and Inspections Department serves unincorporated county parcels. A Columbia mailing address does not mean the city has jurisdiction.

Applying: the Access Portal

Columbia’s online permitting system is the Access Columbia self-service portal, hosted on Tyler EnerGov. Licensed contractors can register to apply for permits, pay fees, schedule inspections, and upload special-inspection reports. Permit types not available in the portal can be emailed to [email protected]. The city posts separate tracks for residential (one- and two-family) projects, commercial and multifamily projects, zoning permits, and right-of-way encroachments.

Residential applications and checklists

The city’s residential forms include:

• residential building permit (new, addition, renovation, accessory), with a subcontractor list
• electrical, mechanical, gas, and plumbing permits
• swimming pool permit, plus pool plan-review requirements
• fence/wall and sign permits
• address requests, curb cuts, and encroachments

Each project type has its own checklist: new one- or two-family home, addition, renovation, detached accessory structure, solar panel installation, pool, and land disturbance. Incomplete submittals are not accepted.

For example, an accessory building submittal needs a scaled site plan showing:

• the tax map sheet number
• lot lines
• setbacks to lot lines and other buildings
• a lot-coverage calculation

You also need a floor plan and foundation plan. Energy-code compliance (for example, through REScheck) is required only if the structure will be heated or cooled. Projects in design or historic districts, floodplains or floodways, or needing city water and sewer extensions have extra requirements.

Adopted codes and the 2027 change

Through December 31, 2026, Columbia enforces:

• the 2021 International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Fuel Gas Codes, with South Carolina modifications
• the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code
• the 2020 National Electrical Code
• ICC A117.1 for accessibility

The city is adopting the 2024 code editions effective January 1, 2027. Any permit request submitted after December 31, 2026, must follow the 2024 editions. That matters if your plans are being drawn now.

Under state law, construction documents must be sealed by an architect or engineer unless an exemption applies (S.C. Code Sections 40-3-290 and 40-22-280). The Building Official can require sealed documents for any structure in special circumstances. When IBC Chapter 17 special inspections apply, the owner (not the contractor) hires the agency. Reports go in through the portal before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.

Fees and payment

The city posts a Residential (One and Two Family) fee schedule and a Commercial/Multi-Family fee schedule on its Payments page. Both PDFs are dated 2014. The residential schedule calculates permit fees per building, based on contract price or ICC valuation data. For one- and two-family dwellings it uses $45 (average), $63 (good), or $70 (best) per square foot, and $25 per square foot for garages.

You can pay in person at the Development Center (cash, check, money order, or card) or online in the portal 24/7. Card payments carry a 1.5% debit or 2.5% credit convenience fee, with a $1.95 minimum. The city warns that legitimate invoices come only from columbiasc.gov email addresses.

Inspections

Inspections are requested in the Access Portal or by calling Building Inspections at (803) 545-3422. The cutoff is 3 p.m. for next-day inspections. Requests after 3 p.m. go to the day after next, and same-day inspections are not offered.

The standard residential sequence is:

1. footing
2. foundation
3. rough-in and framing
4. insulation
5. power and gas
6. final

The first failed re-inspection costs $30. Each further failure on the same request costs $50. See building inspection stages.

Homeowner permits

Owner-occupants pulling their own permit sign the city’s Homeowner Affidavit under the state owner-builder exemption. You must supervise the work yourself, and the home must be a one- or two-family dwelling for your own use, not for sale or rent. You must also record a notice with the register of deeds. Failing to record it revokes the exemption. The affidavit asks whether you or an immediate family member will do the work, and it is answered separately for each trade.

Zoning and related approvals

Zoning permits cover:

• new construction, additions, and structural alterations
• fences, signs, and accessory structures
• temporary uses

Columbia also requires permits for tree removal on private property and for forestry work in the public right-of-way. Contractors must sign a tree-protection acknowledgment. Zoning questions go to (803) 545-3333 or [email protected]. Planning is at (803) 545-3222.

Contact

• Development Center: 1401 Main Street, 3rd Floor (entrance on Washington Street), Columbia, SC 29201
• Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
• Residential review and permitting: (803) 545-3420, [email protected]
• Commercial development: (803) 545-3483
• Building Inspections: (803) 545-3422, [email protected]