The Aiken County Planning and Development Department permits unincorporated Aiken County through its Codes and Planning divisions, with everything filed on the Development Services Online Portal.
This Aiken County building permit guide covers what requires a permit, the two sets of drawings a residential application needs, the three ways to book an inspection, the county flood maps, and the tax rules that gate a manufactured home move.
Scope: unincorporated Aiken County. The City of Aiken runs its own Building Inspection Division.
Three ways to book an inspection. The online portal, 803-642-1518, or an email to the Codes division all reach the queue. Keep all three, because portal outages happen and concrete trucks do not reschedule themselves.
What requires a permit in Aiken County?
The Aiken County Planning and Development Department is responsible for issuing building permits for all new construction and renovations in unincorporated Aiken County. It works through two divisions — Codes and Planning — and the split matters when you are trying to reach the right person: permitting and portal questions go one way, inspections the other.
All permits and development approvals are available digitally through the Development Services Online Portal. The portal covers residential and commercial building permits, commercial site development plans and subdivision approvals, and it also publishes the application and submission requirements — so the requirements list and the application live in the same place.
Aiken sits on the Georgia line across from Augusta-Richmond County, and the cross-border question comes up constantly on projects in the corridor. The Savannah River Site also sits partly in the county. Neither Georgia's code adoption nor federal site rules govern an Aiken County permit — South Carolina's adopted codes do, administered by this department.
The enforced code is the South Carolina Building Codes — the International Codes as adopted with South Carolina modifications by the South Carolina Building Codes Council under S.C. Code Ann. § 6-9-50, then administered and enforced locally. South Carolina is mid-changeover. The codes in force today are the 2021 South Carolina Building Codes, effective 1 January 2023. On 26 August 2025 the Building Codes Council adopted the next cycle — the 2024 editions of the International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, together with the 2023 National Electrical Code — and set the implementation date for every municipality and county as 1 January 2027. Design to the 2021 codes for a permit pulled now; design to the 2024 codes for anything that will be applied for after the turn.
Permit required
- New construction and renovations, residential and commercial
- Structural alteration and demolition
- Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work
- Manufactured home registration and set-up
- Manufactured home moving, within or out of the county
- Commercial site development plans and subdivisions
- Change of use or occupancy
Typically exempt
- Painting, flooring, and cosmetic finishes
- Routine maintenance not altering structure or a regulated system
- Work inside the City of Aiken and other municipalities that permit their own
- Like-for-like replacements not modifying a regulated system
Aiken County building department: who handles permitting
Planning and Development handles both halves of the process, but they answer on different lines. Portal and user account questions go to the department on 803-642-1520. Inspections are scheduled three ways — on the online portal, by calling 803-642-1518, or by emailing the Codes division. Having all three routes matters on a job where the portal is down and the pour is booked.
For a residential building permit the department asks for a completed building permit application submitted with two sets of drawings. Aggregator sites describing a single-set submission are describing something else. The site plan showing the structure's location can be a recorded plat, a scaled drawing on graph paper, or a scaled aerial photo from the county's GeoServices.
The department also publishes and maintains the county flood maps and profiles. Where a parcel is anywhere near mapped floodplain, pull the map before drawing rather than after, because elevation decisions made late are the expensive kind.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Aiken County Planning and Development Department |
| Divisions | Codes and Planning |
| Portal | Development Services Online Portal |
| Portal and accounts | 803-642-1520 |
| Inspections | Portal, 803-642-1518, or email the Codes division |
| Residential submittal | Application plus two sets of drawings |
| Site plan options | Recorded plat, scaled graph-paper drawing, or scaled aerial from GeoServices |
| Flood | County flood maps and profiles published by the department |
📞|Three ways to book an inspection, and you should know all three. Residential and commercial inspections can be scheduled on the online portal, by calling 803-642-1518, or by emailing the Codes department. Portal outages happen; concrete trucks do not reschedule themselves.
