Inside Fountain Inn city limits, building permits come from the City’s Planning & Development Department at 200 N Main Street (864-531-0644), and applications are filed online in iWorQ. Plan review costs half of the total permit fee, paid when you submit, and a new house also owes the City’s $3,137 impact fee when the permit is issued.
What needs a permit in Fountain Inn?
The City’s code requires the property owner to get a permit before any building is begun, and separate written permits for electrical and plumbing work. Fountain Inn’s permit application covers demolition, building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, grading, solar, swimming pools, fire alarms and fire sprinklers.
Permit needed
- New buildings, additions and alterations
- Wiring a building, altering wiring or increasing the electrical load
- Connecting plumbing to a City water or sewer line, installing fixtures or adding to existing plumbing
- Opening a business in a commercial space (Commercial Occupancy Permit)
- New mobile homes
City code exceptions
- Ordinary minor plumbing repairs, as long as they meet the code
- A homeowner may wire his or her own home without a licensed electrician, but still needs the permit, inspections and fees
Who issues building permits in Fountain Inn?
Planning & Development handles permits and inspections for the whole city, which lies partly in Greenville County and partly in Laurens County. Land outside the city limits is permitted by Greenville County or Laurens County, depending on the parcel. Jason Knudsen is the Director of Planning and Development.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Fountain Inn Planning & Development |
| Address | 200 N Main Street, Fountain Inn, SC 29644 |
| Main phone | 864-531-0644 |
| Inspections line | 864-409-3334 |
| planning.development@fountaininn.org | |
| Online filing | iWorQ citizen portal |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →In January 2026 the City asked for qualified firms to serve as its contract Building Official, covering residential and commercial plan review, building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and energy code inspections, and certificates of occupancy. Applications still go to the City.
Fountain Inn permit types and the iWorQ portal
The iWorQ citizen portal has three applicant tools: a Building Permit application, a Commercial Occupancy Permit application, and a permit search that lets you upload files to an existing permit and request inspections. Residential and commercial jobs use the same building permit form; answer every question, entering N/A or 0 where a field does not apply. Keep each uploaded file under 25 MB.
A business may not legally open in a commercial space until its Commercial Occupancy Permit is issued. Grading on a development site needs a land disturbance permit from the appropriate county, and a copy goes in with a new-home submittal.
Fountain Inn permit fees
The City’s FY 2026–2027 fee schedule (Exhibit B to the budget, final version dated June 8, 2026) is the current one. Its building permit table, unchanged from the year before, prices a permit on the total valuation of the work, and plan review adds half of the total permit fees.
| Valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $0 to $2,000 | $40, including 1 inspection |
| $2,001 to $15,000 | $40 plus $7 per extra $1,000 or fraction |
| $15,001 to $50,000 | $132 for the first $15,000 plus $6 per extra $1,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $324 for the first $50,000 plus $4 per extra $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $524 for the first $100,000 plus $3.50 per extra $1,000 |
| Over $500,000 | $1,723.50 for the first $500,000 plus $2.50 per extra $1,000 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Worked example: a $300,000 house pays $524 plus 200 × $3.50, or $1,224, and plan review adds $612, so $1,836 before the impact fee.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plan review | Half of the total permit fees, due at submittal |
| Second re-inspection | $40 |
| Work started before the permit | Permit fees doubled |
| Demolition | $75 residential / $125 commercial; $500 if the final inspection is not scheduled |
| Moving a building | $125 |
| Reinstating an expired permit | The base permit fee for each trade, plus plan review if needed |
| Occupancy inspection (no permitted work) | $75 commercial building; $250 new mobile home; $50 re-inspection |
| Inspection card not posted (City code) | $20 |
Impact fees, set by Ordinance 2025-01 and collected when the building permit is issued, fund parks, police and fire facilities. Parks fees started on July 1, 2025 and police and fire fees on January 1, 2026.
| Land use | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single-family home | $3,137 per unit |
| Multi-family | $2,678 per unit |
| Commercial or retail | $2,889 per 1,000 sq ft |
| Office | $1,282 per 1,000 sq ft |
| Institutional | $1,763 per 1,000 sq ft |
| Industrial | $576 per 1,000 sq ft |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are part of the same City application. On a new home the builder lists each subcontractor with its South Carolina licence number, and every contractor on the job needs a City of Fountain Inn business license.
