South Carolina building departments
Find local permit offices, inspection services, and official resources across South Carolina.
Search the South Carolina directory
How permitting works in South Carolina
Statewide codes, mandatory local enforcement. South Carolina requires cities and counties to enforce the state-adopted codes, and each county must provide a building official for unincorporated areas. Residential builders need a state license for jobs over $5,000.
A county name is only a geographic starting point. Depending on the address, a city, town, borough, township, or county office may issue your permit. How to check who issues your permit.
South Carolina building codes and licensing
- Residential code
- 2021 IRC with South Carolina modifications (S.C. Code Regs. 8-1200 et seq.)
- Commercial code
- 2021 IBC with South Carolina modifications (S.C. Code Regs. 8-800 et seq.)
- Outside city limits
- Each county must appoint a building official, or contract for one, so the unincorporated part of the county is covered. A county or municipality that cannot pay for the service within recommended fees may file a financial-hardship affidavit, which exempts it for up to five years.
- Contractor licensing
- Residential builders need a Residential Builders Commission license when a job costs more than $5,000. Residential specialty contractors need one when a job exceeds $500, and must post a surety bond when a job for a property owner exceeds $5,000. South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (LLR) (opens in a new tab)
What is different in South Carolina
- State law sets the 2009 IECC as the energy standard for new and renovated buildings. New wood-burning fireplaces need tight-fitting flue dampers and outdoor combustion air (S.C. Code § 6-10-30, -35).
- Cities and counties may enforce only the nationally recognized codes adopted by the Building Codes Council. Any code change affecting one- and two-family dwellings must go through the state regulation process.
- Cities and counties may not require a permit or charge a fee for a wheelchair ramp built with Medicare or Medicaid money, as long as the work meets the conditions in § 6-9-14.
South Carolina department guides
Browse South Carolina counties
Abbeville CountyAiken CountyAllendale CountyAnderson CountyBamberg CountyBarnwell CountyBeaufort CountyBerkeley CountyCalhoun CountyCharleston CountyCherokee CountyChester CountyChesterfield CountyClarendon CountyColleton CountyDarlington CountyDillon CountyDorchester CountyEdgefield CountyFairfield CountyFlorence CountyGeorgetown CountyGreenville CountyGreenwood CountyHampton CountyHorry CountyJasper CountyKershaw CountyLancaster CountyLaurens CountyLee CountyLexington CountyMcCormick CountyMarion CountyMarlboro CountyNewberry CountyOconee CountyOrangeburg CountyPickens CountyRichland CountySaluda CountySpartanburg CountySumter CountyUnion CountyWilliamsburg CountyYork County
Planning a project in South Carolina?
Start with what the model codes say, then confirm local rules with the department that serves your address.