Richland County Building Permitting and Inspections permits the unincorporated county from Development Services on Hampton Street, with a One-Call Response Center staffed 24 hours.
This Richland County building permit guide covers what requires a permit, the Development Services centre, the 24-hour One-Call Response Center, the four municipalities that permit their own work, and the state approvals that gate close-out.
Scope: unincorporated Richland County. Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes and Blythewood permit their own work.
Richland publishes a 24-hour line. The One-Call Response Center on 803-929-6000 is staffed around the clock — unusual in South Carolina permitting, and the right number for an out-of-hours site issue rather than waiting for the department to open.
What requires a permit in Richland County?
Building Permitting and Inspections issues permits for unincorporated Richland County through the county's Development Services centre at 2020 Hampton Street in Columbia, first floor. The department describes its remit as protecting communities by ensuring homes, businesses and public spaces are safe and up to code.
Four municipalities inside Richland County permit their own work — Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes and Blythewood. Columbia is the significant one: the state capital runs its own Development Center as a single point of entry with its own Access portal, its own building-versus-trade permit distinction, and its own historic and design district review. A Columbia postal address covers a great deal of unincorporated county.
Richland also runs a One-Call Response Center on 803-929-6000, staffed 24 hours. On a site problem outside office hours — a failed shoring, a hazard, an emergency utility issue — that is the number, and very few South Carolina counties publish a round-the-clock line at all.
The enforced code is the South Carolina Building Codes — the International Codes as adopted with South Carolina modifications by the South Carolina Building Codes Council under S.C. Code Ann. § 6-9-50, then administered and enforced locally. South Carolina is mid-changeover. The codes in force today are the 2021 South Carolina Building Codes, effective 1 January 2023. On 26 August 2025 the Building Codes Council adopted the next cycle — the 2024 editions of the International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, together with the 2023 National Electrical Code — and set the implementation date for every municipality and county as 1 January 2027. Design to the 2021 codes for a permit pulled now; design to the 2024 codes for anything that will be applied for after the turn.
Permit required
- New construction, additions, alterations, and demolition
- Structural changes to an existing building
- Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and gas work
- Change of use or occupancy
- Accessory structures above the local threshold
- Manufactured home placement
- Land development work, reviewed through Development Services
Typically exempt
- Painting, flooring, and cosmetic finishes
- Routine maintenance not altering structure or a regulated system
- Work inside Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes, or Blythewood
- Like-for-like replacements not modifying a regulated system
Richland County building department: who handles permitting
Development Services brings the county's permitting, land development and inspection functions together on Hampton Street, with a documented step-by-step process covering the building inspection stage. Permits and land development requirements are published together, which is the right structure for projects that need both.
Septic is a state approval and the agency name has changed. Onsite wastewater is permitted by SCDES under Regulation 61-56. One naming point that trips up older paperwork: the combined state health and environment agency no longer exists. On 1 July 2024 it was split into the Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), which took the environmental programmes including onsite wastewater and coastal management, and the Department of Public Health (DPH). Permits issued by the predecessor agency before that date remain valid and are updated at renewal or modification, but anything issued from 1 July 2024 onward comes from SCDES. Forms, county handouts and third-party sites still naming the old agency are stale.
Where there is no public or community sewer, the septic approval gates the building permit outright — SCDES states plainly that without its permits your county will not be able to issue a building permit. Onsite wastewater systems are permitted under Regulation 61-56, installers are licensed by SCDES in three tiers, and a final inspection (or a licensed installer's self-inspection filed within two business days) is required before the system is covered and an Approval to Operate is issued.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Richland County Building Permitting and Inspections |
| Development Services | 2020 Hampton Street, 1st Floor, Columbia, SC 29204 |
| One-Call Response Center | 803-929-6000, 24 hours |
| Covers | Unincorporated Richland County |
| Cities running their own | Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes, Blythewood |
| Septic | SCDES approval under Regulation 61-56 |
| Land development | Reviewed alongside permitting through Development Services |
| Code | 2021 South Carolina Building Codes; 2024 editions from 1 January 2027 |
📞|Richland publishes a 24-hour line. The One-Call Response Center on 803-929-6000 is staffed around the clock. That is unusual in South Carolina permitting, and it is the right number for an out-of-hours site issue rather than waiting for the department to open.
