Beaufort County, SC Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Beaufort County adopts the 2021 International Residential Code and 2021 International Building Code, with South Carolina modifications, as the regulations governing construction of "buildings and other structures in the county" under § 74-64, and it is "unlawful to erect or construct any building or structure in the county in violation of, or without complying with, these regulations." A swimming pool built in the unincorporated county falls under these adopted codes, and § 74-96(b) states plainly that "no permit shall be issued until the fees prescribed in this division shall have been paid."

The county's fee schedule sets a specific charge for pool inspections in § 74-102(2), within the division covering gas, plumbing, mechanical, and building permit fees: $40.00 for a residential single-family pool and $60.00 for a multifamily or public pool. Beyond that per-pool inspection charge, the standard building permit fee in § 74-97 is scaled to the project's valuation, and § 74-96(c) doubles the fee if work starts before the permit issues, without excusing the builder from otherwise complying with the code or facing separate penalties. Permit holders who cancel a project can seek a refund of the amount paid minus the plan-review fee under § 74-98, but only if construction has not started within six months of issuance. These building-permit and fee rules apply only within unincorporated Beaufort County; Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Port Royal, and the City of Beaufort administer separate permitting departments for pools built inside their limits.