Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
Residential plan review: approximately 5-7 business days; renovation permit fees are based on contract cost and the plan-review fee is 10% of the permit cost.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call 803-285-1969 if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
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
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 803-285-1969.
Residential plan review: approximately 5-7 business days; renovation permit fees are based on contract cost and the plan-review fee is 10% of the permit cost.
Use the Evolve online portal to submit permits and schedule inspections, or call Building Services at 803-285-1969. Inspection requests are accepted until 3:00 p.m. on the business day before the requested date; the county normally inspects the next day, but high volume or office closure can move it to the second day. Residential inspection stages include saw-pole, footing, under-slab, slab/foundation, rough, insulation, temporary power/gas, and final/CO as applicable.
For 2026, Lancaster County lists the 2021 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Plumbing, Fire, Existing Building, Swimming Pool and Spa, and Property Maintenance Codes; 2017 ANSI/ICC A117.1 accessibility code; and 2020 National Electrical Code with South Carolina modifications. The county states these are state-mandated codes with no local modification allowed. Lancaster County's official FAQ exempts fences under 7 feet; sidewalks/driveways (subject to possible right-of-way permits); swings/playground equipment; painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, countertops, cabinets and similar finish work; above-ground pools under 24 inches; security alarms; detached accessory structures under 200 square feet from building inspection; retaining walls under 4 feet unless supporting a surcharge or specified liquids; qualifying at-grade water tanks up to 5,000 gallons; qualifying small window awnings; nonfixed fixtures/cases/racks/counters/partitions under 5 feet 9 inches; and specified minor electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing repairs. Zoning rules can still apply.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.