The Cherokee County Building Safety Department permits the county outside the City of Gaffney, including the Town of Blacksburg, and publishes its full adopted code list, including three optional codes the county chose to take on.
This Cherokee County building permit guide covers the full adopted code list, why the property maintenance, pool and existing building codes are optional codes the county chose, the permitting hours that differ from office hours, and the permit number rule.
Scope: Cherokee County outside the City of Gaffney, including the Town of Blacksburg and the Cherokee County part of Chesnee. The City of Gaffney permits its own work.
Cherokee adopted the optional codes too. The property maintenance, swimming pool and existing building codes are permissive under state law — they bind only where a local government adopts them by ordinance. Cherokee has, so a renovation question answered next door may get a different answer here.
What requires a permit in Cherokee County?
The Cherokee County Building Safety Department works from 110 Railroad Avenue in Gaffney (864-487-2561), with general office hours Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm and permitting hours Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:00pm. Cherokee County had an estimated 58,275 residents in 2025 (Census Bureau, Vintage 2025).
Cherokee publishes its adopted codes in full, which shows South Carolina’s mandatory-permissive split clearly. The mandatory set: the 2021 South Carolina editions of the ICC Residential, Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire and Fuel Gas Codes, plus the 2020 edition of the National Electrical Code with South Carolina modifications.
Then the optional set. Cherokee has also adopted the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and Existing Building Code. South Carolina splits its codes in two. The mandatory codes at S.C. Code Ann. § 6-9-50 are enforced in every jurisdiction on the Council's implementation date, and local governments may not write or publish building codes of their own. The permissive codes at § 6-9-60 — the International Property Maintenance Code among them — apply only where a municipality or county has adopted them by ordinance. Two jurisdictions an hour apart can differ on maintenance and existing-building questions while being identical on new construction. Cherokee has chosen to take on all three, so existing-building and maintenance questions are enforceable here in a way they are not in every neighbouring county.
Permit required
- New construction, additions, alterations, and demolition
- Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fuel gas work
- Swimming pools and spas, under the adopted pool code
- Alterations to existing buildings, under the adopted existing building code
- Property maintenance obligations, under the adopted IPMC
- Change of use or occupancy
- Manufactured home placement
Typically exempt
- Painting, flooring, and cosmetic finishes
- Routine maintenance not altering structure or a regulated system
- Work inside the City of Gaffney, which permits its own
- Like-for-like replacements not modifying a regulated system
South Carolina enforces the South Carolina Building Codes adopted by the Building Codes Council under S.C. Code Ann. § 6-9-50; the 2021 codes are in force, and the 2024 codes take effect for every county and municipality on 1 January 2027 (the energy code stays the 2009 IECC). The South Carolina Building Codes
Cherokee County building department: who handles permitting
Permitting hours are not the same window as general office hours. General office hours run Monday through Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm, but permitting hours end at 4:00pm. Arriving inside office hours does not guarantee arriving inside permitting hours.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Cherokee's adoption of the International Existing Building Code is worth attention on renovation work. Where a county has not adopted it, alterations to existing buildings are assessed against the new-construction codes with whatever relief the administrative chapters allow. Where it has been adopted — as here — there is a dedicated compliance path for existing structures, which is usually more workable on an older building.
The department points contractors to the Building Officials Association of South Carolina as the forum where building and fire officials discuss problems and train, alongside the International Code Council and the National Association of Home Builders. That is a useful signal about where the county's interpretations come from.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Cherokee County Building Safety Department |
| Address | 110 Railroad Avenue, Gaffney, SC 29340 |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm |
| Permitting hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm |
| Mandatory codes | 2021 SC editions of ICC Residential, Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire, Fuel Gas |
| Electrical | 2020 National Electrical Code with SC modifications |
| Optional codes adopted | 2021 IPMC, Swimming Pool and Spa Code, Existing Building Code |
| City running its own | Gaffney (Community Development Department, 864-487-8500); the county permits Blacksburg |
📕|Cherokee adopted the optional codes as well as the mandatory ones. The International Property Maintenance Code, Swimming Pool and Spa Code and Existing Building Code are permissive under S.C. Code Ann. § 6-9-60 — they bind only where a local government adopts them by ordinance. Cherokee has. A renovation or maintenance question answered in a neighbouring county may get a different answer here.
