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Lexington County

Lexington County Community Development Department, Building Inspection

In short

Lexington County Community Development Department, Building Inspection issues 2 permits we publish for Lexington County, last verified 2026-10-19. 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 Commercial Plan Review (Lexington County Building Inspection)only if it applies to youLexington County Community Development Department, Building InspectionPermit fee: the schedule states "Building permit fees are based on building valuation data as published by the International Codes Council and will be calculated by staff at the time of permit issuance." Commercial Plan Review Fees: Small Commercial (< $1 million valuation) $300.00; Large Commercial ($1 million valuation and greater) $590.00; Voluntary Revisions $180.00. Re-inspections: first inspection no fee; each additional re-inspection $60.00; inspection not ready/work incomplete $60.00. Stop Work Order Release $269.00. All per the Development Review and Permit Fees schedule effective 7/1/2026.per project; a permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance or is suspended or abandoned for 90 days, with written extensions of up to 90 days each (County Code §14-265)2026-10-19
Certificate of Occupancy (Lexington County Building Inspection)only if it applies to youLexington County Community Development Department, Building InspectionNo separate certificate of occupancy fee is published on the Development Review and Permit Fees schedule effective 7/1/2026; the certificate follows the building permit and its inspections. Replacement Certificate of Occupancy: $31.00, and Temporary Power for Occupancy Permit: $50.00, per the same schedule.one-time, issued on completion of the permitted work; a new certificate is needed for a change in occupancy classification2026-10-19

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 Commercial Plan Review (Lexington County Building Inspection)

County Code §14-261 (Ord. No. 20-01, July 28, 2020) requires any owner, contractor or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to install or alter any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system regulated by the code, to "first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit." Under §14-271 the applicant must first provide "a valid zoning permit, landscape permit, and/or land disturbance permit, as applicable, from the delegated authority of the jurisdiction where the construction or alteration is to be located," and under §14-270 construction in a flood hazard area needs the floodplain manager's documented approval first. §14-332 sets fees "in accordance with the schedule established by Lexington County Council". Per the county's "Development Review and Permit Fees – Effective 7/1/2026" schedule, linked under "Fee Structure" on the Community Development Fees & Ordinances page, the permit fee is calculated by staff from International Codes Council building valuation data at issuance; commercial plan review is $300.00 for a project under $1 million valuation and $590.00 at $1 million or more; and after a free first inspection each re-inspection is $60.00. Applications, inspection requests and uploads go through the county's online Building Permits Portal (803-785-8130). The county's Sub-Contractor Permit Application states that no permit fee is assessed for a sub permit under a general contractor's master permit, that a standalone permit fee "will be based on your contract amount", and asks for "a copy of your state license card (not master's, journeyman or municipal)"; state contractor licenses are separate state records.

Certificate of Occupancy (Lexington County Building Inspection)

County Code §14-371 (Ord. No. 20-01, July 28, 2020) provides: "No building or structure shall be used or occupied, and no change in the existing occupancy classification of a building or structure or portion thereof shall be made until the building official has issued a certificate of occupancy therefor as provided herein." The section adds that a certificate is not an approval of any violation of the code or other county ordinances, and that certificates are not required for work exempt from permits or for accessory buildings or structures not intended to be occupied. Under §14-270, in a flood hazard area a certificate of occupancy cannot be issued until the floodplain manager has concluded that the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance has been met. The Development Review and Permit Fees schedule effective 7/1/2026 lists a Replacement Certificate of Occupancy at $31.00 and a Temporary Power for Occupancy Permit at $50.00. A business moving into a space in the unincorporated county also needs its zoning permit, since the county's Zoning page lists new tenants and a change in activity among the things that require one.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Lexington County
Phone
(803) 785-8130

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 PermitsCounty of Lexington, South Carolina · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  2. Building Permits FAQsCounty of Lexington, South Carolina · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  3. Development Review and Permit Fees – Effective 7/1/2026Lexington County Community Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  4. Fees & OrdinancesCounty of Lexington, South Carolina · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  5. Lexington County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, Article V, Division 10. - Certificate of OccupancyLexington County Council (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  6. Lexington County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, Article V, Division 5. - PermitsLexington County Council (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  7. Lexington County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, Article V, Division 8. - FeesLexington County Council (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  8. Sub - Contractor Permit ApplicationLexington County Department of Community Development, Division of Building Safety · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19

Other offices serving Lexington County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

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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.