Charleston County, SC Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- International Plumbing Code, SC edition
- Permit required
- Install, alter, repair, replace plumbing systems
- Exempt
- Stopping leaks/clearing stoppages (§105.2)
- Permit expires
- Unused after 180 days (§105.5)
- No permit before starting
- Double fee under §108.4
- Enforcing office
- Charleston County Building Official
Summary
Unincorporated Charleston County adopts the International Plumbing Code under Sec. 4-16 (§101.4.5) for every plumbing installation, alteration and repair, and Sec. 4-20 (§105.1) requires the owner or contractor to apply to the Building Official and obtain a permit before that work begins.
101.4.5 Plumbing. The provisions of the International Plumbing Code as adopted by the S.C. Building Codes Council shall apply to the installation, alteration, repair and replacement of plumbing systems, including equipment, appliances, fixtures, fittings and appurtenances, and where connected to a water or sewage system and all aspects of a medical gas system. ... 105.1 Required Permits. Any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by "this code", or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application; to the Building Official and obtain the required permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
Sec. C. ' Sec. 1 folds plumbing into the same permit duty as building, electrical, gas and mechanical work: the owner or authorized agent must first apply to the Building Official and obtain the required permit before installing, altering, repairing or replacing a plumbing system. 1 lets the Building Official reject an incomplete or non-conforming application in writing. 2: stopping a leak in a drain, water, soil, waste or vent pipe without replacing concealed piping, and clearing a stoppage or repairing a fixture leak that does not require replacing or rearranging valves, pipes or fixtures; anything beyond that, including replacing a concealed defective pipe, is treated as new work requiring a permit and inspection. 5 if work is not started within 180 days or is abandoned for 180 days, subject to written extensions.
Violations & Fines
Plumbing work beyond the narrow leak-stopping and fixture-repair exemptions in §105.2, done without a permit, doubles the fee under Sec. 4-23 (§108.4) and is a misdemeanor under Sec. 4-30 (§115.1.1), with each day of continued violation a separate offense. The Building Official can also require the work to be exposed for inspection under Sec. 4-24 (§109.1) before it is approved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater or repipe a bathroom in unincorporated Charleston County?
Is fixing a leaky faucet exempt from the plumbing permit rule?
What if I install plumbing before getting a permit?
Which plumbing code does the county actually enforce?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston County
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