Building permits in unincorporated Fairfield County are issued by the Building Division of the County’s Community Development Department, at 260 Bratton St. in Winnsboro (803-712-6596). You need a Certificate of Zoning Compliance first, plans are reviewed before any permit is issued, and inspections are requested by email; inside the Town of Winnsboro the Town’s building inspector issues permits instead.
What needs a permit in Fairfield County?
Chapter 6 of the County Code requires the owner, agent or contractor to get a permit before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building, changing its occupancy, putting up a sign, or installing regulated equipment such as furnaces, boilers, elevators and fire extinguishing systems. The County’s permit application lists these job types:
Permit needed
- New single-family homes and commercial buildings
- Additions and remodels
- Detached garages and accessory structures
- Decks and porches
- Re-roofs and foundation repair
- Pools
- Demolition and moving a building
- Electrical, HVAC, plumbing and gas work
No permit
- Ordinary minor repairs the building official approves
- Setting or connecting gas appliances other than the regulated ones, and repairing leaks in house piping
- Farm structures covered by a filed agricultural exemption affidavit (from the building code)
Plumbing that connects to a sewer, septic tank or storm system, or any repair or addition to existing plumbing, needs its own plumbing permit. Gas furnaces, water heaters, central heating and air units, boilers and consumer gas piping need a permit too.
Who issues building permits in Fairfield County?
The Building Division reviews plans, issues building permits, inspects building activity and stops work that is unsafe or unpermitted. The Planning and Zoning Division issues the zoning compliance permits and reviews plats. Joseph Toledo is the Community Development Director.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Physical address | 260 Bratton St., Winnsboro, SC 29180 |
| Mailing address | 250 N. Walnut St., PO Drawer 60, Winnsboro, SC 29180 |
| Main office | 803-712-6596 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; payments end at 4 p.m. |
| Inspection requests | buildinginspections@fairfield.sc.gov |
The County’s submittal checklists still print an older address, 117 S. Congress Street; the department page gives 260 Bratton St. as the physical office.
The County building code applies to the unincorporated county and to towns that sign an agreement with County Council. For the four municipalities:
- Winnsboro: the Town’s building inspector and zoning administrator enforces the building codes and issues building permits (803-635-4041, ext. 107).
- Blythewood: only a small part of the town is in Fairfield County. The Town runs its own permits and inspections portal.
- Ridgeway: the Town’s own building ordinance (Town Code 7-1001) says anyone building or repairing a structure inside town limits needs a permit from the Town, applied for in writing, unless the repair costs under $100; a 2002 amendment set the Town’s permit charges at Fairfield County’s rates. Town Hall is 803-337-2213.
- Jenkinsville: the Town has no website and no posted permit information; ask town hall which office permits work there.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Fairfield County permit fees
The County Code says fees follow the latest building permit fee schedule kept on file at the County offices, and that schedule is not posted online, so ask the Building Division for a quote. The fee is based on the value of construction, which the application asks you to give for plumbing, gas, electrical, heating and air, and building work separately, including all materials, labor and profit. If the building official believes the value is understated, the permit can be refused until you show detailed cost estimates.
Work started before the permit is issued pays double fees, and no permit fee is refunded if a permit is revoked.
What to submit
New homes and additions: the residential submittal checklist asks for at least two identical sets of plans, a site plan, the septic permit (or a licensed installer’s verification for an existing system) where there is no public sewer, and a 911 address from 911 Administration. The County’s plan review guidelines call for:
- Plans drawn to at least 1/4-inch scale, dated and naming who drew them
- Heated and unheated square footage, labelled rooms, and the size of every door and window with header size and span
- A foundation cross-section and floor construction, with pier and girder sizes for joist floors
- Roof framing or truss information, and load-bearing walls with their load path
- The main electrical panel size and location, water heater and furnace details, and Manual J HVAC calculations
- Front, side and rear elevations
Electronic files are accepted for a preliminary review but do not replace the paper submittal. Incomplete submittals are rejected and must be resubmitted.
Commercial projects: two paper sets and one digital set prepared by a licensed architect, with occupancy, occupant load, construction type, fire protection, means of egress and exterior wall details, and two scaled site plans showing the distance to the nearest fire hydrant. Fire protection shop drawings must be approved by the State Fire Marshal’s office, with a local fire review as well, and public sewer in Winnsboro needs a sewer availability letter.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Steps to a Fairfield County building permit
Planning and Zoning confirms the use and setbacks before the building permit can be issued.
911 Administration assigns the address; septic sites need the state permit or an installer’s letter.
Follow the residential or commercial checklist and plan review guidelines.
Submit the building permit application with the construction values, the contractor’s licence and County business registration, or the recorded owner-builder disclosure.
The County will not issue the permit until plans are reviewed and approved; pay before 4 p.m.
Work may not start until the permit card is posted; request inspections by email.
Inspections in Fairfield County
Send inspection requests to buildinginspections@fairfield.sc.gov with your name, the property address, a phone number, your email and the type of inspection. The Building Department replies with the date and time, and the result is left in the construction box on site, at the front door or sent by email.
Where a test is required, the permit holder must make sure the work will pass before asking for the inspection. A permit becomes void if the job has not started within six months of the application date, and an application with no permit issued after six months is treated as abandoned unless the building official grants extensions of up to 90 days each.
Rather not deal with the Fairfield County building department?
Get a free quote →Local details that matter in Fairfield County
Contractors: the application requires contractors and subcontractors to hold a business licence or registration with the County or the town before work starts, and the applicant agrees to pay the licence for any contractor or subcontractor found working on the project without one. The County’s Business Registration office is part of Community Development.
Owner-builders: homeowners acting as their own builder attach a recorded disclosure statement to the application; the County publishes the form.
Farm buildings: to use the farm structure exemption, the owner files the County’s agricultural exemption affidavit, stating the intended use, before construction starts.
Floodplain and street lines: the building official checks applications against the National Flood Insurance Program rules, and work that affects walls or projections fronting a street needs the street lines from the public works director first.
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 →Fairfield County official permit resources
- Fairfield County Building Division
- Fairfield County Community Development
- Fairfield County Planning & Zoning Division
- Building permit application
- Residential submittal application and checklist
- Commercial submittal application and checklist (2022)
- Homeowner disclosure statement
- Agricultural exemption (farm structure) affidavit
- Town of Winnsboro building inspector contact
- Town of Ridgeway ordinances (Chapter 7, building permits)
- Fairfield County Code, Chapter 6: buildings and building regulations
Fairfield County permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Fairfield County?
The Building Division of Fairfield County Community Development, 260 Bratton St., Winnsboro (803-712-6596), for the unincorporated county. Inside Winnsboro, the Town’s building inspector issues permits.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How do I request a building inspection?
Email buildinginspections@fairfield.sc.gov with your name, address, phone, email and the inspection type; the department replies with a date and time.
How much is a building permit in Fairfield County?
The County prices permits from the construction value using a fee schedule kept at its offices; ask the Building Division for the amount. Starting without a permit doubles the fee.
Do I need zoning approval first?
Yes. The application says you must have a Certificate of Zoning Compliance before the building permit is issued.
Can a homeowner pull a permit?
Yes, as an owner-builder, by including the recorded homeowner disclosure statement with the application.
How many plan sets do I need?
At least two for a house. Commercial jobs need two paper sets and one digital set drawn by a licensed architect.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Fairfield County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.