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

Section 6-54 lists the inspection stages the Building Official must perform once notified by the permit holder. The foundation and wall inspection covers footings, piers, and curtain walls before concrete is poured; for slab construction, plumbing must be roughed in and the foundation wall in place before concrete is placed. The roughing-in inspection requires all plumbing, heating, and electrical work roughed in, no interior finish on walls or ceilings, windows and exterior doors set, exterior woodwork primed, roof shingles in place, and the building weather-tight before it can pass.

The final inspection requires the property complete in all respects, equipment in place, walks and drives finished, and grading and landscaping done so water drains away from the building; no reinforcing steel or structural framework may be covered without the Building Official's, architect's, or engineer's approval first. Section 6-53 sets the notice and timing rules: the permit holder must give three working days' advance notice before work is ready for inspection or testing, and must ensure the work will actually pass before calling for it.

In return, the Building Official must perform the first and second inspections within three working days of the requested date, and the final inspection within five working days, provided proper notice was given. If work fails, Section 6-54(d) requires the permit holder to make corrections and have the work re-inspected before proceeding. Section 6-55 lets an owner request an optional safety inspection of work that is not otherwise required, on payment of the inspection fee. No certificate of occupancy issues under Section 6-56 until the Building Official confirms compliance with the building codes.