In 2025, building permits issued in unincorporated Cherokee County authorized 161 new privately owned housing units, 150 of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Cherokee County permits: record types and what each covers
Cherokee County issues the following records, with its full adopted code set standing behind them:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →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 by a licensed residential electrician or a mechanical contractor with the Electrical subclassification | Per-permit minimum or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, fixtures, gas piping, and water heater replacement | Trade review; filed by a licensed residential plumber or a mechanical contractor with Plumbing | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Changeouts, new ductwork, and refrigeration | Trade review; filed by a licensed residential HVAC installer or a mechanical contractor with Air Conditioning or Packaged Equipment | 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 over $10,000 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 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Residential
- Single-discipline review in most cases
- Trade records filed separately, under a residential electrician, plumber or HVAC licence from the Residential Builders Commission (or a Chapter 11 mechanical licence)
- 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 Cherokee County
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential building permit | New construction, additions, alterations |
| Commercial building permit | Commercial construction and tenant work |
| Trade permits | Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fuel gas |
| Swimming pool and spa permit | Under the adopted pool code |
| Existing building alteration | Under the adopted existing building code |
| Demolition permit | Full or partial demolition |
| Manufactured home permit | Placement and set-up |
Solar permits in Cherokee County
Solar in Cherokee County is filed as electrical work under the 2020 National Electrical Code with South Carolina modifications. Have the electrical permit number ready when calling for the inspection rather than the building permit number. Confirm which licences your installer actually holds before the application is filed: on commercial work a rooftop array can need the Miscellaneous Metals, Roofing or Building and Electrical subclassifications, while on homes the Residential Builders Commission registers solar installers and a residential electrician does the wiring.
Rather not deal with the Cherokee County building department?
Get a free quote →Roofing permits in Cherokee County
A reroof in Cherokee County may fall under the adopted International Existing Building Code, which the county has taken on as a permissive code. That can give an older structure a more workable compliance route than the new-construction provisions. 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.
Solar and roofing work follow statewide licensing rules, and utilities run interconnection on their own timeline. Solar and roofing rules in South Carolina
Cherokee County permit cost
Cherokee County permit fees follow the county schedule and scale with the type and valuation of the work, with trade permits charged as their own records. Payment and application both happen within the department’s permitting hours, 8:30am to 4:00pm.
On renovation work, the adopted Existing Building Code can change the cost picture materially — usually favourably, by providing a compliance path suited to an existing structure rather than requiring new-construction compliance throughout. Raise it at plan review. Confirm current fee amounts before budgeting.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Per county fee schedule, by type and valuation |
| Trade permits | Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas charged separately |
| Pool permits | Under the adopted Swimming Pool and Spa Code |
| Renovation route | The adopted Existing Building Code may apply |
| Payment window | Within permitting hours, 8:30am to 4:00pm |
| Septic properties | SCDES approval required before the county can issue |
Want a precise number for a specific Cherokee County project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Cherokee County trade permits
Electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fuel gas work each need their own permit and a South Carolina licensed contractor. Four Cherokee specifics:
Quote the permit number
Have the permit number ready when calling for a building inspection. On a project with separate trade records, quoting the right one is what gets the right inspector.
Check permitting hours, not office hours
Permitting hours are 8:30am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday, an hour shorter than general office hours of 8:30am to 5:00pm.
Electrical runs on the 2020 NEC
Cherokee enforces the 2020 edition of the National Electrical Code with South Carolina modifications. The 2024 code cycle brings the 2023 NEC, from 1 January 2027.
Renovations may use the existing building code
Cherokee has adopted the 2021 International Existing Building Code, which gives alterations to existing structures a dedicated compliance route.
South Carolina licenses contractors through two boards in the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation: the Contractor’s Licensing Board (general and mechanical work over $10,000) and the Residential Builders Commission (residential builders over $5,000; residential electricians, plumbers, HVAC and other specialty work over $500). Contractor licensing in South Carolina
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Cherokee County permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Cherokee 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 Gaffney runs its own building department. Cherokee County Building Safety covers the rest of the county, including Blacksburg (contact Blacksburg Town Hall first) and the Cherokee County part of Chesnee (bring Chesnee’s zoning approval).
New construction runs on the 2021 South Carolina I-Codes and the 2020 NEC. Alterations to existing buildings may use the adopted Existing Building Code, and pools the adopted Swimming Pool and Spa Code.
