Fees, valuation & enforcement
Permit fees are a project input. Enforcement exposure is a project risk. Use the official schedule where available, then confirm valuation, trade permits, plan review, and inspection charges with the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
Official fee pathway
The final charge may depend on declared construction value, occupancy classification, square footage, plan review, state surcharges, trade permits, technology fees, and inspection activity. Do not use a neighboring city’s fee table as a substitute for this jurisdiction.
Fee desk contact
864-852-2433
Ask the counter to confirm current charges before submitting a project with multiple trades or a change of use.
Financial exposure
Plan for building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, energy, zoning, septic, right-of-way, or other reviews that the project scope triggers. The lowest initial permit fee is not always the lowest project cost.
Enforcement exposure
When work begins without authorization, the agency may halt the site, require corrective plans, impose additional fees, withhold inspection release, or require concealed work to be exposed for review.
Closeout exposure
A missing final inspection or certificate can complicate occupancy, refinancing, sale, insurance, and utility connection. Preserve the approved plans and signed inspection record through closeout.
Professional field note
Even when a cosmetic or minor project does not require a building permit, zoning, floodplain, shoreline, historic, utility, fire, or right-of-way controls may still apply. Confirm the full jurisdictional picture before work starts.
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.
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 864-852-2433 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
N/A; the county publishes application requirements and fees but no standard plan-review timeline.
Contact the McCormick County Building Department at 864-852-2433 to request inspections; the permit application grants county inspectors access for inspections and posting notices. The permit holder is responsible for requesting inspections and having work ready. Reinspection fees are $50 for the first through third reinspection and $100 for each additional reinspection.
McCormick County adopts and enforces the versions of the International Building, Residential, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes most recently adopted by the South Carolina Building Codes Council, with South Carolina amendments. The current 2026 state cycle is the 2021 editions of the IBC, IRC, IMC, IPC and related mandatory codes, together with the 2020 National Electrical Code and applicable South Carolina modifications. The county's public application requires permits for the listed residential, commercial, addition, demolition, electrical, mechanical, mobile-home and plumbing work and does not publish a complete local minor-work exemption list. Residential owner-builders may qualify for the owner-builder exception; a licensed electrician is generally required unless the owner performs his or her own electrical work. Confirm ordinary repairs and other exemptions with the Building Department before work begins.
Why permit costs vary
Building departments commonly calculate charges from valuation, occupancy, floor area, project type, plan review effort, trade scope, state surcharges, and inspection activity. A remodel that appears small on paper may still trigger structural, energy, fire, or utility review. Ask the permit counter which disciplines apply before you finalize the construction budget.
The same discipline applies to enforcement. Correcting unpermitted work after finishes are installed can require demolition, revised plans, additional inspections, and schedule disruption. Authorization is usually the less expensive project-management decision.