Administrative overview · FIPS 45041
Florence County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
Municipal Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked Municipal Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
Florence County Planning and Building Inspection Department; the county has consolidated building authority for Florence County and the listed municipalities of Johnsonville, Olanta, Quinby, Scranton, Timmonsville, and Pamplico, while other incorporated places may have separate requirements
For a project in or near Florence County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
843-676-8600
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Florence County Planning and Building Department, 518 South Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501
Operating hours
N/A; the county identifies the One Stop location but does not publish counter hours on the reviewed building pages
Review expectation
Initial plan review: approximately 2 days for residential projects and 14 days for commercial projects after submission; requested inspections are conducted within 48 hours.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Florence County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 843-676-8600.
How long might review take?
Initial plan review: approximately 2 days for residential projects and 14 days for commercial projects after submission; requested inspections are conducted within 48 hours.
How are inspections scheduled?
The permit holder or authorized agent must call 843-676-8600 at the required construction stages to request foundation, framing, rough-in, final, and trade inspections. Requested inspections are conducted within 48 hours. The county lists underground, rough-in, and final inspection requirements for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and gas work.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
For 2026, Florence County enforces South Carolina's mandatory 2021 code cycle: the 2021 International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Existing Building, and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes with South Carolina modifications; 2020 National Electrical Code with South Carolina modifications; and 2009 International Energy Conservation Code. The county application identifies agricultural-only work and the South Carolina owner-builder exemption for qualifying residential construction, with required filing of the owner-builder notice. Ordinary finish work and other minor exemptions are governed by the applicable South Carolina code; the county advises applicants to confirm whether the proposed construction, alteration, repair, move, conversion, or demolition requires a permit.