Port Royal, South Carolina Building Permit Guide

Building permits inside the Town of Port Royal come from the Town’s Building Department at Town Hall, 700 Paris Avenue, not from Beaufort County. You file the Town’s 2026 residential or commercial permit package in person, by mail or to permits@portroyal.org; every permit carries a $30 non-refundable filing fee, and inspections called in before 4 p.m. are requested for the next day.

What requires a permit in Port Royal?

The Town’s permit FAQ says a permit is needed for most work and improvements, and that any owner or contractor putting up a new building or altering an existing one needs one. The residential and commercial applications list the work types the Building Department permits.

Occupying a building before the Certificate of Occupancy is issued is a violation, and the Town says it will fine you.

Port Royal building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department reviews and issues permits for property inside Port Royal town limits and carries out the inspections itself; Beaufort County’s permit process does not apply to parcels in the Town. Permits are handled by the Permits Administrator. Site development, design review, historic preservation, signs, trees, encroachments and zoning questions go to the Town’s Planning Department in the same building.

Port Royal permit packages and forms

There is no online portal. The Building Department posts two scanned 2026 packages: one for residential work and one for commercial work. Each starts with an application asking for the parcel ID, zoning district, the contractor’s South Carolina and Port Royal licence numbers, total project cost, new and impervious square footage, and whether water and sewer come from BJWSA or a well and septic tank. The commercial form adds the flood zone, required elevation and occupancy classification.

• Statement of Understanding by Prime Contractor: the prime contractor gives the Town the name, address and contract amount of every subcontractor, and files an updated list before asking for permanent power or the final inspection.
• Subcontractors List: each trade with its state licence and Port Royal business licence number and expiry date.
• Homeowner as Builder: Beaufort County’s Unlicensed Residential Builder’s Disclosure Statement, notarised and recorded with the County Register of Deeds with the legal description ($25 filing fee). The home must be for your own use or occupancy.
• Separate Town applications for fences, demolition, tree removal, mobile home authorization and credit card payment.

Port Royal permit cost

The fee schedule printed in the Town’s 2026 permit packages is Ordinance 2015-20. All fees are paid in advance, at application, and the building permit is priced on the value of the work. If the Building Official thinks a valuation is too low, he sets the value himself from current International Building Code data.

Starting work before the permit is issued doubles the permit fee. A refund returns what you paid minus the plan checking fee and a $30 administration fee; there is no refund on a permit fee under $50, or once six months have passed since issuance without construction starting (unless the Building Official has granted more time).

Beaufort County impact fees: the residential package also prints Beaufort County’s development impact fee tables with the North Beaufort County service-area columns highlighted. Each fee is set by the size of the housing unit:

Port Royal trade permits

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work is marked on the same Town application as the building work, and each trade is listed on the Subcontractors List. Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical contractors need a Port Royal business licence as well as the right state licence; the Town FAQ notes that any gas work, including putting pressure on a gas line, needs a mechanical plumbing or HVAC contractor licence.

The Town’s inspection report covers each trade separately: electrical temporary service, rough-in, permanent service and final; plumbing underground, rough-in, stackout and final; mechanical rough-in and final; gas rough-in, meter release and final; and fire alarm and sprinkler rough and final for commercial jobs.

Application documents for Port Royal

One set of plans comes back with the Building Official’s notes and must stay on the construction site. The permit expires if work has not started within 6 months of issuance or no inspection has taken place for 180 days.

Port Royal permit application: how to apply step by step

Inspections in Port Royal

Call the inspection line, 843-986-2236, before 4 p.m. to ask for an inspection the next day. Give the permit number, the address, the type of inspection and the date you need it.

The Town’s Inspections Required checklist (revised October 2024) runs from site plan, compaction and termite reports, footing and the under-construction survey and floor certificate, through slab or elevated floor, nailing, hurricane straps and windows, to an updated subcontractor list before rough-in. Framing is inspected only after all mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-ins have passed, followed by fire stopping, insulation, the after-construction flood certificate and survey, and the final for the Certificate of Occupancy.

A $50 re-inspection fee can be charged when the address is wrong, corrections have not been made or the work is not ready, and it must be paid before you request the re-inspection.

Local Port Royal details that matter

Form-based development code: zoning in Port Royal is set by The Port Royal Code, the Town’s development code. Planning staff support the Planning Commission, Design Review Board, Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals and Historic Preservation Committee, and publish a historic landmark list.

Trees: the Town has a 2024 tree ordinance, and site plans must show existing trees by size and species. A tree permit costs $20 for a single-family lot or $100 for commercial property, plus $100 per tree or site where a tree is 36 inches DBH or larger.

Mobile homes: get a Mobile Home Authorization form from Planning and Zoning, take it with the title work to Beaufort County Building Codes for a moving permit sticker, then apply for the Town permit. The home must sit on a permanent foundation, with a foundation plan, and have a roofed front porch.

Flood certificates: the Town’s checklist includes an under-construction floor certificate and an after-construction flood certificate, each paired with a survey.

Signs and encroachments: sign permits cost $50 ($25 for a temporary sign, no fee for non-profits), and work in the right-of-way needs the Town’s encroachment permit.

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

Port Royal permit search and official resources

• Official source: Port Royal Building Department
• Residential Building Permit Package 2026
• Commercial Building Permit Application Packet 2026
• Homeowner as builder disclosure form
• Port Royal building permit FAQs
• Port Royal Planning Department and forms
• The Port Royal Code (development code)

Frequently asked questions

Who issues building permits in Port Royal?

The Town of Port Royal Building Department at Town Hall, 700 Paris Avenue. It also does the inspections and issues the Certificate of Occupancy.

How much is a building permit in Port Royal?

Every permit has a $30 filing fee. Work valued from $1,001 to $50,000 is $40 for the first $1,000 plus $6 per additional $1,000, with lower rates per $1,000 in higher bands, and a home adds a plan checking fee of 10% of the permit fee.

Can I apply by email?

Yes. Send the completed package to permits@portroyal.org, or mail it to PO Drawer 9 or bring it to Town Hall.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Port Royal?

Yes, if you own and live in the home and do the work yourself. You record Beaufort County’s Unlicensed Residential Builder’s Disclosure Statement with the Register of Deeds and submit it with the application.

Do I need a permit to replace cabinets or flooring?

No. The Town lists painting, doors, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops and similar finish work as not needing a permit.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 843-986-2236 before 4 p.m. for a next-day inspection, with the permit number, address, inspection type and date needed.

When does a Port Royal permit expire?

If work has not begun within 6 months of issuance, or if 180 days pass without an inspection.

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