Inside the Town of Bluffton, building permits come from the Town’s Office of Building Safety at 20 Bridge Street (843-706-4500). Residential plans are emailed for digital review, which averages 20 business days, and under the FY2027 fee schedule a $300,000 house pays $1,398.50 for the permit plus a 50% plan check fee, before Beaufort County impact fees.
What requires a permit in Bluffton?
The Town’s forms and fee schedule show the work Building Safety permits:
Building permits
- New homes, multi-family, mixed-use and commercial buildings
- Additions, remodels and minor projects
- Re-roofs
- Swimming pools and spas
- Manufactured homes
- Demolition and moving a structure
- Tents and air-supported structures
Flat-fee permits
- Electrical work under 200 amps and pool or spa wiring
- Plumbing
- HVAC change-outs (duct work not included)
- Water heater change-outs
- Generators
- Irrigation systems and fountains
- Construction trailers
Single-family alterations, repairs or additions worth less than $1,000 still need a permit, but the fee is waived unless the work is mechanical. Signs, tree removal, encroachments and work in the historic district need Planning approvals of their own.
Who issues permits in Bluffton?
The Office of Building Safety, part of the Town’s Growth Management department, reviews plans and issues permits for property inside town limits, inspects the work, and enforces Chapter 5 of the Municipal Code along with the Town’s flood damage prevention and unsafe structure ordinances. Unincorporated land around Bluffton is permitted by Beaufort County.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Growth Management Customer Service Center, 20 Bridge Street, Bluffton, SC 29910 (P.O. Box 386) |
| Phone | 843-706-4500 |
| Submittals | applicationfeedback@townofbluffton.com |
| Portal | Citizen Self Service (CSS) for permit search, inspections and results |
Bluffton permit applications and the CSS portal
The Town publishes separate applications for residential, commercial, mixed-use multi-family, additions/remodels/minor projects, re-roof, HVAC change-out and manufactured homes, plus a revision application. Contractors who send someone else to apply use the Letter of Authorization for Contractors, and owners sign an Owner’s Consent (residential or commercial). Special inspectors register with the Town, and appeals go to the Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals.
The Citizen Self Service portal lets anyone search permits and plans; registered contractors can open their permits and attachments, request inspections and see results.
Owner-builders file the Unlicensed Residential Builder’s Disclosure Statement with the Beaufort County Register of Deeds ($25 filing fee) and include it with the application.
Bluffton building permit fees (FY2027)
Fees come from the Town’s adopted FY2027 Master Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2026. The building permit fee also covers the zoning permit application fee.
| Value of construction | Fee |
|---|---|
| $500 – $2,000 | $35 |
| $2,001 – $3,000 | $38.50 |
| $3,001 – $50,000 | $38.50 + $5 per $1,000 or fraction over $1,000 |
| $50,001 and above | $273.50 + $4.50 per $1,000 or fraction over $50,000 |
| Residential plan check | 50% of the permit fee, non-refundable |
| Multi-family and commercial plan check | 75% of the permit fee, non-refundable |
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|---|---|
| Miscellaneous construction, incl. pools (up to $1,000 / to $2,000 / to $3,000) | $35 / $70 / $77 |
| Miscellaneous construction $3,001–$50,000 | $77 + $9 per $1,000 over $3,000 |
| Miscellaneous construction over $50,000 | $500 + $4 per $1,000 (residential) or $4.50 (commercial) over $50,000 |
| Electrical under 200 A, plumbing, HVAC or water heater change-out, demolition | $75 each |
| Manufactured home | $25 |
| Moving a structure, irrigation, tent, fountain | $100 each |
| First re-inspection / later re-inspections | $100 / $150 |
| Residential revision | $50 or the fee on the value of the change, whichever is greater |
| Work without a permit | 3 times the permit fee |
Example: a new house valued at $300,000 pays $273.50 + (250 × $4.50) = $1,398.50, plus a $699.25 residential plan check fee. Beaufort County impact fees are assessed on the County’s Impact Fee Assessment Application, filed with the plans, and the approved plans are released only after both the County and the Town are paid.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and specialty certificates
A residential building application must come with a Mechanical Certificate covering the plumbing, HVAC and electrical work. Stand-alone jobs use flat $75 permits: electrical under 200 amps, plumbing, HVAC change-outs and water heater change-outs. Generators need the Town’s Generator Affidavit. As the job progresses, the Town asks for its own certificates: insulation, duct sealing, sealing or blower-door results, roof fasteners and shingles, ice and water shield on metal roofs, and flashing, grounding and brick tie affidavits.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Application documents and digital plan review
A residential submittal has three parts: the building permit application, a digital plan set and the Beaufort County Impact Fee Assessment Application, all emailed to applicationfeedback@townofbluffton.com. Number the pages before sending. The plan set must include:
- The plat
- Elevations of all four exterior walls
- Roof design
- Electrical pages for each level
- Room-by-room square footage on every level
- Engineering pages showing the code cycle and wind load speeds and how they were obtained
Old Town and historic district projects carry extra requirements, and stormwater documents go in a separate file. Leave architectural cut sheets and cabinet designs out of the review set. Customer Service releases the file to a plan reviewer; average review time is 20 business days, which the Town says can change.