Richland County permits: record types and what each covers
Richland County issues the following records through Development Services, with land development review running alongside where it applies:
Residential permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | New dwellings, additions, and accessory structures above the local size threshold | Full plan review against the adopted South Carolina Residential Code, plus zoning | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural changes, layout changes, or added plumbing, mechanical, or electrical | Plan review scaled to scope; the property maintenance and existing-building provisions apply only where locally adopted by ordinance | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Roof covering replacement, recover, and structural deck repair | Dry-in and deck inspection; plan review rarely required | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Rooftop or ground-mount arrays, with or without battery storage | Electrical review led, with structural review of the attachment | Flat or system-size based |
| Battery energy storage | Wall or floor-mounted storage added to a dwelling | Electrical review plus fire separation and location check | Flat or per-permit minimum |
| Electrical | Service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, EV chargers, and rewiring | Trade review; filed under a mechanical contractor holding the Electrical subclassification | Per-permit minimum or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, fixtures, gas piping, and water heater replacement | Trade review under a mechanical contractor holding Plumbing | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Changeouts, new ductwork, and refrigeration | Trade review under Air Conditioning, Heating, or Refrigeration subclassifications | Per-permit minimum or per-unit |
| Deck and porch | New decks, screened porches, and structural rebuilds | Structural review of footings, ledger attachment, and guards | Valuation or flat |
| Swimming pool | In-ground and above-ground pools, including residential pools | Barrier, bonding, and electrical review; residential pool work now requires a Swimming Pools subclassification or a Residential Builder licence | Valuation or flat |
| Manufactured home set-up | Placing or re-siting a manufactured home | Zoning, floodplain, and anchoring review; filed by an LLR-licensed contractor | Flat or per-unit |
| Demolition | Full or partial demolition of a dwelling or accessory structure | Utility disconnect confirmation and site restoration check | Flat |
Commercial permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New commercial construction | Ground-up commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings | Concurrent review against the adopted South Carolina Building Code, fire, and zoning | Valuation-based |
| Tenant improvement / upfit | Interior fit-out of an existing tenant space | Building, trade, and life-safety review; accessibility attaches on change of use | Valuation-based |
| Change of occupancy | Converting a building or space to a different use group | Occupancy classification, egress, and accessibility review | Valuation or flat |
| Commercial electrical | Service, distribution, and branch circuit work | Trade review under a mechanical contractor holding Electrical | Per-permit or valuation |
| Commercial plumbing | Process piping, fixtures, backflow, and grease waste | Trade review; backflow and grease interceptor sign-off where applicable | Per-fixture or valuation |
| Commercial mechanical | Rooftop units, kitchen exhaust and hood systems, and refrigeration | Trade review; kitchen exhaust and hood systems sit under Packaged Equipment | Per-unit or valuation |
| Commercial reroof | Roof covering replacement on a commercial structure | Deck, dry-in, and attachment inspection | Valuation or squares |
| Signage | Wall, ground, and illuminated signs | Zoning review for size and placement, plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Land disturbance | Clearing, grading, and stormwater-triggering site work | Erosion and sediment control review, separate from the building permit | Acreage-based |
| Commercial demolition | Full or partial demolition of a commercial structure | Utility disconnect, asbestos notification, and site restoration | Flat or valuation |
Residential
- Single-discipline review in most cases
- Trade records filed separately under Title 40 Chapter 11 licences regardless of job value
- Residential builder licence required above the statutory threshold; residential specialty above a much lower one
- Septic properties need SCDES approval before the county can issue
Commercial — multi-discipline
- Concurrent review across building, trades, fire, and zoning
- Signed and sealed plans across every affected discipline
- Licence group caps the value of a single bid or job, separately from the permit
- Accessibility and life-safety review attach to any change of occupancy
Records you will actually see in Richland County
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential building permit | New homes, additions, and alterations |
| Commercial building permit | Commercial construction and tenant work |
| Trade permits | Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and gas |
| Change of occupancy | Converting a building to a different use |
| Land development | Reviewed through Development Services |
| Manufactured home permit | Placement and set-up |
| Demolition permit | Full or partial demolition |
Solar permits in Richland County
Solar is reviewed on two tracks at once across South Carolina: the electrical side (conductors, overcurrent protection, rapid shutdown, labelling, and the service or supply-side connection, against the adopted National Electrical Code) and the structural side (attachment detail, rail spacing, and whether the existing framing carries the added dead load).
