Greenwood County, SC Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Greenwood County ties its building inspection process to the electrical certificate procedure set out at Greenwood County Code § 6-1-3. After a builder installs the electrical system in a new or altered building, the builder must apply to the county for a temporary certificate; only after the county inspects and approves the electrical system does it issue that temporary certificate, which lets the electric utility connect power on a temporary basis while construction continues. Once the building is complete, the builder must apply again for a final certificate; the county issues it only after inspecting the building and determining it complies with all applicable technical codes, regulations and ordinances, and that final certificate is what lets the utility transfer service from the builder's name into the owner's name.

A builder who fails to apply for the final certificate within 90 days of the temporary certificate being issued, or who fails to correct defects or code violations within the time the county directs, faces revocation: the county issues a notice of revocation, the electric utility disconnects power, and the builder forfeits the right to obtain future temporary certificates. The city and county building official conducts both inspections and administers the certificate process for every technical code the county has adopted, and the board of planning and zoning appeals hears disputes that arise under it.