Commercial Compliance Hub
Check requirements

Richland County

Richland County Building Permitting and Inspections

In short

Richland County Building Permitting and Inspections issues 2 permits we publish for Richland 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, Commercial Plan Review and Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to youRichland County Building Permitting and InspectionsUnder Code §6-50(b), permit fees are determined by County Council and set forth in the county's annual budget ordinance for the current fiscal year. A building fee schedule is not published on the county's Building Permits, Commercial Plan Review or Building Permitting and Inspections pages; contact Building Permitting and Inspections (803-576-2140) for the amount for a project. Under §6-50(f), where construction requiring a permit is begun before the permit is obtained, the permit fee is doubled.per project; a certificate of occupancy is issued before a new building is occupied or a building's occupancy is changed2026-10-19
Contractor Registration with the Building Official (unincorporated Richland County)only if it applies to youRichland County Building Permitting and InspectionsA separate registration fee is not published in Code §6-64 or §6-65; both sections tie the contractor's obligation to paying the license tax under the county's business license article (see the business license record). Contact Building Permitting and Inspections (803-576-2140) for any amount due.before making contracts for permitted work; the register entry is changed when the contractor moves its place of business (Code §6-64)2026-10-19

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, Commercial Plan Review and Certificate of Occupancy

Under Code §6-3 the building chapter applies to the unincorporated areas of the county and to municipalities that agree with the council to be regulated by it. Section 6-43(a) states that no person shall construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish any building or structure, or install electrical, gas or plumbing equipment regulated by the chapter, "without first obtaining from the building official a separate permit for each such building, structure, or installation." Section 6-43(d) adds that an entity that will employ or house more than 100 persons in a facility within the Emergency Planning Zone of the V.C. Summer Nuclear Plant must have an evacuation plan approved by the Richland County Emergency Services Department before any building permit is issued. Under §6-56(a) no new building may be lawfully occupied, and no change in occupancy made, until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy. The county's Commercial Plan Review page sets out the process: register on eTrakit, submit the site plan (reviews are completed within 30 calendar days), obtain a Land Disturbance Permit before any site work, apply for the building permit, pass the CBD Planning Final, CBD Fire Final (if applicable) and COMM Final inspections, and receive the certificate of occupancy in the online account. Under §6-50(b) fees are set in the county's annual budget ordinance; a fee schedule is not published on the county's building or plan review pages, so contact Building Permitting and Inspections (803-576-2140) for the amount for a project. Starting work before the permit doubles the fee (§6-50(f)).

Contractor Registration with the Building Official (unincorporated Richland County)

Code §6-64, in the Richland County Code of Ordinances as published by American Legal Publishing (edition 2026 S-24, current), makes it the duty of every contractor or builder who contracts for the erection, construction or repair of buildings for which a permit is required, including one who sublets any part of the work, "to pay a license tax as provided in the general license ordinance, and to register his/her name in a book provided for that purpose, with the building official, giving full name, residence and place of business", and to update the register on moving. Section 6-65 provides that before any person engages in the plumbing, electrical, HVAC or gas installation business, the person pays a license tax as provided for that purpose, giving full name, residence and place of business. The county's Clearance Form lists "Out of County Contractor" as a reason for filing, and its Building Inspections sign-off records whether the contractor's SC LLR license was obtained. The Business License page says Building Inspections approval applies "for commercial locations or contractors". Under the class schedule printed in Code §16-5(5), class 8.10 covers "Contractors, Construction (All Types)", the license fee on the full contract amount is paid before a building permit is issued or work begins, subcontractors are licensed on the same basis as prime contractors, and each vehicle at the job site displays a contractor decal.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Richland County
Phone
(803) 576-2140

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 PermitsRichland County Building Permitting and Inspections · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  2. Building Permitting and InspectionsRichland County Building Permitting and Inspections · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  3. Business LicenseRichland County Business Service Center · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  4. Clearance Form (Revised: 10.1.2024)Richland County Business Service Center · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  5. Commercial Plan ReviewRichland County Community Planning & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  6. Sec. 16-5. Classification and Rates.Richland County Council (Code of Ordinances, American Legal Publishing) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  7. Sec. 6-3. Area of applicability.Richland County Council (Code of Ordinances, American Legal Publishing) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  8. Sec. 6-43. Permits required; exception.Richland County Council (Code of Ordinances, American Legal Publishing) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  9. Sec. 6-50. Fees.Richland County Council (Code of Ordinances, American Legal Publishing) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  10. Sec. 6-56. Certificate of approval; certificate of occupancy.Richland County Council (Code of Ordinances, American Legal Publishing) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  11. Sec. 6-64. Contractors or builders.Richland County Council (Code of Ordinances, American Legal Publishing) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  12. Sec. 6-65. Plumbing, electrical, mechanical (HVAC) or gas installation business.Richland County Council (Code of Ordinances, American Legal Publishing) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19

Other offices serving Richland 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.