Solar in unincorporated Richland County is filed through Development Services as electrical work. Check the municipal position first, because Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes and Blythewood all permit their own. Confirm which classifications your installer actually holds before the application is filed, because a single rooftop array can cross the general contractor Miscellaneous Metals subclassification for the panels, Roofing or Building for the mounting, and a mechanical contractor holding Electrical for the wiring and connections.
The licensing split is the part that catches installers. South Carolina puts solar panel installation under the general contractor Miscellaneous Metals subclassification, but roof mounting may only be performed by a general contractor holding Roofing or Building, and wiring and connections may only be performed by a mechanical contractor holding Electrical. Structural upgrading of the roof to carry the array goes to a general contractor with Building or Structural Framing. One array, potentially three licences.
Utility interconnection runs on its own clock alongside the permit. Dominion Energy South Carolina, Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress, Santee Cooper and the state's electric cooperatives each set their own application, meter, and witness-test sequence. Permission to operate is not something the building department controls, so plan for the two tracks to finish at different times.
Roofing permits in Richland County
A roof covering replacement needs a permit across most of South Carolina. The permit is usually quick, but it is not optional, and the inspection that matters happens before the covering goes on rather than after.
Because South Carolina enforces a statewide adopted code, there is no state product-approval database to search and no approval number to cite on the application. The assembly has to comply with the adopted code and the manufacturer's listed installation instructions, and that pairing is what the inspector checks — which makes the manufacturer's instructions a document worth having on site.
A reroof in unincorporated Richland County is filed through Development Services on Hampton Street, with out-of-hours site issues going to the 24-hour One-Call Response Center. Roofing is its own general contractor subclassification in South Carolina, and it absorbed the former General Roofing and Specialty Roofing classifications, so an older pocket card can read differently from the current licence record — check the LLR verification lookup rather than the card alone.
Sequencing is where reroofs go wrong. The deck and dry-in condition has to be visible when the inspector arrives, so covering it first means opening it back up. Where a previous layer has been torn off, expect attention to deck fastening and to any sheathing replaced along the eaves.
Richland County permit cost
Richland County permit fees follow the county schedule and scale with the type and valuation of the work, with trade permits charged as their own records. Applications and land development submissions run through Development Services.
On a property not served by sewer, budget the SCDES onsite wastewater application as a separate cost on a separate timeline — the state approval is needed before the county can issue. Confirm current county fee amounts before budgeting.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Per county fee schedule, by type and valuation |
| Trade permits | Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas charged separately |
| Septic | SCDES permit with its own fee and timeline |
| Land development | Reviewed through Development Services |
| Municipal work | Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes and Blythewood charge their own |
| Payment | Through Development Services |
Want a precise number for a specific Richland County project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Richland County trade permits
Electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas work each need their own permit and a South Carolina licensed contractor. Four Richland County specifics:
Settle city or county first
Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes and Blythewood permit their own work, and the unincorporated county surrounds all four. The parcel decides.
Septic comes from the state
Onsite wastewater is permitted by SCDES under Regulation 61-56, and the approval is needed before the county can issue on a property not served by sewer.
Use the 24-hour line for site issues
The One-Call Response Center on 803-929-6000 is staffed around the clock, which is the right route for an out-of-hours problem.
Work from Development Services
The county publishes its permitting and land development requirements together, so a project needing both should be scoped against both from the outset.
Richland County permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Richland County, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.
Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes and Blythewood permit their own work. Richland County covers the unincorporated county surrounding them.
On a property not on sewer, the SCDES onsite wastewater permit under Regulation 61-56 is required before the county can issue. It runs on its own timeline.
Development Services publishes permitting and land development requirements together. Where a project needs both, scope them at the same time.
Applications go through the county's Development Services centre at 2020 Hampton Street, first floor.
Fees follow the county schedule, with trade permits filed and charged as their own records.
