Administrative overview · FIPS 45043
Georgetown 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
Georgetown County Department of Planning & Development, Building Division; county building authority is expressly for unincorporated Georgetown County, so incorporated municipalities require confirmation of their own permitting authority
For a project in or near Georgetown 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
843-545-3116; inspection request line 843-545-3261
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Georgetown County Building Department, 129 Screven Street, Room 249, Georgetown, SC 29440
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; permit window closes at 4:00 p.m.
Review expectation
N/A for permit plan review; the county states that next-work-day inspections are available when possible for requests made during the stated window.
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 Georgetown 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 843-545-3116; inspection request line 843-545-3261.
How long might review take?
N/A for permit plan review; the county states that next-work-day inspections are available when possible for requests made during the stated window.
How are inspections scheduled?
Request inspections through the Building Department inspection line at 843-545-3261. Requests for next-work-day inspections are accepted Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. when possible. The permit card must be posted and approved stamped plans must be on site; an unsuccessful or inaccessible inspection triggers a $100 reinspection fee before rescheduling.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Georgetown County states that it applies the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications to one- and two-family dwellings and the 2021 International Building Code with South Carolina modifications to commercial and other structures. Related adopted fire, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, gas, flood-zone, and National Flood Insurance requirements also apply. The county does not publish a separate local list of cosmetic or minor-work exemptions on the Building Department page. Applicability is controlled by the adopted South Carolina building and residential codes; confirm any ordinary repair, finish work, accessory structure, agricultural, or owner-builder exemption with the Building Division before starting.