Outside Walterboro and Edisto Beach, Colleton County’s Planning and Development Department issues the building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, gas and mobile home permits and sends its own inspectors. Applications go to the Harrelson Building at 31 Klein Street in Walterboro (843-549-1709), and a zoning permit with a site plan comes first for any new building or addition.
What needs a permit in unincorporated Colleton County?
The County’s Building Code Administration office covers the construction, alteration, moving, enlargement, replacement, repair, use, removal and demolition of buildings and structures, and says construction plans and a building permit are typically required. Its permit application has separate boxes for building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, gas, farm structure and swimming pool or spa permits.
Building permit
- New homes, including tiny houses and shipping container homes (ask staff about the extra requirements)
- Additions, repairs and remodels
- Accessory buildings over 225 sq ft
- Commercial buildings
- Pools and spas
- Demolition
- Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas work
No building permit
- One-story detached sheds, playhouses and similar storage buildings of 225 sq ft or less (they still need a zoning permit)
- Farm structures covered by the state farm exemption, with the County’s non-conversion affidavit
A zoning permit is required before any new activity or building, including additions, and the County’s zoning permit form also covers fences, signs, docks and boat houses, ground-mounted solar, handicap ramps, campers and manufactured homes.
Who issues permits in Colleton County?
Planning and Development handles zoning, building permits and inspections, floodplain management and code enforcement for the unincorporated county. Theodore Reed is the Chief Building Official, responsible for administering and interpreting the construction codes, and the County Fire Marshal administers the fire code.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 31 Klein Street, Harrelson Building, Room 300, Walterboro, SC 29488 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 98, Walterboro, SC 29488 |
| Main office | 843-549-1709 |
| Inspection line | 843-549-1844 |
| Fax | 843-549-9014 |
| planning@colletoncounty.org | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
The County building code chapter applies only to unincorporated land and to incorporated areas that have an intergovernmental agreement with the County. For the six municipalities:
- Walterboro: the City publishes its own building permit application, fence permit application and related forms.
- Edisto Beach: the Town requires a building permit from the Town before any construction or remodeling, and it may also require a zoning certificate for a change of use.
- Cottageville, Lodge, Smoaks and Williams: none of these towns posts permit information (only Cottageville has a website), and no agreement with the County is posted, so call town hall before filing: Cottageville 843-835-8655, Lodge 843-866-7687 (open Monday evenings), Smoaks 843-562-8632.
Applications and County forms
The Building Code Administration page publishes the forms used for most jobs:
- Building Permit Application, one form for building and trade permits, listing the owner, any authorized representative, the contractor and every subcontractor with licence numbers and contract values.
- Zoning Permit Application, filed with a site plan; the correct address must be posted at the site before you submit it, and two or more dwellings on a parcel need a Family Group Development Declaration.
- Contractor License Form: contractors working under a County permit must hold a Colleton County contractor licence (building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical or specialty) as well as their state licence.
- Farm & Accessory Structure Affidavit, signed under the state farm-structure law. If the building is later used as a home, business or place of assembly, power can be disconnected and the owner fined up to $500.
- Manufactured/Mobile Home Permit, one application for the licence decal, moving permit, setup permit and detitling.
- Commercial Construction Checklist, Construction Drawing Requirements and the Swimming Pool & Spa Application Guide.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Permit fees can be paid through the County’s online payment page for Planning and Development.
Colleton County permit fees
County Council sets the building fees in its budget ordinance. The latest building fee table it has published is in the FY 2025–26 budget ordinance (Ordinance 25-O-05), with the fees starting July 1, 2025; the fee exhibit of the FY 2026–27 budget ordinance lists no building fees. The permit fee follows the construction value you give on the application, which asks for the value of the whole project and of each subcontractor’s work.
| Construction value | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $2,000 | $69 |
| $2,001 to $40,000 | $69 to $487, going up $11 with each $1,000 of value |
| $40,001 to $100,000 | $487 to $1,027 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,027 to $3,827 |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,827 to $6,327 |
| $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 | $6,327 to $18,327 |
| Over $5,000,000 | $18,327 plus $1 per $1,000 |
| Commercial building permits | 150% of the residential fee |
| Re-inspection | $75 |
| Electrical service (100 or 200 amp) | $50 or $60 |
Card payments carry a 2.35% convenience charge set in the same ordinance.