Keep the permit and approved plans on site through to Certificate of Occupancy, and use the 24-hour One-Call line for out-of-hours site issues.
Inspections in Richland County
Richland County publishes a step-by-step process covering the building inspection stage, with inspections following the adopted code sequence through footing and foundation, trade rough-ins, framing, insulation and final.
The septic sign-off is a state gate, not a county one. Onsite wastewater systems are permitted by SCDES, installers are licensed by SCDES in three tiers, and a final inspection — or a licensed installer's self-inspection filed within two business days — is required before the system is covered and an Approval to Operate is issued.
The county's adopted codes change on 1 January 2027, when the 2024 editions and the 2023 National Electrical Code take effect statewide. Work does not get re-reviewed against a code that arrived mid-project. Where a completed building permit application was approved before the implementation date, the work may be completed and inspected under the code in effect when the original permit was issued. The date that matters is the approval of a complete application — an incomplete one sitting in the queue on 31 December 2026 does not hold the old code.
Keep the permit and approved plans on site throughout, and treat the SCDES wastewater approval as a gate rather than a formality.
Richland County permit search and official resources
Richland County publishes its permitting, land development and inspection guidance through Development Services, with four municipalities publishing separately.
- Richland County Building Permitting and Inspections
- Richland County building permits
- Development Services step-by-step inspection process
- City of Columbia Planning and Development
- SCDES septic and onsite wastewater
- SC LLR licence verification
- SC Building Codes Council
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in unincorporated Richland County, SC?
Richland County Building Permitting and Inspections, through the county's Development Services centre at 2020 Hampton Street in Columbia, first floor.
Which cities permit their own work in Richland County?
Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes and Blythewood. The unincorporated county surrounds all four, and a Columbia postal address covers a great deal of county rather than city.
Is there an out-of-hours number?
Yes. Richland County publishes a One-Call Response Center on 803-929-6000, staffed 24 hours — unusual for South Carolina permitting.
Who approves septic in Richland County?
The SC Department of Environmental Services, under Regulation 61-56. SCDES states plainly that without its permits your county will not be able to issue a building permit.
My paperwork names the old health and environment agency — is that current?
No. The combined agency was split on 1 July 2024, with its environmental programmes including onsite wastewater and coastal management moving to SCDES, and public health to DPH. Permits issued before that date remain valid and are updated at renewal or modification.
What is the contractor licensing threshold in South Carolina?
Greater than ten thousand dollars in total cost of construction for general and mechanical contracting, under S.C. Code Ann. section 40-11-30. That figure rose from five thousand dollars under H.4115 in 2023.
Are the residential thresholds different?
Yes, and they did not change. Residential building is five thousand dollars and residential specialty five hundred dollars, under the Residential Builders Commission rather than the Contractor's Licensing Board.
Does a licence group limit what I can bid?
Yes. Each licensee sits in one of five groups, and the group caps the value of a single bid or job. Group placement is set by working capital, net worth, or a surety bond in the same amount.
How does land development review work?
Richland County publishes permitting and land development requirements together through Development Services, so a project needing both should be scoped against both at the outset.
Which building code does Richland County enforce?
The South Carolina Building Codes — the International Codes as adopted with South Carolina modifications by the SC Building Codes Council, then administered and enforced locally. The 2021 editions are in force now.
When do the 2024 codes take effect?
1 January 2027. The Council adopted the 2024 editions and the 2023 National Electrical Code in August 2025 and set that implementation date for every county and municipality.
Will my current permit be affected by the code change?
Where a completed building permit application was approved before the implementation date, the work may be completed and inspected under the code in effect when the original permit was issued. An incomplete application in the queue does not hold the old code.
Simplify Richland County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Richland's boundary picture is the practical problem — four municipalities inside a county whose postal addresses give no clue which applies.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21 years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Richland County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- Right authority — unincorporated county or one of four municipalities, resolved from the parcel rather than a Columbia address.
- State approvals opened early — the SCDES wastewater application started ahead of the county submission where the property is not on sewer.
- Land development scoped with the permit — both requirements assessed together rather than sequentially.
- Complete oversight — every Richland permit and inspection tracked across your jobs in one place.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and expediting service in South Carolina. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, and we are not the permitting authority.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Richland County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.