Berkeley County, SC Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required before work starts
- § 11-64
- Permit card must be posted
- weather-protected on site
- Starting without a permit
- doubles all fees (§ 11-65)
- Admin fee
- $25.00 per permit (§ 11-69)
- Owner-builder exemption
- own 1-2 family home, § 11-72
- Appeals body
- Construction Board of Adjustments & Appeals
- Penalty
- up to $200 fine / 30 days jail (§ 11-103)
Summary
Berkeley County Code Sec. 11-64 bars any work covered by the adopted technical codes from starting until the permitting department issues a valid permit, and the permit card must then be posted on site, weather-protected, for the life of construction. Sec. 11-65 doubles every fee if work begins first anyway.
No work relating to the codes adopted by this article shall commence until a valid permit for such work has been issued by the permitting department. Work requiring a permit shall not commence until the permit holder, or his/her agent, has posted the building permit card in a visible location on the premises. The permit card must be protected from the weather and maintained on site throughout construction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 37).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 11-64 states plainly that no work relating to the codes adopted by this article shall commence until a valid permit for such work has been issued by the permitting department, and once issued, the permit holder or agent must post the building permit card in a visible location on the premises, protected from weather and maintained on site throughout construction. Sec. 11-65 backs this up financially: work that starts before the permit issues doubles every administrative and permit fee specified in the chapter, without excusing the applicant from otherwise complying.
00 nonrefundable administrative fee applies per permit under Sec. 11-69, on top of the graduated building-permit fee schedule in Sec. 00. Construction documents generally require a South Carolina-licensed architect or engineer under Sec. 11-61, except for small residential work such as an attached one-story addition of 400 square feet or less with a 7/12 roof pitch or flatter. Sec. 11-71 requires permit applicants to hold the applicable South Carolina contractor license, though Sec. 11-72 lets an owner build or improve their own one- or two-family residence for personal occupancy after filing an owner/builder disclosure statement with the register of deeds.
The chief building official can suspend or revoke a permit under Sec. 11-66 if it was issued in error or in violation of law, and appeals of the building official's decisions go to the eight-member Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals under Sec. 11-34, whose decision is final.
Violations & Fines
Starting covered work without a permit doubles every fee under Sec. 11-65 and can trigger revocation of any permit later issued in error under Sec. 11-66. Beyond the fee penalty, Sec. 11-103 makes any chapter 11 violation a misdemeanor: a fine up to $200.00 and/or up to 30 days in jail, with each day of continued noncompliance charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start construction while my permit application is pending?
Do I need to hire a licensed architect for a small addition?
Can I build my own house without a contractor's license?
Who hears an appeal if the building official denies or revokes my permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Berkeley County
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