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Lancaster County

Lancaster County Development Services – Building

In short

Lancaster County Development Services – Building issues 2 permits we publish for Lancaster County, last verified 2026-10-27. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Building Permit and Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youLancaster County Development Services – Building0.75% (0.0075) of the estimated value of the work, minimum $25.00. Plan review: 1/10 of the permit fee; a re-review is another 1/10, collected for commercial plans. Re-inspections: $50, then $100, then $250 each after that. Fees are doubled if work starts before the permit is issued (FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule).per project2026-10-27
Electrical, Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Permitsonly if it applies to youLancaster County Development Services – BuildingElectrical: minimum $30.00; $0–$1,000 = $30.00; $1,001–$150,000 = $30.00 for the first $1,000 plus $2.50 per additional $1,000; over $150,000 = $372.00 for the first $150,000 plus $3.00 per additional $1,000. Gas: minimum $30.00; each line $7.50 plus $1.00 (piping per 1–4 outlets; burners, boilers and water heaters per unit). Mechanical: minimum $30.00; $30.00 plus $5.00 per $1,000. Plumbing: minimum $25.00; $0–$1,000 = $25.00; up to $5,000 = $35.00; over $5,000 = $35.00 plus $4.00 per additional $1,000 (FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule).per permit2026-10-27

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

Building Permit and Plan Review

New construction, additions and commercial upfits in the unincorporated county need a building permit from Development Services – Building. The fee is 0.75% (0.0075) of the estimated value of the work, with a $25.00 minimum, and plan review is charged at one-tenth of the permit fee, with a re-review at another one-tenth collected for commercial plans, as published in the Lancaster County FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule (the adopted schedule for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, linked on the county's Fee Schedule Documents page as the "Fiscal Year 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule"). The same schedule sets re-inspection fees of $50, $100 and then $250 each, doubles the fees when work starts before the permit is issued, and adds 5% to the affected building permit fees for inspections of commercial R-2 and I occupancy types. The county's Open for Business application states that "Permits can only be obtained by an appropriately licensed South Carolina general contractor". Electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work are permitted separately. The Building office is at 101 N Main Street, Lancaster, SC 29720 (803-285-1969), open Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 5.

Electrical, Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Permits

Electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work in the unincorporated county is permitted separately from the building permit by Development Services – Building. As published in the Lancaster County FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule (the adopted schedule for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, linked on the county's Fee Schedule Documents page as the "Fiscal Year 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule"): electrical permits have a $30.00 minimum, cost $30.00 for the first $1,000 plus $2.50 per additional $1,000 up to $150,000, and $372.00 for the first $150,000 plus $3.00 per additional $1,000 above that; gas permits have a $30.00 minimum, with each line charged at $7.50 plus $1.00; mechanical permits have a $30.00 minimum and cost $30.00 plus $5.00 per $1,000 of value; plumbing permits have a $25.00 minimum, cost $25.00 up to $1,000 and $35.00 up to $5,000, and above $5,000 cost $35.00 plus $4.00 per additional $1,000. A restaurant fit-out with a hood, gas range and grease plumbing typically needs several of these permits.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Lancaster County
Phone
(803) 285-1969

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Building PermitLancaster County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  2. Fiscal Year 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule (FY 2026-2027)Lancaster County, South Carolina · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  3. Open for Business ApplicationLancaster County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27

Other offices serving Lancaster County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

South Carolina jurisdictions

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.