Two penalties are fixed in the code: starting work that needs a building, zoning or other permit before the permit is issued costs a double permit fee for each permit required, and a code violation can bring a $500 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both, with each day counted as a new offence.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What to submit for a new home or addition
The County’s residential checklist (for sites outside flood zones) lists, with the building permit application and restrictive covenants form:
- Two sets of detailed construction plans, referencing the ICC 600-2008 high-wind construction standard
- The membership number from the electric provider
- A copy of the state septic tank permit, where the home is on septic
- A copy of the recorded plat, with a site plan drawn on it showing the distances to the front, side and rear lines (a deed if there is no plat)
- The tax map (TMS) number
- The 911 address, posted before work begins in reflective letters at least 4 inches high
- A REScheck compliance certificate (not needed for modular homes)
- Heated and unheated square footage and the seismic and wind requirements
Additions need the plans, plat, site plan, tax map number and square footage. Accessory buildings over 225 sq ft need a building permit application, two sets of plans and a site plan; smaller ones need only the zoning permit, the covenants form and the non-conversion affidavit.
Steps to a Colleton County building permit
Projects in Walterboro or Edisto Beach go to those offices; County permits cover the unincorporated area.
The address must be on site before the zoning application is filed and before work begins.
File the zoning permit application with a site plan; flood-zone parcels also need floodplain review.
Bring the septic permit and the electric membership number for a new home.
Submit the application, two plan sets and the checklist items to Planning and Development, with the contractor’s County licence in place.
Request each inspection on 843-549-1844 as the work reaches that stage.
Rather not deal with the Colleton County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Colleton County
County building inspectors carry out the inspections for permits issued by Planning and Development, and requests go to the dedicated inspection line, 843-549-1844. In a Special Flood Hazard Area, an elevation certificate must be filed with the County for every structure.
Local details that matter in Colleton County
Flood zones: the County administers the floodplain rules for FEMA Zones A, AE and VE. It is a Class 7 Community Rating System community, which gives policyholders a 15% flood insurance discount, and it answers flood zone and base flood elevation questions for any property in the county.
Zoning rules: the County adopted new zoning regulations in May 2022 and updated its comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance in 2023 to add a heavy industrial category and a solar farm floating zone. Uses not allowed in a district need a rezoning through the Planning Commission and County Council; variances and special exceptions go to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Airport overlay: the building permit application asks whether the parcel lies in the Airport Overlay District.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Colleton County official permit resources
- Colleton County Planning & Development
- Colleton County Building Code Administration
- Colleton County Zoning Administration
- Colleton County Floodplain Management
- Building Permit Application
- Residential construction checklist
- Zoning Permit Application
- Colleton County contractor licence application
- Farm and accessory structure non-conversion affidavit
- Manufactured home decal, moving and setup application
- Pay Planning & Development fees online
- County Code Chapter 13.04: building codes adopted
- City of Walterboro building permit applications
- Town of Edisto Beach building department
- Ordinance 25-O-05: FY 2025–26 budget with building fees
- Colleton County cities and towns directory
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Colleton County permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Colleton County?
Colleton County Planning and Development, 31 Klein Street in Walterboro (843-549-1709), for unincorporated areas. The City of Walterboro and the Town of Edisto Beach issue their own.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Colleton County?
Not a building permit if it is a one-story detached storage building of 225 sq ft or less, but you still need a zoning permit. Larger accessory buildings need a building permit and two sets of plans.
How do I schedule a County inspection?
Call the inspection line on 843-549-1844.
Does my contractor need a County licence?
Yes. Contractors and builders working under a County permit must be licensed with Colleton County and show their South Carolina licence when they apply.
How much does a building permit cost in Colleton County?
Under the fee table that started July 1, 2025, a job worth up to $2,000 costs $69, a $40,000 job $487 and a $100,000 job $1,027; commercial permits are 150% of those amounts. Starting work without the permit doubles the fee.
What address rules apply to a new house?
The 911 address has to be posted before work begins, in reflective letters at least 4 inches high at the mailbox or house.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Colleton County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.