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

Sec. 6-4 through 6-6 place inspections under the county's Department of Permitting and Inspection, headed by a building official appointed by the county administrator and assisted by deputies, technical officers, inspectors and plan examiners. Sec. 6-10 requires the building official or a designee to make all of the required inspections, or, alternatively, to accept written reports from approved outside agencies or individuals, certified by a responsible officer of that agency. Sec. 6-12 backs the inspection duty with a right of entry: whenever the official needs to inspect for compliance, or has reasonable cause to believe a structure or premises violates the chapter in a way that makes it unsafe, dangerous or hazardous, the official may enter at reasonable times, presenting credentials and requesting entry first if the property is occupied, or making a reasonable effort to locate the owner and request entry if it is vacant; if entry is refused, the official must pursue the remedies provided by law to secure entry.

Sec. 6-13 requires the department to keep official records of every application, permit, fee, inspection report and notice, retained for the period required for public records. On the fee side, Sec. 00 for a third or subsequent reinspection, on top of the base permit fee, and Sec. 6-18 doubles the underlying permit fee for anyone who starts work before a permit issues. A property owner who disagrees with an inspection finding can appeal to the seven-member Buildings Regulations Board of Appeals under Sec. 6-19 and Sec. 6-20.