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

Greenwood County adopted the International Plumbing Code, latest edition, published by the Southern Building Code Congress International, for all unincorporated areas of the county under § 6-1-1(a)(2). The city and county building official administers and enforces the plumbing code, per § 6-1-1(d), and the board of planning and zoning appeals sits as the board of adjustments and appeals for disputes arising under it, per § 6-1-1(e). Anyone doing plumbing work on a building, structure or alteration in the unincorporated county must pay the plumbing permit fee listed on the county's official fee schedule at the time of filing the application, per § 6-1-2(a).

Churches and houses of worship, public schools and public hospitals are exempt from paying permit fees under § 6-1-2(b). Beyond the permit itself, anyone providing plumbing services in the unincorporated county must hold a current contractor license or a certification card issued by the county or the Municipal Association of South Carolina under the journeyman-master program adopted at § 6-1-4(a), effective July 1, 2001. Tradesmen who had worked in the county for at least five years before that date could apply to the Greenwood City/County Building Inspection Department by June 30, 2002 for a written exemption from the certification requirement, per § 6-1-4(b).

Violating any provision of the adopted plumbing code is punishable under § 6-1-1(f) by a fine of up to $200.00 or up to 30 days imprisonment, with each day of violation charged as a separate offense.