Inside Florence city limits, building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, pool, sign and demolition permits are issued by the City’s Building & Permitting Department at 324 West Evans Street (843-665-3151). Get a Zoning Compliance Permit from the Planning Department first, then file the Building and Trades Permit Application in person or by email, since the online portal is down; a job valued at $180,000 pays a $700 permit fee plus a $350 plan examination fee.
What requires a permit in Florence?
The Building & Permitting Department issues permits for new construction, additions and remodeling and inspects the work. Its single application form covers each type of permit the City issues:
Building permits
- New buildings, additions and alterations
- Repairs and renovations
- Accessory and agricultural buildings
- Pools
- Signs (a design professional is required for signs over 32 sq ft)
- Demolition and moving a building
- Manufactured homes
Trade permits
- Electrical, including services, generators and service poles
- Plumbing
- Mechanical, including package and A/C units, boilers and hood systems
- Gas
- Fire sprinkler and alarm systems
Before any of these is issued for new construction, alterations or signs, the Planning Department must issue a Zoning Compliance Permit confirming the use is allowed in the zoning district under the City’s Unified Development Ordinance.
Who issues permits in Florence?
The department is staffed by a Building Official, a Plans Examiner, building inspectors and permitting clerks. Zoning sits with the Planning Department in the same building, and the Fire Department’s Fire and Life Safety Division reviews plans for new construction and renovations.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building & Permitting | 324 West Evans Street (4th floor), 843-665-3151, permitting@cityofflorencesc.gov |
| Planning Department (zoning) | 324 West Evans Street, Suite 200, 843-665-2047 |
| Fire and Life Safety Division | 324 W. Evans Street, Room 301, 843-665-3231 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
The City permits only property inside its limits. Unincorporated land around Florence is permitted by the Florence County Building Department (843-676-8600).
Florence forms and how to file
The City’s online permitting portal is unavailable, so the Building & Permitting Department is taking applications in person or by email to permitting@cityofflorencesc.gov. The forms it publishes are:
- Application for Building and Trades Permit, covering every permit type, the value of finished work, utility provider and occupancy, plus an owner-builder exemption section that is notarized and witnessed.
- New Contractor Form, for contractors new to the City, with the SCLLR licence number required of all commercial and trade contractors.
- Subcontractor List, naming every subcontractor on the job.
- Special Inspection Form, the statement of special inspections required as a condition of permit issuance where the building code calls for special inspections.
- Insulation and Fenestration and Duct Seal certificates for energy code compliance.
- Request for Fire Sprinkler System Shop Drawing Review.
The Zoning Compliance Permit application is filed online with the Planning Department; a separate business license and use form applies to new or relocated businesses.
Florence permit fees
Building permits are priced on the total valuation of the work under the City’s fee schedule (revised July 2023):
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1,000 or less | No fee unless an inspection is needed ($15 per inspection) |
| $1,000 to $50,000 | $15 for the first $1,000 plus $5 per additional $1,000 |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | $260 for the first $50,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,000 to $500,000 | $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3 per additional $1,000 |
| $500,000 and up | $1,660 for the first $500,000 plus $2 per additional $1,000 |
| Plan examination (valuation over $1,000) | One-half of the permit fee, due when you submit |
| Moving a building | $100 |
| Demolition | $50 up to 100,000 cu ft, plus $0.50 per 1,000 cu ft over |
| Certificate of zoning | $25 |
The schedule’s lookup table shows, for example, a $700 permit for work valued at $180,000, so the plan examination fee on that job is $350.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits
Each trade permit starts from a $10 base fee on the application, with item charges added:
| Permit | Charges |
|---|---|
| Electrical | $10 base; meter service up to 400 A +$10, over 400 A +$20; service pole +$20; A/C outlet +$20; generator +$15; motor or transformer +$5; appliance +$4; device $0.30 each |
| Plumbing | $10 base plus $2.50 for each additional fixture |
| Mechanical | Valuation table that includes the $10 permit fee: $20 up to $1,000, $118 at $50,000, $218 at $100,000 |
| Gas | $10 base; furnace or boiler +$5; gas pack +$5; water heater, wall furnace or space heater +$2.50; gas logs, dryer or other outlet +$1 |
Commercial and trade contractors must give the City their SCLLR licence number, and fire sprinkler and alarm work is reviewed through the shop drawing review request and the Fire and Life Safety Division.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What goes with the application
- The approved Zoning Compliance Permit
- The Building and Trades Permit Application, with the tax map number, total square footage and value of finished work
- The subcontractor list, and the New Contractor Form if you have not worked in the City before
- Construction plans for review, with the plan examination fee paid at submittal
- A Statement of Special Inspections from the registered design professional when the project needs special inspections
- Board approvals already granted for property in an overlay district (Design Review Board, Board of Zoning Appeals or encroachment)
For questions about plan review for fire code compliance, call the Fire and Life Safety Division on 843-665-3231.
