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

Lancaster County Code Section 7-1 adopts the International Plumbing Code, including Chapter One, 2021 Edition, with South Carolina amendments, as the plumbing standard enforced in unincorporated Lancaster County; state amendments take effect on the date the state specifies. Section 7-25(a)(5) sets the permit trigger: a plumbing permit is required on all commercial and industrial projects, though a building permit covers plumbing installations on those projects when multiple trades are working under one job. On residential or commercial projects where no building permit is issued, a standalone plumbing permit is required.

If plumbing installation begins before the permit is obtained, or before approval to proceed is obtained, Section 7-25(a)(5)(c) doubles the fee outright, a stricter rule than the general doubling clause in Section 7-25(a)(3) that applies to permitted work generally. Fees are set as part of the annual county budget ordinance and must be paid before the permit issues, and the building official must maintain accurate accounting records of fees collected and remit all cash receipts to the county treasurer under the county's cash management policy.

Section 7-24(a) requires the application to be filed and a permit granted before plumbing work covered by Section 7-22 begins, and applications follow the Application for Permit guidance in the most recently adopted International Building Code and International Residential Code series.