Aiken County permits: record types and what each covers
Aiken County's Development Services portal issues building, development and subdivision records, alongside the manufactured home permits:
Residential permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | New dwellings, additions, and accessory structures above the local size threshold | Full plan review against the adopted South Carolina Residential Code, plus zoning | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural changes, layout changes, or added plumbing, mechanical, or electrical | Plan review scaled to scope; the property maintenance and existing-building provisions apply only where locally adopted by ordinance | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Roof covering replacement, recover, and structural deck repair | Dry-in and deck inspection; plan review rarely required | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Rooftop or ground-mount arrays, with or without battery storage | Electrical review led, with structural review of the attachment | Flat or system-size based |
| Battery energy storage | Wall or floor-mounted storage added to a dwelling | Electrical review plus fire separation and location check | Flat or per-permit minimum |
| Electrical | Service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, EV chargers, and rewiring | Trade review; filed under a mechanical contractor holding the Electrical subclassification | Per-permit minimum or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, fixtures, gas piping, and water heater replacement | Trade review under a mechanical contractor holding Plumbing | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Changeouts, new ductwork, and refrigeration | Trade review under Air Conditioning, Heating, or Refrigeration subclassifications | Per-permit minimum or per-unit |
| Deck and porch | New decks, screened porches, and structural rebuilds | Structural review of footings, ledger attachment, and guards | Valuation or flat |
| Swimming pool | In-ground and above-ground pools, including residential pools | Barrier, bonding, and electrical review; residential pool work now requires a Swimming Pools subclassification or a Residential Builder licence | Valuation or flat |
| Manufactured home set-up | Placing or re-siting a manufactured home | Zoning, floodplain, and anchoring review; filed by an LLR-licensed contractor | Flat or per-unit |
| Demolition | Full or partial demolition of a dwelling or accessory structure | Utility disconnect confirmation and site restoration check | Flat |
Commercial permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New commercial construction | Ground-up commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings | Concurrent review against the adopted South Carolina Building Code, fire, and zoning | Valuation-based |
| Tenant improvement / upfit | Interior fit-out of an existing tenant space | Building, trade, and life-safety review; accessibility attaches on change of use | Valuation-based |
| Change of occupancy | Converting a building or space to a different use group | Occupancy classification, egress, and accessibility review | Valuation or flat |
| Commercial electrical | Service, distribution, and branch circuit work | Trade review under a mechanical contractor holding Electrical | Per-permit or valuation |
| Commercial plumbing | Process piping, fixtures, backflow, and grease waste | Trade review; backflow and grease interceptor sign-off where applicable | Per-fixture or valuation |
| Commercial mechanical | Rooftop units, kitchen exhaust and hood systems, and refrigeration | Trade review; kitchen exhaust and hood systems sit under Packaged Equipment | Per-unit or valuation |
| Commercial reroof | Roof covering replacement on a commercial structure | Deck, dry-in, and attachment inspection | Valuation or squares |
| Signage | Wall, ground, and illuminated signs | Zoning review for size and placement, plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Land disturbance | Clearing, grading, and stormwater-triggering site work | Erosion and sediment control review, separate from the building permit | Acreage-based |
| Commercial demolition | Full or partial demolition of a commercial structure | Utility disconnect, asbestos notification, and site restoration | Flat or valuation |
Residential
- Single-discipline review in most cases
- Trade records filed separately under Title 40 Chapter 11 licences regardless of job value
- Residential builder licence required above the statutory threshold; residential specialty above a much lower one
- Septic properties need SCDES approval before the county can issue
Commercial — multi-discipline
- Concurrent review across building, trades, fire, and zoning
- Signed and sealed plans across every affected discipline
- Licence group caps the value of a single bid or job, separately from the permit
- Accessibility and life-safety review attach to any change of occupancy
Records you will actually see in Aiken County
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential building permit | Application plus two sets of drawings |
| Commercial building permit | Commercial construction and tenant work |
| Commercial site development plan | Site development review through the portal |
| Subdivision approval | Filed and tracked in the same system |
| Manufactured home registration | Title or form 400 plus septic approval |
| Manufactured home moving permit | Tax status gates the move |
| Trade permits | Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing |
Solar permits in Aiken County
Solar is reviewed on two tracks at once across South Carolina: the electrical side (conductors, overcurrent protection, rapid shutdown, labelling, and the service or supply-side connection, against the adopted National Electrical Code) and the structural side (attachment detail, rail spacing, and whether the existing framing carries the added dead load).
