County Building Permits
Anderson County, SC - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Anderson County, South Carolina. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Covers unincorporated Anderson County outside municipal permit offices.
- Department
- Anderson County Building & Codes; Anderson County Development Standards
- Address
- 401 E. River Street, Anderson, SC 29624
- Phone
- Building & Codes: (864) 260-4158; Development Standards: (864) 260-4719
Online Permit Portal
Platform: OpenGov • Account required: Yes • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Create an OpenGov secure portal account.
- Use Start a Project for building permits tied to trade permits, or use the residential/commercial single-permit tabs for stand-alone permits.
- Complete each permit application and upload supporting septic, sewer, or other required documentation.
- Upload LLR license and identity documentation if applying as a licensed builder or contractor.
- Submit, pay review and permit fees, and use the project record to manage inspections.
Typical processing time: Not publicly stated for general permit review. Inspection requests made before 4:00 PM are scheduled for the next business day.
Source: Anderson County Building & Codes; Anderson County Development Standards
General Requirements
County examples include new dwellings, additions, duplexes, townhomes, detached garages with electrical, solar, pools, storage buildings with electrical, barns with electrical, interior renovations, commercial buildings and up-fits, service upgrades, HVAC replacement, decks, foundation repair, demolition, gas service, and mobile-home moves or setups.
Required Documents
- Permit application
- Septic or sewer documents as applicable
- LLR license and driver license for licensed builders and contractors
- Anderson County authorization card for staff acting under a contractor's authority
- Land use, grading, floodplain, or zoning materials where applicable
- Permit validity
- Not clearly stated on the county pages.
- Building code
- 2021 IBC, IRC, IMC, IPC, IFC, ISPSC, IFGC, IEBC, IPMC; 2020 NEC; 2009 IECC; South Carolina modifications apply.
- Owner-builder
- County residential checklist explicitly states that owner builders are responsible for full compliance with adopted codes and ordinances.
- Contractor requirements
- LLR license upload plus driver license required for licensed builders and contractors using the portal. Staff need authorization card plus driver license.
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- Residential building $110; commercial building $120; electrical/mechanical/plumbing base rates start at $85.
- Plan check fee
- 50 percent of building permit fee.
- Permit fee formula
- Residential building is valuation-based at $110 minimum plus $2.60 per $1,000 above $10,000. Commercial building is valuation-based at $120 minimum plus $3.60 per $1,000 above $10,000. Trades are stepped by value or fixture count.
- Reinspection fee
- $50; renewal $50 per permit; refund requests have a $25 administrative charge if no inspections were performed.
- Payment note
- Plan review fees are collected at submittal. Public pages warn applicants to ignore fraudulent wire-payment messages and verify suspicious invoices directly with the county.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Anderson County Building & Codes; Anderson County Development Standards to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- OpenGov project records (online)
- (864) 260-4158 (phone)
- Scheduling deadline
- Requests must be called in before 4:00 PM for next-business-day scheduling.
- Inspection hours
- Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
Typical inspection sequence: Published residential sequence is footing, under-slab plumbing if applicable, rough-in, panel inspection, and final inspection/CO.
Additional Resources
- Building code: 2021 IBC, IRC, IMC, IPC, IFC, ISPSC, IFGC, IEBC, IPMC; 2020 NEC; 2009 IECC; South Carolina modifications apply.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Adopted Codes & Ordinances
- Residential Checklist
- Anderson County LUDO
- License lookup guide: South Carolina Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: South Carolina Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- South Carolina hub: South Carolina Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Anderson County Building & Codes; Anderson County Development Standards before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anderson County Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Anderson County, SC?
- County examples include new dwellings, additions, duplexes, townhomes, detached garages with electrical, solar, pools, storage buildings with electrical, barns with electrical, interior renovations, commercial buildings and up-fits, service upgrades, HVAC replacement, decks, foundation repair, demolition, gas service, and mobile-home moves or setups.
- How much does a building permit cost in unincorporated Anderson County, SC?
- The minimum permit fee is Residential building $110; commercial building $120; electrical/mechanical/plumbing base rates start at $85.. Fees are calculated as: Residential building is valuation-based at $110 minimum plus $2.60 per $1,000 above $10,000. Commercial building is valuation-based at $120 minimum plus $3.60 per $1,000 above $10,000. Trades are stepped by value or fixture count.. Plan check fee: 50 percent of building permit fee..
- How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated Anderson County, SC?
- 1. Create an OpenGov secure portal account. 2. Use Start a Project for building permits tied to trade permits, or use the residential/commercial single-permit tabs for stand-alone permits. 3. Complete each permit application and upload supporting septic, sewer, or other required documentation. 4. Upload LLR license and identity documentation if applying as a licensed builder or contractor. 5. Submit, pay review and permit fees, and use the project record to manage inspections.
- How long does it take to get a building permit in unincorporated Anderson County, SC?
- Typical processing time is Not publicly stated for general permit review. Inspection requests made before 4:00 PM are scheduled for the next business day..
- How do I schedule a building inspection in unincorporated Anderson County, SC?
- Inspections can be scheduled via: OpenGov project records, (864) 260-4158. Requests must be called in before 4:00 PM for next-business-day scheduling..
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