How to get a Bluffton building permit
Use the Town’s flood zone lookup, and request a pre-application meeting through Planning if you want one; historic district work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Send the application, numbered digital plan set and County impact fee assessment application to applicationfeedback@townofbluffton.com.
Customer Service processes the file and releases it to the plan reviewer, about 20 business days on average.
Customer Service invoices the Town fees; submit the County impact fee form and pay both before the marked plans are released.
Sign the electronic permit and return it, then print the stamped plans in color at 24 x 17 for the job site.
Book each inspection through Citizen Self Service and upload the documents required for that stage.
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Get a free quote →Inspections and closeout in Bluffton
Registered contractors request inspections and read results in the Citizen Self Service portal. The Town’s residential inspection list ties paperwork to each stage:
- Footing: density test.
- Slab, garage slab or block: form board survey and compaction; in a flood zone, the under-construction elevation certificate.
- Full rough-in: roof and floor truss details and layouts.
- Insulation: insulation certificate, required with spray foam.
- Permanent service: sealing or blower-door certificate, roof fastener certificate, flashing and grounding affidavits, the Request for Permanent Service (Option 3) form and the final subcontractor roster.
- Final and CO: sewer approval from BJWSA, duct sealing certificate, proof of termite treatment and, in a flood zone, the finished-construction elevation certificate with a raised seal.
Historic district projects add rough and final historic district inspections. The first re-inspection on a permit costs $100 and each later one $150.
Bluffton details that shape a project
Development agreement areas: Buckwalter, Jones Estate, New Riverside/Palmetto Bluff/Bluffton Park (the Shults Tract) and the Village at Verdier Plantation each have their own published development fee sheet alongside the master schedule.
Historic district: Old Town projects need a Certificate of Appropriateness, and the Town offers Bailey Bill and historic preservation grant programs for contributing resources.
Fee waivers: repairs to single-family homes sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization with fees under $200 are waived on a letter to the building official, as are permits under the Neighborhood Assistance Program and affordable housing partnerships.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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
Official Bluffton permitting resources
- Town of Bluffton Building Safety
- local permitting / planning instructions
- forms or supporting documents
- South Carolina Building Codes Council — code adoption
- Town of Bluffton FY2027 Master Fee Schedule
- Residential Digital Plan Review Requirements & Process
- Required Documentation for Residential Inspections
- Bluffton Citizen Self Service portal
Bluffton permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Bluffton?
The Town of Bluffton Office of Building Safety at 20 Bridge Street (843-706-4500), for property inside town limits.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a building permit in Bluffton?
For a new structure over $50,000 it is $273.50 plus $4.50 per $1,000 above $50,000, so a $300,000 house pays $1,398.50. Residential plan checking adds 50% of that fee, and commercial plan checking 75%.
How long does plan review take in Bluffton?
The Town’s June 2025 residential checklist gives an average of 20 business days and notes that it is subject to change.
How do I submit plans?
Email the application, the numbered digital plan set and the Beaufort County impact fee assessment application to applicationfeedback@townofbluffton.com.
Do I pay Beaufort County impact fees in Bluffton?
Yes, where they apply. The County impact fee form is part of the residential submittal, and approved plans are released after both County and Town fees are paid.
Do I need a permit for a small repair?
Yes. Single-family alterations under $1,000 still need a permit, but the fee is waived unless the work is mechanical.
How do I schedule an inspection in Bluffton?
Registered contractors request inspections through the Citizen Self Service portal, where results are posted too.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bluffton permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.