Unincorporated Lexington County

County brochure says permits are required for covered building work in unincorporated Lexington County and notes that building permit applications must be accompanied by plans and zoning review where applicable.

• Exempt Ordinary repairs and maintenance
• Exempt Fences
• Exempt Retaining walls unless supporting a surcharge
• Exempt Sidewalks, driveways, and patios
• Exempt Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, and similar cosmetic finish work
• Exempt Swings and other playground equipment accessory to a one-family or two-family dwelling
• Exempt One-story detached storage structures accessory to a one-family or two-family dwelling not exceeding 200 square feet, provided the home is already on the lot
• Exempt Window awnings supported by an exterior wall

Note: Exempt from building permit does not mean exempt from zoning and planning requirements. Confirm edge cases with the Building Inspection Office before proceeding.

Building code

County publishes a Building Code Ordinance and enforces county building permits under the Community Development Department; confirm the current adopted code editions through the county ordinance and staff at filing time.

Permit validity

County FAQ and brochure indicate permits must remain active through ongoing work and inspections; confirm any formal expiration interval in the active county ordinance before filing.

Owner-builder

Homeowners who are not licensed builders can apply for their own permit if they are the property owner when the permit is issued and otherwise qualify under South Carolina owner-builder law.

Contractor requirements

County FAQ states anyone hired on residential property should be licensed through South Carolina LLR if the work exceeds $200; commercial projects over $5,000 require the appropriate South Carolina contractor or mechanical contractor license; commercial permits will not be generated until the general contractor of record submits SC LLR and ID.

1. 01
   Determine whether the parcel is in unincorporated Lexington County; if it is inside a municipality, local city or town rules will control.
2. 02
   Create the project in BluePrince and upload the required permit application, plans, licensure, and supporting documents.
3. 03
   Submit digital plans through BluePrince or by the methods listed in the county submittal guidance; commercial submissions also require hard-copy plan sets.
4. 04
   Pay plan review fees when the project is created and invoiced by county staff.
5. 05
   Wait for county review. Public county commercial guidance says plan review may take up to three weeks.
6. 06
   After approvals and fee payment, obtain the permit, schedule inspections through BluePrince, and proceed through final inspection and closeout.

Typical processing time: Commercial plan review may take up to three weeks; next-day inspection cutoff is 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Source: Community Development Department, Building Permits / Building Inspection, County of Lexington ↗

County commercial guidance states plan review fee payment must be by check payable to County of Lexington when the project is created.

Fees change periodically. Confirm at the official fee schedule ↗ before budgeting.

• BluePrince Portal (online)

Scheduling deadline

Next-day inspection cutoff: 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Inspection hours

County administrative offices: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Typical sequence: Permit issuance, trade permit coordination as needed, phased inspections during construction, and final closeout.