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

Oconee County's inspection framework runs through two linked provisions in Chapter 6. Sec. 6-82(b) requires that once a permit is issued for construction, alteration, or repair, it be kept at the building or the job site itself and be available for inspection by the building official or any other authorized employee of the Codes Department on demand; this is how the county confirms work is being done under an active, approved permit as it inspects the site. Sec. 6-86 backs that inspection power with a utility hold: it is unlawful for any public utility company to make a new connection to a building or manufactured home regulated by the technical codes for which a permit is required, until the building official releases the property and a certificate of occupancy is issued.

In practice, that means final approval of the building official's inspection, not just completion of construction, is the gate that lets power, water, or gas service begin. The building official and inspectors administering these steps are appointed under the Codes Department created at Sec. 6-81, and Sec. 6-40 confirms the county adopted the qualification, duty, and administrative-procedure sections of the model codes for building officials, deputy building officials, chief inspectors, and other inspectors and assistants, with "Oconee County" inserted as the jurisdiction in each. A property owner who disagrees with an inspection-related determination can appeal to the county's Board of Building Code Appeals under Sec. 6-85.