The City of Aiken Building Inspection Division (111 Chesterfield Street South, 803-642-7675) issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical/gas permits for work inside the city, normally to the licensed contractor rather than the homeowner. Applications and two sets of plans go to buildingpermits@cityofaikensc.gov; the City quotes about 6–8 weeks for processing, and a $200,000 job pays a $910 permit fee plus a $455 plan check fee.
What needs a permit in Aiken?
City ordinance requires a permit from the Building Inspection Division to erect, enlarge, alter, move, convert or demolish any building or structure. The City’s homeowner FAQ gives these everyday examples:
Permit required
- New houses, additions, attached garages, sunrooms and screen porches
- Detached garages, workshops, pool houses, pergolas and carports, including metal pre-built carports
- Sheds or storage buildings over 200 sq ft
- Remodels, attic finishing, replacement windows and new or replacement vinyl siding
- Enclosing a porch or carport, or a new porch cover over a slab or deck
- Decks and swimming pools
- Furnace, air conditioner and water heater installs or replacements
- Gas lines, panel changes, moving receptacles, re-wiring and electrical service for solar
- Demolition and commercial changes of occupancy
No permit (residential)
- Painting, flooring, tiling, cabinets and countertops
- Driveways, parking pads, sidewalks and grade-level patios
- One-story sheds and playhouses of 200 sq ft or less
- Retaining walls up to 4 ft that carry no surcharge
- Free-standing decks up to 200 sq ft and 30 in. above grade that do not serve the required exit door
- Re-shingling with no change to the roof structure
- Swapping a plumbing fixture in the same place
The shed limit drops to 120 sq ft for commercial properties. The residential permitting page exempts fences up to 7 ft, while the homeowner FAQ still says 6 ft, so ask the division before building a fence between those heights. Emergency equipment repairs may go ahead, but the permit application must follow on the next working day.
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Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in Aiken?
The Building Inspection Division issues every construction permit for property inside the City of Aiken, inspects the work and, through the Building Official, Michael Jordan, issues the Certificate of Occupancy. Land outside the city limits is permitted by Aiken County, not by the City. The division also runs property code enforcement, and interpretations of the building code can be appealed to the City’s Building Code Board of Appeals.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 111 Chesterfield St. S, Aiken, SC 29801 |
| Phone | 803-642-7675, Monday to Friday, 8:10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Permits and plans | buildingpermits@cityofaikensc.gov |
| Inspection requests | 803-642-7784 or birequest@cityofaikensc.gov |
| Building Official | Michael Jordan |
Other City offices sign off before a permit is issued: Planning (803-642-7608) for zoning, setbacks and subdivisions; Engineering & Utilities (803-642-7610) for grading, stormwater and erosion control on subdivisions and commercial sites; the Business License Division (803-642-7642), which checks the contractor’s City licence; and the Fire Division (803-642-7620), whose Fire Marshal reviews commercial plans and sprinkler drawings.
Aiken permit applications and who can apply
The City keeps its forms in a Forms & Applications folder: residential and commercial building permit applications, separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical/gas applications, a Contractor’s Sub List, a sign permit, and packets for the Historic Overlay and Old Aiken Overlay districts. Completed applications, site plans, construction plans and stormwater applications are all emailed to buildingpermits@cityofaikensc.gov, which also answers status questions.
Contractors need a City of Aiken business license and must show their state and City licences when they apply. Every subcontractor on the job needs a City business license as well, which is why the sub list is required.
Homeowners may work on their own home and pull the permit themselves. To build a one- or two-family house for your own use without a licence, sign the City’s notarised Owner Builder Disclosure Statement and record the owner-builder notice with the Register of Deeds. Work on rental property is treated as income property and must be done by licensed contractors.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Aiken building permit fees
Building permit fees follow the City’s Building Permit Fee Schedule (revised July 27, 2018), based on contract amount or construction cost. Nothing is charged when plans are submitted; the plan check fee is collected with the permit once it is approved.
| Project value | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1,000 or less | $35 |
| $1,001 to $50,000 | $35 for the first $1,000 + $5.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | $300 for the first $50,000 + $4.50 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,000 to $500,000 | $560 for the first $100,000 + $3.50 per additional $1,000 |
| $500,000 and above | $2,020 for the first $500,000 + $2.50 per additional $1,000 |
| Plan check (new construction, additions, remodels and repairs) | Half the permit fee |
| Swimming pool / moving / demolition | $35 / $100 / $50 |
| Re-inspection | $50 |
Example: a $200,000 house pays $560 + (100 × $3.50) = $910 for the building permit and $455 for plan check, before trade permits. Water meter, water and sewer impact, road repair and roll cart fees are set by Engineering (803-642-7610). Card payments through Click2Gov carry a 2.49% convenience fee, and ACH/eCheck payments $1.50.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical/gas permits
The electrical, plumbing and mechanical/gas subcontractors each take out their own permit on the City’s trade application; each holds a City business license and at least a journeyman’s card, and commercial mechanical jobs over $5,000 need a state mechanical contractor’s licence.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plumbing | $13 base + $2.50 per fixture; sewer line $5; water heater $2.50; new water service $5 |
| Gas | $8 base + $5 for 1–4 outlets + $1 per additional outlet |
| Electrical | $13 base + $0.20 per 110 V circuit + $0.40 per 220 V circuit + service charge |
| Electrical service, 151–200 A | $8.50 change-out / $21.50 new |
| Mechanical, change-out | $13 base + $5 for the first $1,000 + $2 per additional $1,000 |
| Mechanical, new | $13 base + $10 for the first $1,000 + $2 per additional $1,000 |
To add or change a subcontractor after the permit is issued, fax a written statement with the subcontractor’s name, permit number and address to 803-642-7672; the record allows a refund to the trade that dropped out.