General office hours are 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, but permitting hours end at 4:00pm.
South Carolina licensing thresholds apply — greater than $10,000 for general and mechanical construction, with separate residential thresholds.
A project can carry separate building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas records. Record each number as it issues.
Cherokee County asks that you have your permit number ready when you call for a building inspection. Keep the permit and approved plans on site through to final.
Inspections in Cherokee County
Inspections are requested by telephone on 864-487-2561, and the department asks that you have your permit number ready when you call. Requests called in before 9:00am are given priority and are usually completed the same day. Typical checkpoints follow the adopted code sequence through footing and foundation, trade rough-ins, framing, insulation and final.
Because Cherokee has adopted the International Property Maintenance Code as well as the mandatory construction codes, enforcement here extends into the condition of existing buildings and premises rather than stopping at new work. On a property being rehabilitated, expect the maintenance provisions to be enforceable rather than advisory.
The county's adopted code list will change on 1 January 2027, when the 2024 editions and the 2023 National Electrical Code take effect statewide. Work does not get re-reviewed against a code that arrived mid-project. Where a completed building permit application was approved before the implementation date, the work may be completed and inspected under the code in effect when the original permit was issued. The date that matters is the approval of a complete application — an incomplete one sitting in the queue on 31 December 2026 does not hold the old code.
Keep the permit and approved plans on site throughout, and have the relevant trade's permit number to hand before calling.
Cherokee County permit search and official resources
Cherokee County publishes its adopted code list and departmental information through Building Safety, with the City of Gaffney publishing separately.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- Cherokee County Building Safety
- SC LLR licence verification
- SC Building Codes Council
- SCDES septic and onsite wastewater
- Spartanburg County Building Codes
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in Cherokee County, SC?
The Cherokee County Building Safety Department at 110 Railroad Avenue, Gaffney (864-487-2561), for the county outside the City of Gaffney, including the Town of Blacksburg. Gaffney permits its own work through the City of Gaffney’s Community Development Department (201 North Limestone Street, 864-487-8500).
Which codes has Cherokee County adopted?
The 2021 South Carolina editions of the ICC Residential, Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire and Fuel Gas Codes, the 2020 edition of the National Electrical Code with South Carolina modifications, and the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and Existing Building Code.
Why does the adopted code list matter?
Because three of those codes are optional. South Carolina splits its codes into mandatory ones that apply everywhere and permissive ones that bind only where a local government adopts them by ordinance. Cherokee has adopted the property maintenance, pool and existing building codes; not every county has.
What difference does the Existing Building Code make?
It gives alterations to existing structures a dedicated compliance path rather than assessing them against new-construction requirements. On an older building that is usually a more workable route, and it is worth raising at plan review.
What are the permitting hours?
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm. General office hours run to 5:00pm, so arrive before 4:00pm to apply or pay.
What do I need before calling for an inspection?
Your permit number. Cherokee County asks that you have it ready when you call for a building inspection.
Which electrical code applies?
The 2020 edition of the National Electrical Code with South Carolina modifications. The 2023 NEC arrives with the 2024 code cycle on 1 January 2027.
Does the property maintenance code apply here?
Yes. Cherokee County has adopted the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, so maintenance and condition obligations on existing buildings and premises are enforceable rather than advisory.
Do pools have their own code?
Yes. Cherokee has adopted the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code alongside the mandatory construction codes.
How large is Cherokee County?
The Census Bureau estimates 58,275 residents in 2025 (Vintage 2025).
What happens to my permit when the codes change in 2027?
Where a completed building permit application was approved before the implementation date, the work may be completed and inspected under the code in effect when the original permit was issued. An incomplete application sitting in the queue does not hold the old code.
Which building code does Cherokee County enforce today?
The 2021 South Carolina Building Codes. The SC Building Codes Council adopted the 2024 editions in August 2025 with an implementation date of 1 January 2027.
Simplify Cherokee County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Cherokee is a small department that publishes its code list in full. The value here is knowing which of its adopted codes governs your particular scope.
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- Right code path — new construction, existing building or pool code identified before design.
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- Right number, right inspector — each trade's permit number recorded and quoted at the call.
- Complete oversight — every Cherokee 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 Cherokee County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.