How to apply: 6 steps in Florence
Outside the limits, Florence County issues the permit.
Use the Planning Department’s online application for new construction, alterations or signs.
New contractors send the New Contractor Form with their SCLLR licence; owner-builders complete the exemption section for their primary residence.
Email it to permitting@cityofflorencesc.gov or bring it to 324 West Evans Street with the plans and subcontractor list.
Half the permit fee is due at submittal, with the permit fee itself set by the valuation table.
City inspectors check the work, and the duct seal and insulation certificates document energy code compliance.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections and close-out in Florence
The Building & Permitting Department inspects new and active construction, including additions and remodels. Energy code compliance is documented on the City’s own forms: the duct seal certificate records a rough-in leakage test of no more than 6 cfm per 100 sq ft at 25 Pa (4 cfm if the air handler is not yet installed) or a post-construction test, and the insulation and fenestration certificate records what was installed.
On commercial projects with special inspections, the special inspector keeps records of every inspection and sends reports to the design professional in responsible charge and to the Building Official. New businesses also get a Fire and Life Safety inspection before a business license is issued, and can ask for a courtesy inspection beforehand.
Local details that matter in Florence
Zoning first, for permits and licences: the same Zoning Compliance Permit gates both building permits and business licenses, so a new business in an existing building may need zoning, fire inspection and a licence even with little construction.
Overlay districts: the permit application asks whether the property is in an overlay district and whether the Design Review Board, Board of Zoning Appeals or an encroachment approval has been granted.
Utilities: the application asks which electric provider serves the site: Duke, PDEC, SEC or SCE&G.
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 →Official Florence permitting resources
- City of Florence Building & Permitting
- Application for Building and Trades Permit
- City of Florence fee schedule (rev. July 2023)
- Obtaining a Zoning Compliance Permit
- New Contractor Form
- Subcontractor list
- Statement of Special Inspections
- Duct seal certificate
- Insulation and fenestration certificate
- Fire and Life Safety Division plan review and inspections
- South Carolina Building Codes Council: code adoption
Florence permit FAQ
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in Florence, SC?
The City of Florence Building & Permitting Department, 324 West Evans Street (843-665-3151), for property inside city limits. Florence County handles land outside the city.
How much is a building permit in Florence?
It is based on valuation: $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000, for example, plus a plan examination fee of half the permit fee.
Can I apply online?
Not at the moment. The City says its online permitting portal is unavailable and it is accepting applications in person or by email to permitting@cityofflorencesc.gov.
Do I need zoning approval before a building permit?
Yes. A Zoning Compliance Permit from the Planning Department (843-665-2047) is required before the Building Department issues a permit.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Florence?
Yes, for your primary residence, by completing the owner-builder exemption section of the application before a notary and witnesses.
Who reviews fire sprinkler plans?
Submit the fire sprinkler shop drawing review request with the permit; the Fire and Life Safety Division (843-665-3231) reviews plans for new construction and renovations.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Florence permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.