Clarendon County, South Carolina Building Permit Guide

Building permits in Clarendon County come from the County’s Planning and Zoning office at 411 Sunset Drive, Manning, which also issues electrical, plumbing, HVAC and manufactured home setup permits and books the inspections. Apply online in Cloudpermit or at the counter: standard permits are processed in 24 to 48 hours and plans take 7 to 14 business days, and a new 2,000 sq ft house works out at a $910 building permit under the County’s valuation factors.

What requires a permit in Clarendon County?

The County’s building ordinance (Article XIII of the Unified Development Code) requires a permit before anyone builds, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a building, or changes its occupancy. The same rule covers installing, altering, repairing or replacing any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system regulated by the technical codes.

Homeowners may build or repair their own residence or property they hold for personal or rental use, but the ordinance says this does not exempt them from the permit, the inspections or the fees. A permit lapses if work does not start within 6 months or stops for 6 months. Grading or land disturbance on a future building site also needs a permit from the state environmental agency before work starts.

Who issues building permits in Clarendon County?

The County Planning Director, or a designee, enforces the building codes, and the building inspector reports to that office. Clarendon County named Tabitha Hanna director of its Building and Planning Department in 2022. The County states that its planning, zoning and building codes are in effect countywide.

How the four incorporated places are handled:

• Manning: the City issues the zoning permit. Under section 10-2 of the Manning code, the County then accepts the building permit application, charges the County fee and carries out the building inspections.
• Turbeville: the Town tells residents that building permits are obtained at the Clarendon County Planning Department, and contractors working in town also need a Town business license. Questions go to the municipal clerk at Town Hall.
• Summerton and Paxville: neither town publishes its own building permit process; Summerton’s zoning page is marked as still to be updated. Ask town hall about town zoning before applying to the County (Summerton Town Hall, 10 Main Street, 803-485-2525).

Applying online and the County forms

The Planning and Zoning page links to the County’s Cloudpermit login, where applicants create an account to apply for permits and request inspections; applications are also taken in person in Manning. The Unified Development Code applications are published on the same page, including:

• Application for Zoning Certificate, usually needing only the tax map number or a recorded plat.
• Application for Performance Zoning Certificate, for property in the County’s Performance Zone.
• Request for Site Plan Review and the site plan review checklist, for commercial and larger projects.
• Use Permit Application, subdivision and plat review requests, and Zoning Board of Appeals forms for variances, special exceptions and appeals.

Application forms for the land use processes must be signed by the owner of record or come with the owner’s written authorization.

Clarendon County permit fees

Building permit fees are set in Table IX-3 of the Unified Development Code. The fee is calculated from an estimated construction cost, worked out with the County’s factors per square foot; for commercial, industrial and institutional jobs the Building Official may use the contract price instead.

Example: a 2,000 sq ft house is valued at 2,000 × $125 = $250,000, so the building permit is $460 plus 150 × $3, or $910.

If work starts before the permit is issued, the County doubles the fees, and paying the double fee does not cancel any other penalty.

Manufactured home setup permits

The County’s manufactured home process sheet (revised June 2026) sets a separate route for placing a home:

• Get the $10 zoning certificate before buying the home; dealers may not sell one without it. Bring the tax map number and a recorded plat.
• Homes older than 30 years may not be moved into Clarendon County. Near Lake Marion, the Performance Zone limits age by row: first-row lake lots need double-wide homes no older than 5 years, second-row homes may be up to 10 years old and third-row homes up to 30.
• Apply for the $175 setup permit in person or in Cloudpermit with the title or bill of sale and Form 400, the E-911 address, the septic permit from SCDES or a septic inspection letter for an existing system, and the licensed mover’s name and LLR licence.
• Permanent underpinning is required: brick or block on first-row lakefront lots, and brick, block or vinyl on the second row.
• Every exterior door needs steps and a landing between 3 ft by 3 ft and 5 ft by 5 ft before power is released; a larger deck or porch needs its own building permit.

The $5 decal comes from the Assessor’s Office; a home being moved needs a moving permit from the county it is leaving ($25 at Clarendon’s Assessor’s Office). If the home is moved or set up before the permit is issued, the fees are doubled.

How to get a building permit in Clarendon County

Inspections in Clarendon County

Inspections are scheduled by calling the Planning and Zoning office on 803-435-8672 or through the Cloudpermit portal. A failed inspection that has to be repeated costs $40.

The County’s electrical rules make it unlawful to lath, seal or otherwise conceal wiring before it is inspected and approved, and nobody may live in or run a business from a building until electrical, water and sewer service has begun. For manufactured homes, every item on the setup checklist must be finished before the inspection; the checklist is handed out at the Planning Office when the permit is issued.

Local details that matter in Clarendon County

Lake Marion and the Performance Zone: property near the lake falls in the County’s Performance Zone, which has its own zoning certificate application ($50 Performance Zone application where required) and the lot-row rules for manufactured homes described above.

Flood zones: Article XVII of the Unified Development Code is the County’s flood damage prevention ordinance. A flood hazard area permit costs $300 and a flood zone certificate $10.

Restrictive covenants: the County must ask whether a recorded covenant prohibits the proposed use, and it will not issue a permit for a conflicting use until the covenant is released.

Contractors: a licensed contractor may not let anyone use his name or licence to obtain a permit unless that person is regularly employed by him, and the Planning Director may refuse future permits to a contractor who keeps breaking the rules.

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

Clarendon County official permit resources

• Clarendon County Planning and Zoning
• Cloudpermit login (Clarendon County online permits)
• UDC Article IX: application procedures and fees
• UDC Article XIII: buildings and building regulations
• Manufactured home setup permit process (June 2026)
• Application for Zoning Certificate
• UDC Article XVII: flood damage prevention
• City of Manning Code, Sec. 10-2: County building permits and inspections
• Town of Turbeville: building permit and business license notice

Clarendon County permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Clarendon County?

Clarendon County Planning and Zoning in Manning, 803-435-8672. It handles the unincorporated county, issues the building permit for Manning projects once the City has granted zoning, and Turbeville sends its residents there too.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Clarendon County?

The County values a house at $125 per sq ft for the first floor and finished basement, then applies its fee table. A 2,000 sq ft house valued at $250,000 pays $910, before trade permits.

How long does a Clarendon County permit take?

Standard permits take 24 to 48 hours to process, and plans submitted for review take 7 to 14 business days.

Can I pull my own building permit as a homeowner?

Yes. The ordinance lets owners work on their own residence or property held for personal or rental use, but they still need the permit, the inspections and the fees.

What do I need before placing a manufactured home?

A $10 zoning certificate before you buy, then a $175 setup permit with the title or bill of sale, E-911 address, septic approval and the licensed mover’s details. Homes older than 30 years cannot be brought into the county.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

The permit fees are doubled, and the double fee does not excuse the work from meeting the code or from other penalties.

Simplify Clarendon County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in South Carolina. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Clarendon County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.