Fort Mill, South Carolina Building Permit Guide

The Town of Fort Mill Building & Codes Department reviews plans, issues building and trade permits and inspects work inside town limits; unincorporated land around the town is permitted by York County. Plans start with the Development Coordinator, and the permit fee is set by project valuation (for example $1,369 at $300,000), plus a 25% plan review fee.

What requires a building permit in Fort Mill?

The Town’s Building & Codes FAQ names the jobs that most often need a permit:

Who issues building permits in Fort Mill?

Building & Codes handles plan review, permits and inspections for property inside the incorporated town. Kenn Jackson is the Building Official. Addresses outside town limits fall under York County Building and Codes instead, so check the parcel before you draw up plans.

The Town issues Town business licenses but no state licenses. Every worker on a job inside town limits, including subcontractors, must hold a Town of Fort Mill business license when the permit is obtained.

Fort Mill permit types and how they are issued

Your first step depends on the job. For new one- and two-family homes, and for additions, alterations, accessory buildings and repairs to existing homes, plans go to the Development Coordinator, who checks the package is complete and routes it to the building, planning and stormwater reviewers. Multi-family and commercial projects follow the same route, and the Town asks you to talk to the coordinator before submitting.

Once the plans are approved, the contractor turns in the building permit application and, if needed, a business license application, then comes to Town Hall with Town and state licenses, pays, and leaves with the permit. Demolition of a building under 100,000 cubic feet skips plan review: apply at Town Hall with a Town business license.

• Residential or Commercial Building/Zoning Permit Application, with the contract value, tax map number and floodplain and covenant questions.
• Contractor / Subcontractor List, required before a building permit is issued.
• Permit Authorization Form (separate SC and NC versions) for someone pulling a permit on a contractor’s behalf.
• Owner/Builder Disclosure Statement, notarized and signed before two witnesses, for owners acting as their own builder.
• Commercial permits can be issued as a combined civil/building permit or as separate civil/site and building permits; a commercial building permit cannot be issued until the civil/site plan is approved.

Fort Mill building permit fees

Chapter 6 of the Town’s FY 2025-26 fee schedule (Appendix A), which carries over the FY 2024-25 building fees still linked from the Permitting page without change, prices building and sign permits on total valuation: the higher of the contract price or the value from the latest ICC square-foot construction cost table.

Worked example: a $300,000 valuation falls in the $100,001–$500,000 band, so the permit fee is $569 plus 200 × $4, or $1,369. Standard plan review adds 25% ($342.25). Plan review and revision fees are not refunded if the permit is cancelled.

New buildings also pay the Town’s development impact fee (schedule effective June 1, 2025): $2,963 for each single-family home or townhome ($1,562 parks and recreation, $526 fire protection, $875 municipal facilities and equipment) and $1,717 for each apartment or condominium. Commercial uses are charged per 1,000 sq ft by land-use category.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

Building & Codes issues the trade permits too. On a home, a licensed residential builder can take out one building permit that lists every mechanical, electrical, plumbing and gas subcontractor; otherwise each licensed trade contractor pulls a separate permit. Any subcontractor left off the list at issuance must get its own permit.

On commercial work the application form says each trade subcontractor takes out an individual electrical, mechanical, plumbing or gas permit. Quoting the general contractor’s permit number makes that trade permit free of charge; without it, the subcontractor pays the permit fee.

Homeowners can pull permits for work on their own residence except mechanical and gas installations. A homeowner may take an electrical permit only for maintenance on the home (not new construction) totaling less than $250; above that, a state-licensed electrician must do the work.

Application documents and plan review

Residential plans cannot enter review until every item on the Town’s checklist is in. Send one digital set, as separate PDF files to developmentcenter@fortmillsc.gov or on a CD or flash drive, plus one paper set for final hand stamping.

A standard review has no published turnaround; the express option is processed within 3 business days of a complete submittal for the extra fee shown above, and the Building Official can refuse express review for a complex project.

How to get a Fort Mill building permit

Inspections in Fort Mill

Requests received by 3 p.m. are inspected the next business day. Submit them through the online inspection request form or by email to inspections@fortmillsc.gov, with the contact name and phone number, Town permit number, address, subdivision lot number, contractor and type of inspection. Results are not given over the phone, and the contractor does not have to be present unless there is an access issue or a question to answer.

The Town’s FAQ sets out the residential sequence: footing (with a third-party approval letter for house footings on site), under-slab plumbing, water and sewer, slab, open floor, foundation wall, a single framing inspection covering all trade rough-ins, exterior sheathing, house wrap, gas piping, shower pan, insulation, duct leakage test, permanent power and the final. All utilities must be connected and the lot stabilized with seed or sod before the final.

Inspectors stop an inspection once they reach 4 disapproved items and do not write punch lists. Re-inspections cost $50, $75 and $100 for the first three on a home ($100, $150 and $200 on other buildings), and a repeat building final costs $150 ($300 non-residential). No Certificate of Occupancy is issued until re-inspection fees are paid.

A permit expires if no inspection is approved for 180 days. One extension is possible if you ask in writing before it lapses; an expired permit cannot be renewed and a new permit is needed.

Local Fort Mill details that matter

Jobsite set-up: before any inspection the address must be visible from the street, the Town permit and Town-stamped plans must be on site in an approved job box, silt fencing and a construction drive must be in place, and a portable toilet must be on site or within 300 feet.

Soils and third-party letters: owner-paid third-party soils inspections are required for footings of new homes, additions and attached porch, screen porch and patio covers. EIFS finishes need a third-party approval letter on site at the final.

School impact fee: a new home in the Fort Mill School District needs York County’s school impact receipt, or its exemption letter, before the Town will review the plans.

Owner-builders: the Town will not issue an owner-builder permit until you show that the owner-builder notice has been recorded with the York County Clerk of Court, at your expense.

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

Official Fort Mill permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Town of Fort Mill Building & Codes
• local permitting / planning instructions
• forms or supporting documents
• South Carolina Building Codes Council — code adoption
• Fort Mill Building & Codes FAQs
• Fort Mill forms, applications and checklists
• Fort Mill FY 2025-26 fee schedule (Chapter 6, building and codes)
• Fort Mill FY 2024-25 building fees
• Fort Mill development impact fee schedule (June 1, 2025)
• Fort Mill residential plan review checklist
• Fort Mill commercial construction document requirements

Fort Mill permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Fort Mill?

The Town of Fort Mill Building & Codes Department, at Town Hall, 205 N. White St. (803-547-2034), for property inside town limits. York County permits the unincorporated area around the town.

How much is a building permit in Fort Mill?

It depends on valuation: $25 up to $1,000, rising to $569 plus $4 per $1,000 above $100,000 for mid-size jobs, so $1,369 for a $300,000 project. Plan review adds 25% of that fee.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Fort Mill?

Not for a one-story detached shed of 200 sq ft or less at a home, but it still needs zoning approval and must be at least 5 ft from the side and rear property lines.

Do I need a permit to replace a roof, siding or windows?

Yes. Re-roofing, new siding and replacement windows are on the Town’s list of work that needs a permit.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Fort Mill?

Yes, for work on your own home, except mechanical and gas work. You must sign the Town’s owner-builder disclosure and record the owner-builder notice with the York County Clerk of Court first.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Use the online request form or email inspections@fortmillsc.gov by 3 p.m. for an inspection the next business day.

How fast is plan review?

The Town publishes no standard turnaround, but express review is processed within 3 business days for an extra fee ($200 for a house, duplex or accessory structure).

Simplify Fort Mill 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 Fort Mill permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.