Aiken County files solar through the Development Services portal with the electrical scope, and inspections can be booked on the portal, by phone, or by email to the Codes division. Confirm which classifications your installer actually holds before the application is filed, because a single rooftop array can cross the general contractor Miscellaneous Metals subclassification for the panels, Roofing or Building for the mounting, and a mechanical contractor holding Electrical for the wiring and connections.
The licensing split is the part that catches installers. South Carolina puts solar panel installation under the general contractor Miscellaneous Metals subclassification, but roof mounting may only be performed by a general contractor holding Roofing or Building, and wiring and connections may only be performed by a mechanical contractor holding Electrical. Structural upgrading of the roof to carry the array goes to a general contractor with Building or Structural Framing. One array, potentially three licences.
Utility interconnection runs on its own clock alongside the permit. Dominion Energy South Carolina, Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress, Santee Cooper and the state's electric cooperatives each set their own application, meter, and witness-test sequence. Permission to operate is not something the building department controls, so plan for the two tracks to finish at different times.
Roofing permits in Aiken County
A roof covering replacement needs a permit across most of South Carolina. The permit is usually quick, but it is not optional, and the inspection that matters happens before the covering goes on rather than after.
Because South Carolina enforces a statewide adopted code, there is no state product-approval database to search and no approval number to cite on the application. The assembly has to comply with the adopted code and the manufacturer's listed installation instructions, and that pairing is what the inspector checks — which makes the manufacturer's instructions a document worth having on site.
A reroof in unincorporated Aiken County is permitted through the Development Services portal. Note that inside the City of Aiken a roofing contractor needs a current city business licence as well as the state licence, and historic or overlay districts may require planning approval. Roofing is its own general contractor subclassification in South Carolina, and it absorbed the former General Roofing and Specialty Roofing classifications, so an older pocket card can read differently from the current licence record — check the LLR verification lookup rather than the card alone.
Sequencing is where reroofs go wrong. The deck and dry-in condition has to be visible when the inspector arrives, so covering it first means opening it back up. Where a previous layer has been torn off, expect attention to deck fastening and to any sheathing replaced along the eaves.
Aiken County permit cost
Aiken County permit fees follow the county's published schedule and scale with the type and valuation of the work, with trade permits charged separately and fees payable before the permit is issued. Manufactured home development permits carry their own smaller fee.
Card payments attract a transaction fee, so on a large commercial permit the payment method is worth a moment's thought. Confirm current amounts and accepted methods against the county schedule before budgeting.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Per county fee schedule, by type and valuation |
| Trade permits | Electrical, mechanical, plumbing charged separately |
| Manufactured home development | Its own permit and fee |
| When payable | Before the permit is issued |
| Card payments | A transaction fee applies to card payment |
| Septic properties | SCDES approval required before the county can issue |
Want a precise number for a specific Aiken County project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Aiken County trade permits
Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work each need their own permit and a South Carolina licensed contractor. Four Aiken County practicalities:
Bring two sets of drawings
A residential building permit application is submitted with two sets of drawings. Turning up with one is a return trip.
Book inspections whichever way works
The portal, 803-642-1518, or an email to the Codes division all reach the inspection queue. Use whichever is up.
Site plan can be simple, but must be scaled
A recorded plat, a scaled drawing on graph paper, or a scaled aerial photograph from Aiken County GeoServices are all acceptable ways of showing the structure's location.
Check the flood map first
The department publishes county flood maps and profiles. Elevation and foundation decisions made before design are far cheaper than the same decisions made at plan review.
Aiken County permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Aiken County, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.
The City of Aiken and the county's other municipalities permit their own work. Aiken County Planning and Development covers the unincorporated county.
Pull the county flood maps and profiles published by the department before design is fixed, particularly on parcels near mapped floodplain.
A completed building permit application plus two sets of drawings, with a site plan showing the structure's location as a recorded plat, a scaled graph-paper drawing, or a scaled GeoServices aerial.
Residential and commercial building permits, commercial site development plans and subdivision approvals all run through the portal, which also publishes the submission requirements.
Fees are payable before the permit is issued. Card payments attract a transaction fee, so choose the payment method deliberately on larger permits.