How to get an Aiken building permit
Call 803-642-7608 to confirm the use is allowed, find your setbacks and learn whether the lot is in a historic or overlay district.
For a house: site plan, all four elevations, foundation plan, floor plans, electrical plan and a wall section. Commercial buildings over 5,000 sq ft, and assembly, institutional or educational uses, need stamped plans, specifications and a drainage and detention site plan.
Send the residential or commercial application, two copies of the plans, the sub list and an 8½ x 11 plot plan with lot size, a north arrow, structures and setback distances to buildingpermits@cityofaikensc.gov.
Building, Planning and Engineering review, plus the Fire Marshal for commercial work. Allow 6–8 weeks, and 4–6 more for revised drawings.
Look up the permit by application number in Click2Gov and pay the permit and plan check fees online.
A permit lapses if work does not start within 6 months of issue or stops for 6 months.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Aiken inspections and Certificate of Occupancy
Leave a message on the inspection request line, 803-642-7784, or email birequest@cityofaikensc.gov by 4:00 p.m.; neither sends a confirmation. Most inspections happen within two business days, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, so the work must be ready by 10:00 a.m. If it will not be, cancel through the main office (803-642-7675). Inspectors rarely give a set time. Correction photos and documents such as soil reports or engineer’s letters go to the same request email, and results can be checked in Click2Gov with the permit number, without an account.
The Certificate of Occupancy is issued after the final inspection passes and the closing documents are on file, such as Manual J load calculations, duct test results, the air barrier form, compaction reports, backflow reports or a flood elevation certificate. It is usually emailed or mailed to the builder or owner-builder, and the building may not be occupied before it is issued.
Aiken rules that affect a project
Accessory buildings: a detached building’s ridge may not be higher than the house’s, and all accessory buildings together may not exceed 50% of the home’s heated square footage, counting both floors of a garage with a bonus room.
Pools: the fence must be at least 48 inches high, measured on the side away from the pool.
Historic and overlay districts: re-roofing, sheds and fences in these districts may need Planning approval even when no building permit is required; the Historic Overlay and Old Aiken Overlay packets are in the City’s forms folder.
Work hours: under Ordinance No. 01242022, construction equipment may start at 7:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday and 9:00 a.m. on Sunday and must stop by 10:00 p.m., or 11:00 p.m. in the Downtown Business and Industrial zones. A noise variance can be requested online.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →New lots: Engineering & Utilities assigns addresses and tax parcel numbers for lots in a neighborhood.
South Carolina building code
Every South Carolina county and municipality enforces the 2021 South Carolina Building Codes, in force since 1 January 2023; the 2024 editions take effect statewide on 1 January 2027, and the energy code stays the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code. South Carolina building codes
Aiken official resources
- Aiken permit / building information
- City of Aiken Building Permit Information
- City of Aiken residential permit exemptions
- City of Aiken Homeowners FAQs
- City of Aiken Building Inspection Division
- City of Aiken Forms & Applications (fee schedule and permit applications)
- City of Aiken Click2Gov building permits portal
Aiken building permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Aiken?
The City of Aiken Building Inspection Division, at 111 Chesterfield Street South (803-642-7675), for property inside city limits. Unincorporated land around the city is permitted by Aiken County.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much does a building permit cost in Aiken?
It depends on the job’s value: $35 for $1,000 or less, rising to $560 for the first $100,000 plus $3.50 per additional $1,000. A plan check fee of half the permit fee is added, so a $200,000 job pays $910 plus $455.
How long does it take to get a permit?
The City puts average processing at about 6–8 weeks, with another 4–6 weeks for revised plans, and its permitting page says to allow up to 60 days for review of a complete plan set.
Do I need a permit for a shed or fence in Aiken?
A shed or storage building over 200 sq ft needs a building permit. Fences up to 6 ft need no building permit, but call Planning first about setbacks and historic or overlay districts.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Aiken?
Yes, for work on your own home. Owner-builders sign the notarised Owner Builder Disclosure Statement and record the notice with the Register of Deeds; rental properties need licensed contractors.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof or water heater?
Re-shingling without structural changes does not need a building permit, though the roofer needs a City business license. Replacing a water heater does need a plumbing permit.
How do I schedule an inspection in Aiken?
Call 803-642-7784 or email birequest@cityofaikensc.gov by 4:00 p.m. Inspections are usually made within two business days.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Aiken permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.