Inside Conway city limits, the City’s Construction Services Department at 196 Laurel Street (843-488-9888) reviews building plans and issues all building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits. Permits are applied for and inspections requested in the BS&A online portal; for 2026–2027 a new house is valued at $200 per sq ft, so a 2,000 sq ft home carries a $1,774 permit fee plus $887 for plan checking.
What requires a permit in Conway?
Construction Services enforces the state and local building codes for all construction in the city. Its 2026–2027 fee schedule shows the permits it issues:
Residential
- New homes, additions and remodels
- Private garages, storage buildings, porches and decks
- Pools (plus an electrical permit)
- Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work
- Moving or demolishing a building
- Fences, sheds and spas on the homeowner accessory structure application
Commercial
- New buildings and renovations
- Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits
- Fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems
- Change of occupancy or tenant
- Demolition and building moves
The City’s owner-builder guidance says the permit rules reach any work that touches a home, including decks, porch additions, attached pergolas, roofing and electrical work.
Who issues building permits in Conway?
The Construction Services Department enforces the building codes, reviews all building plans, issues all permits and handles requests to the Construction Board of Appeals. Robert Cooper is the Chief Building Official, and he must review any project in a flood zone. Planning and Zoning approves residential plans for zoning, parking, landscaping and appearance.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 196 Laurel Street, Conway (PO Box 1075) |
| Phone | 843-488-9888 |
| Email for submitted forms | building@cityofconway.com |
| Permits and inspections | BS&A Online portal |
| Business license | 843-488-7631 |
| Public Utilities (taps) | 843-248-1770 |
| Public Works (stormwater) | 843-248-1730 |
The City’s 2020 requirements sheet still gives 206 Laurel Street for hard-copy plans; the current department page lists 196 Laurel Street. The City permits only inside its limits, and its GIS jurisdiction map shows whether a parcel is in the city; unincorporated land around Conway is permitted by Horry County.
How Conway permits are filed
All building permit requests go through the BS&A online portal. Contractors with an active account log in, choose “apply for a permit” and skip the estimated fees step; if the address is not in the system, the office adds it. Projects with engineered plans upload a set in the portal and drop one paper set at the office within a few days of applying.
- Homeowner accessory structure application for fences, sheds, spas and pools, with a residential pool fence affidavit (a commercial pool affidavit also exists).
- Owner-builder route: owners building or improving their own home must file a disclosure statement with the register of deeds, may not sell or rent the home within two years, and must hire only workers with the state licences required and a City of Conway business license.
- Separate trade permits: the general contractor and each plumbing, mechanical and electrical subcontractor obtain their own permits, and all must hold a City business license.
Conway permit fees (2026–2027)
Residential new construction and additions are valued at $200 per sq ft and then priced on the City’s permit fee chart; renovations are priced on the chart from their value.
| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $2,000 | $30 |
| $2,001 to $50,000 | $30 for the first $2,000 plus $6 per additional $1,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $324 for the first $50,000 plus $5 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $574 for the first $100,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000 |
| Over $500,000 | $2,174 for the first $500,000 plus $3 per additional $1,000 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Example: a 2,000 sq ft house is valued at $400,000, so the permit is $574 plus 300 × $4, or $1,774, and plan checking adds half that, $887.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential electrical | $50 up to 200 A, then $0.25 per amp |
| Residential plumbing | $45 plus $2 per fixture |
| Residential mechanical | $35 up to 2 tons, then $7.50 per ton |
| Residential gas | $25 plus $2.50 per appliance |
| Private garage | Valued at $33 per sq ft |
| Storage building | $0.30 per sq ft |
| Porch or deck | $0.25 per sq ft |
| Commercial new building | $0.40 per sq ft, plus trade permits |
| Commercial trade, sprinkler or alarm permits | $50 for the first $5,000, then the fee chart |
| Plan checking | One-half of the permit fee |
| Re-inspection | $100 after two failed inspections, or when the work is not ready |
| Zoning compliance | $25 |
| Sanitation plan review | $340 per dwelling unit |
| Permit renewal | Half the permit fee; $150 once the project has reached final inspection or CO |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Commercial work also pays a $100 change of occupancy fee or $25 change of tenant fee where it applies, $100 for a preliminary review plus the standard plan review fee, and $250 for early review; changing contractors costs $150. Work started without a permit pays double fees. Water and sewer tap and capital recovery fees are paid to the City when the permit is issued.