Book on the portal, by phone on 803-642-1518, or by emailing the Codes division, and keep the permit and approved plans on site to Certificate of Occupancy.
Inspections in Aiken County
Residential and commercial inspections in unincorporated Aiken County are scheduled through the Codes division, and the department deliberately keeps three routes open — the online portal, the phone line on 803-642-1518, and email. Typical checkpoints follow the adopted code: footing and foundation, trade rough-ins, framing, insulation, and final.
Manufactured homes carry their own document trail. To register a manufactured home the county needs a copy of the state title in your name or a form 400, together with septic approval. Check the agency name on any older handout. Septic approval now comes from the SC Department of Environmental Services (SCDES); the combined health and environment agency that previously issued these approvals was dissolved on 1 July 2024 and its onsite wastewater programme moved to SCDES.
Moving a manufactured home is gated on tax status rather than on construction. Within the county, all current taxes must be paid and the new owner must have title in the new name or a form 400. Moving out of the county requires the previous year's taxes as well as the current year's, plus the destination.
Keep the permit and approved plans on site throughout, and read any older environmental reference on a county form as SCDES for anything issued since July 2024.
Aiken County permit search and official resources
Aiken County publishes its permitting, flood mapping and manufactured home guidance through Planning and Development, with the City of Aiken publishing separately for city parcels.
- Aiken County Planning and Development
- City of Aiken Building Inspection Division
- SC LLR licence verification
- SC Building Codes Council
- SCDES septic and onsite wastewater
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in Aiken County, SC?
The Aiken County Planning and Development Department, through its Codes and Planning divisions, for unincorporated Aiken County. The City of Aiken runs its own Building Inspection Division.
How do I apply for an Aiken County building permit?
Through the Development Services Online Portal, which handles residential and commercial building permits, commercial site development plans and subdivision approvals, and publishes the application and submission requirements.
How many sets of drawings does Aiken County need?
Two. A residential building permit is obtained by completing the building permit application and submitting it with two sets of drawings.
How do I schedule an inspection in Aiken County?
Three ways: on the online portal, by calling 803-642-1518, or by emailing the Codes department. Having all three is useful when the portal is unavailable.
What can I use as a site plan?
A recorded plat, a scaled drawing on graph paper, or a scaled aerial photograph from Aiken County GeoServices. It needs to show where the structure sits on the parcel.
What do I need to register a manufactured home?
A copy of the state title in your name or a form 400, together with septic approval. Septic approval comes from the SC Department of Environmental Services. Older county handouts may still name the predecessor agency, which was dissolved on 1 July 2024 when its onsite wastewater programme moved to SCDES.
How do I move a manufactured home within Aiken County?
All current taxes must be paid, and the new owner must have title in the new name or a form 400.
What if I am moving a manufactured home out of Aiken County?
The previous year's taxes as well as the current year's must be paid, the new owner must have title in the new name or a form 400, and the destination location is required.
Where do I get Aiken County flood maps?
The Planning and Development Department publishes county flood maps and profiles for viewing and download. Check them before design is fixed rather than at plan review.
When are permit fees payable?
Before the permit is issued. Card payments attract a transaction fee, which is worth factoring in on a large commercial permit.
Does Georgia's building code apply near the Augusta line?
No. An Aiken County permit is governed by South Carolina's adopted codes as administered by Aiken County Planning and Development, regardless of how close the parcel sits to the Georgia line.
Which building code does Aiken County enforce?
The South Carolina Building Codes — the I-Codes as adopted with South Carolina modifications. The 2021 editions apply now, with the 2024 editions adopted in August 2025 and implementation set for 1 January 2027.
Simplify Aiken County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Aiken's requirements are not complicated, but they are specific — two drawing sets, a scaled site plan, tax clearance on manufactured homes, and a flood map worth reading early.
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Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Aiken County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- Right authority — unincorporated county or the City of Aiken, resolved from the parcel rather than the postal address.
- Complete first submission — application, two drawing sets and a properly scaled site plan.
- Flood checked early — county flood maps and profiles read before design is fixed.
- Complete oversight — every Aiken permit and inspection tracked across your jobs in one place.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and expediting service in South Carolina. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, and we are not the permitting authority.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Aiken County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.