Building permits in the Town of Mount Pleasant — the large coastal town across the Cooper River from Charleston — are issued by the Building Inspection Division, an IAS-accredited department, through the Town's OPAL (Oracle Permitting and Licensing) one-stop-shop portal.
This Mount Pleasant building permit guide covers what requires a permit, how fees work, the OPAL process, the BPAS allocation system, trade permits, and inspections — so your Mount Pleasant project starts clean.
Mount Pleasant is a Town, primarily in Charleston County (extending into Berkeley County). New residential construction is subject to the Building Permit Allocation System (BPAS), requires proof of paid water tap fees before the new-home permit, and (since March 1, 2023) requires confirmation from Mount Pleasant Waterworks (MPW) that a permanent water meter is installed before final inspections on some permits.
What requires a building permit in Mount Pleasant?
Under the South Carolina building codes (the International Codes as adopted with South Carolina modifications by the South Carolina Building Codes Council, then locally administered and enforced), a permit is required before you construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of most structures and systems. Common triggers include:
Permit required
- New construction, additions, and renovations
- Structural / load-bearing alterations and demolition
- Reroofing, windows, doors, and exterior changes
- Electrical service changes and most wiring alterations
- Mechanical / HVAC installations and changeouts
- Plumbing alterations, repipes, and water heaters
- Decks, pools, accessory structures, and signs
- Change of occupancy or use
Typically exempt
- Painting, flooring, cabinetry, and cosmetic work
- Like-for-like fixture/device swaps by a licensed contractor
- Routine maintenance not altering structure or systems
- Small projects expressly exempt by code (confirm first)
Exemptions are narrow and scope-specific. When unsure, confirm with the building department before starting — see the penalty note below.
Get the permit issued before starting work. Building without one exposes the owner to penalties and stop-work orders. Every permit becomes invalid if work doesn't commence within 180 days of issuance, or after 180 days of inactivity (the Building Official may grant 180-day extensions).
Who handles permitting in Mount Pleasant?
Plan review and inspections run through the Building Inspection Division, which reviews construction plans for all residential and commercial development and issues Certificates of Occupancy or Completion. Note that the Town does not provide a CO with conditions (no temporary COs).
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 100 Ann Edwards Lane, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 |
| Phone | 843-884-5184; BuildingInspectionsDivision@tompsc.com |
| Online portal | OPAL (Oracle Permitting and Licensing) — registration required |
| New homes | BPAS allocation + paid water tap fees + MPW meter before finals |
| Payment | VISA/MC via portal; cash/check at counter |
| Enforced code | 2021 SC code adoptions (eff. Jan 1, 2023) |
Apply through OPAL. Register with an email address, then submit permit and planning applications, upload PDF plans, track requests through review, and pay multiple items in one transaction. If a property doesn't display, the address must first be created in OPAL via an address request. Plan review fees are due upon application acceptance; building permit and business license fees are due at issuance.
Mount Pleasant building permit cost
Mount Pleasant building permit fees are valuation-based, using the ICC Building Valuation Tables and the Town fee schedules, with separate trade permit fees.
Plan review fees are due upon application acceptance (before review begins); building permit and business license fees are due at issuance. New homes also require paid water tap fees. Confirm current amounts before budgeting.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit fee | Valuation-based (ICC Building Valuation Tables) |
| Plan review fee | Due upon application acceptance |
| Trade permits (E / P / M / gas) | Same-day if attached to a master permit |
| Water tap fees | Paid before a new-home permit issues |
| Payment | VISA/MC via OPAL; cash/check at counter |
| Work-without-permit | Penalties and possible stop-work orders |
Want a precise number for a specific Mount Pleasant project? Send us the scope and valuation and we'll return a fee estimate alongside a filing timeline.
Mount Pleasant trade permits
Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and gas work needs its own permit and a South Carolina-licensed contractor; trade permits are issued by Front Office staff and are typically same-day when attached to a master permit.
Electrical permits
Required for service upgrades, panels, solar PV, and most wiring, performed by a SC-licensed electrical contractor.
Plumbing permits
Required for new plumbing, repipes, water heaters, fixtures, and gas piping, performed by a SC-licensed plumbing contractor.
Mechanical (HVAC) permits
Required for HVAC changeouts, ductwork, and refrigeration, performed by a SC-licensed mechanical contractor. Specialized systems are permitted and inspected separately.
Miscellaneous & specialty
Reroofs, decks, pools, accessory structures, and signs are permitted separately. Projects may also involve flood elevation certificates, tree mitigation, planning, fire, and MPW approvals, and revised plan sheets must be uploaded with clouded or bubbled changes.
Verify your contractor's license. South Carolina licenses commercial general and mechanical contractors through the SC Contractor's Licensing Board, and residential builders, residential specialty contractors, and home inspectors through the SC Residential Builders Commission — both under the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR). A license is generally required once the value of the work exceeds $5,000 (S.C. Code 40-11-260 for commercial/mechanical; the Residential Home Builders Act for residential). Verify before signing; the property owner is responsible for ensuring a permit is obtained.
How to get a building permit in Mount Pleasant
Confirm jurisdiction & register
Confirm the parcel is in the Town of Mount Pleasant and register in OPAL (create the address first if needed).
Prepare your documents
Assemble the application, PDF plans, site plan, and SC license documentation; for new homes, confirm BPAS allocation and water tap fees.
Submit in OPAL
Apply online and upload plans; the system acknowledges receipt, then staff complete a completeness review.
Plan review & corrections
Pay the plan review fee on acceptance; upload clouded revisions through the permit attachments and resolve comments.
Pay fees & pull the permit
Pay building permit and business license fees at issuance, then keep posted/stamped plans on site.
Schedule inspections through close-out
Request inspections through OPAL or by phone (8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; no after-hours). For some permits, confirm the MPW permanent meter before final inspections, then request the CO.
Inspections in Mount Pleasant
Request inspections through OPAL or by phone at 843-884-5184; inspections run 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, with no after-hours service. For some construction permits, a permanent MPW water meter must be confirmed installed before building final inspections. Typical checkpoints include footing, rough-in MEP, framing, insulation, and final.
Certificates of Occupancy or Completion may be requested after all required inspections pass; the Town does not issue a CO with conditions (no temporary COs).
Official Mount Pleasant permitting resources
- 🏛️ Town of Mount Pleasant Building Inspection
- 💻 OPAL portal & how to apply
- 📋 Permits & trade permits
- 🪪 SC Contractor's Licensing Board (LLR)
- 📘 SC Building Codes Council
- 🧮 Inspections information
Simplify Mount Pleasant permitting with Alliance Permitting
Mount Pleasant's OPAL workflow, BPAS allocation, water-tap/MPW sequencing, and no-temporary-CO policy reward applicants who line up prerequisites and submit complete packages. Alliance Permitting is a permit expediter for Mount Pleasant — our permit expediting services pair AI-driven document review with experts who know the Building Inspection Division and OPAL process, so your Mount Pleasant submissions move faster.
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Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Mount Pleasant because we deliver:
- Local expertise — we know the Town of Mount Pleasant Building Inspection Division, OPAL, and the BPAS / water-tap sequencing.
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Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company: we prepare your paperwork, file it correctly, and coordinate with the building department through issuance — including preparing private-provider documentation where that option is available. We are not a contractor and do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your team and the jurisdiction.
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Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Mount Pleasant permits while you stay focused on building. Get a free, no-obligation quote today.
More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general informational purposes and reflects publicly available information believed accurate as of June 2026. Permit requirements, fees, and processes change; always confirm current details with the Town of Mount Pleasant Building Inspection Division before filing. This is not legal advice.