Administrative overview · FIPS 45061
Lee 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
Lee County Planning / Building Codes, with RCI serving as the county's third-party building official
For a project in or near Lee 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
803-483-3195
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Lee County Planning, 123 South Main Street, 3rd Floor of the Courthouse, Room 302, Bishopville, SC 29010; mailing P.O. Box 309, Bishopville, SC 29010
Operating hours
N/A; the county portal publishes the office location and phone number but not public counter hours
Review expectation
Residential plan review and permit issuance: up to five days, according to the county's residential plan-review requirements; commercial timing is N/A.
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 Lee 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 803-483-3195.
How long might review take?
Residential plan review and permit issuance: up to five days, according to the county's residential plan-review requirements; commercial timing is N/A.
How are inspections scheduled?
Use the Evolve portal to request, cancel, and view scheduled or completed inspections, or contact Lee County Planning at 803-483-3195. The portal supports residential, commercial, electrical, mechanical, gas, plumbing, demolition, fire-system and sign permits. Do not begin work before the permit is issued.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
For 2026, Lee County's adopted South Carolina code cycle is the 2021 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire, Fuel Gas and related codes with South Carolina amendments; 2020 National Electrical Code with SC amendments; 2017 ICC/ANSI A117.1 accessibility standard; and 2009 International Energy Conservation Code. The county adopted these codes for inspection and enforcement, subject to the effective editions established by the South Carolina Building Codes Council. N/A (the county's public requirements sheet refers to contractor exemptions and owner-builder permitting but does not enumerate a complete local minor-work exemption list; confirm any statutory South Carolina code exemption with Lee County Planning before starting work)