Plans and paperwork Conway requires
Residential
- Plans approved by Planning and Zoning
- Dwellings engineered by a South Carolina registered engineer
- An architect for buildings with more than two families
- Water and sewer tap and capital recovery fees paid at issuance
- Stormwater runoff and tie-ins to Public Works’ satisfaction
Commercial
- Architect’s seal for assembly, educational, institutional and hazardous uses of any size, buildings of three or more stories and buildings over 5,000 sq ft
- Door and window schedules, accessibility details, rated walls, construction type and total square footage
- Structural plans sealed by a South Carolina engineer, with anchor bolt and hurricane tie details and live, dead, wind and seismic loads
- Stair and railing details
Before temporary power is released on a new house or addition, the portal must hold the subcontractor list with each contract value, the building envelope sealing, residential energy compliance and duct sealing certificates on the City’s forms, the sealed top page of the truss package, the termite pretreat letter and a notarized roofing letter or metal roof letter. Commercial jobs add any special inspection reports.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a building permit in Conway
Use the City’s GIS jurisdiction map; outside the limits, Horry County permits the work.
Planning and Zoning approves the plans, and the zoning compliance fee is $25.
Upload all documents; engineered plans also need a paper set at the office within a few days.
Plan checking is half the permit fee; taps and capital recovery fees are due at issuance.
Power is not released until the certificates and letters are in the portal.
Schedule each inspection separately and check the results in the portal.
Inspections in Conway
Every inspection request goes through the BS&A portal. Pick the inspection type (or the closest one) and add notes for the inspector, such as door codes, where a key is hidden, a preferred morning or afternoon (not guaranteed) or that it is a re-inspection. A “total rough-in” means booking rough electrical, rough plumbing, rough mechanical and framing as four separate inspections; anything not requested is not inspected.
Results appear on the permit or in the portal once the inspector is back in the office, and staff cannot call inspectors for early results. A re-inspection costs $100 after two failures, or when the work was not ready.
Local details that matter in Conway
Flood zones: Conway takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program and its ordinance uses the 2019 revised preliminary flood maps. A house in a flood zone needs three elevation certificates: one on the construction drawings when the permit is submitted, one after the foundation is in and before going vertical (the nailing inspection), and the finished-construction certificate when temporary power for the building is scheduled. The floodplain manager reviews each one. For base flood elevation questions, call the Building Department.
Business licenses: every contractor and subcontractor needs a City of Conway business license, including those hired by an owner-builder.
Appeals: Construction Services staff handle requests to the City’s Construction Board of Appeals.
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
Conway official permit resources
- City of Conway Construction Services
- Conway BS&A Online permits and inspections
- Construction Services permit fee schedule 2026–2027
- Requirements and special conditions
- How to request an inspection
- Final paperwork needed for temp power
- Homeowners applying for their own home
- Residential accessory structure application
- Conway floodplain information
- Is my property in the City of Conway? (GIS map)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Conway permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Conway, SC?
The City of Conway Construction Services Department, 196 Laurel Street (843-488-9888), for property inside city limits. Horry County handles unincorporated land outside the city.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Conway?
The City values new homes at $200 per sq ft and applies its fee chart, so a 2,000 sq ft house pays $1,774 plus $887 for plan checking, before trade permits.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Only through the BS&A online portal. Each rough-in trade must be booked separately.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Conway?
Yes, for your own use, if you file the owner-builder disclosure statement with the register of deeds and do not sell or rent the home within two years.
Do I need a permit for a shed or fence?
Yes. Homeowners use the City’s residential accessory structure application for fences, sheds, spas and pools; storage buildings cost $0.30 per sq ft.
What does a failed inspection cost?
$100 once an inspection has failed twice, and $100 if the work was not ready when the inspection was requested.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Conway permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.