The City code adds two local rules. If electrical work has to start on a holiday or after City offices close, the electrician must get the permit before 10:00 a.m. on the next business day. Anyone connecting to a City water or sewer line, or adding fixtures, must first get a plumbing permit from the City.
Documents for a new house
The City’s Single-Family Residential Plan Review Requirements list what to submit. Submittals with conflicting or incomplete information are not considered, and the permit is issued only after review is complete.
- E-911 address, tax map number and the recorded plat (plat book and page)
- One electronic set of plans: foundation, floor plans, elevations, sections and details, and an electrical plan, with a full code summary
- Site plan showing easements, lot dimensions, setbacks, the house location and any flood zone
- The builder’s South Carolina residential builder or general contractor licence and contact details
- Subcontractor list with licence numbers
- City business licenses for all contractors
- REWA sewer impact fee receipt or permit number, the Greenville Water receipt and, where it applies, the Metro receipt
- REScheck energy compliance report and a project-specific Manual J HVAC design
- The county land disturbance permit, if one was needed
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →The City code also requires the contractor or owner to hand in a certificate of liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence by the time the permit is issued.
How to apply in Fountain Inn
Fountain Inn crosses the Greenville and Laurens county line, so check that the address is inside city limits before you file with the City.
Get the REWA sewer, Greenville Water and any Metro receipts, plus a county land disturbance permit if the site needs one.
Every contractor and subcontractor working on the job must hold one.
Complete the Building Permit application, upload plans and documents under 25 MB each, and pay the plan review fee of half the permit cost.
Pay the balance and any impact fee, and post the inspection card on site.
Request each inspection through the iWorQ permit search or by calling 864-409-3334.
Inspections in Fountain Inn
Find the permit with the iWorQ permit search and use Request An Inspection, or call the inspections line at 864-409-3334. Keep the inspection card posted at the job: failing to post it costs $20 under the City’s fee schedule.
The fee schedule charges $40 for a second re-inspection. Occupancy inspections of buildings with no permitted work cost $75 for a commercial building and $250 for a new mobile home, and if a fourth review is needed the charge rises to $500 commercial or $100 residential.
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
Fountain Inn permit search and official resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Fountain Inn iWorQ permit portal
- Fountain Inn single-family residential plan review requirements
- Fountain Inn commercial building permits
- Fountain Inn impact fees
- Fountain Inn Planning and Development
- Fountain Inn Code of Ordinances (fee schedule in Appendix C)
- Fountain Inn FY 2026–2027 fee schedule
Fountain Inn permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Fountain Inn?
The City of Fountain Inn Planning & Development Department, 200 N Main Street, for all property inside city limits in both Greenville and Laurens counties.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How do I apply for a building permit in Fountain Inn?
Through the City’s iWorQ citizen portal, using the Building Permit application. Residential and commercial projects use the same form.
How much is a building permit in Fountain Inn?
It depends on the valuation: $40 up to $2,000, $324 at $50,000 and $524 at $100,000, with plan review adding half of the permit fees at submittal.
What is the impact fee for a new house in Fountain Inn?
$3,137 per single-family home, collected when the building permit is issued. Multi-family units pay $2,678.
Can a homeowner do his or her own electrical work?
Yes, on the home they live in, but the City code still requires the permit, inspections and fees.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Use Request An Inspection in the iWorQ permit search, or call 864-409-3334.
What happens if I start work without a permit?
The City doubles the permit fees.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Fountain Inn permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.