Cherokee County, SC Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Section 6-1(d) of the Cherokee County Code adopts by reference the 2021 South Carolina Plumbing Code or the 2021 International Plumbing Code with SC modifications, including Chapter 1, Administration. The adoption carries the effective date of January 1, 2023, and § 6-9 applies it to the entire unincorporated area of Cherokee County. Plumbing sits beside the 2021 South Carolina Mechanical Code in subsection (e) and the 2021 South Carolina Fuel Gas Code in subsection (f), and the permit trigger in § 6-2(a) names gas, mechanical and plumbing systems together.

Under § 6-2(a), any owner, authorized agent, contractor or other party who wants to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or repair a plumbing system regulated by the technical codes must first make application to the building official and obtain an appropriate building permit. The same subsection covers anyone who wants to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, demolish or change a building or structure. Section 6-2(b) exempts work whose total cost in value is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and matters exempt under South Carolina or federal law.

After issuance, § 6-3 requires the permit to be kept at the place where the work is done and produced on demand of the building official or a designated agent. The permit card must be posted in front of the premises where it is visible from the adjacent public right-of-way, and work cannot begin until it is posted. Section 6-5 authorizes fees for permits, inspections and appeals under a schedule adopted by resolution of county council, posted at the county assessor's office and the county administration building. No activity takes place, and no appeal can be filed, until the related fees are paid in full.

The building official is appointed by the county administrator under § 6-4 and must be certified as a qualified building inspector under South Carolina law. Changes to the adopted codes or fees are announced by newspaper notice for two (2) consecutive weeks and take effect ten (10) days after the last publication unless council specifies otherwise, under § 6-6.