In unincorporated Saluda County, building and trade permits are issued by Saluda County Building Codes at 400 W Highland Avenue, Saluda (864-445-4500 ext. 2272), whose permit technician and Building Official work for SAFEbuilt. Applications are paper forms with plans accepted as PDFs, and the fee runs from $50 for work valued at $5,000 or less, on a valuation scale in effect since September 2018.
What requires a permit in Saluda County?
The County’s building codes notice sets the local triggers. Building codes have been enforced in Saluda County since 2000, and work started without a permit can bring penalties or fines.
Permit required
- New homes, modular homes and commercial buildings
- Additions, remodels, decks and porches, and any change to an existing structure that is not cosmetic
- Free-standing structures over 200 sq ft on a residential lot or over 120 sq ft on a commercial lot, including metal carports, greenhouses and membrane structures
- Any temporary structure
- Anything with electrical, mechanical, gas or plumbing work, whatever its size, including wood-burning heating systems
- Pools, signs and demolition
- Moving or setting up a mobile or manufactured home
Exempt (County list)
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops and similar finish work
- Fences up to 7 feet high
- Retaining walls up to 4 feet that hold back no surcharge
- Above-ground prefabricated pools less than 24 inches deep at a home
- Swings and playground equipment at a one- or two-family home
- Minor electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing repairs listed on the County’s exemption sheet
Who handles permitting in Saluda County?
Saluda County Building Codes issues building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, pool, sign, accessory building and manufactured home permits for unincorporated land. The office is run with SAFEbuilt: the permit technician and Certified Building Official Ward Braswell use SAFEbuilt email addresses, and mailed payments go to “Saluda County / SAFEbuilt”. Inspections are carried out Monday to Friday.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 400 W Highland Avenue, Saluda, SC 29138 |
| Phone | 864-445-4500 ext. 2272 (fax 864-445-9405) |
| Hours | 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday |
| Building Official | Ward Braswell, wbraswell@safebuilt.com |
| Payment | Cash or check payable to Saluda County |
The older 864-445-1849 number still printed on the County’s codes notice and its old building application has been replaced by the 864-445-4500 ext. 2272 line on the current forms.
Towns in Saluda County
- Town of Saluda: permits are handled by Code Consulting and Inspection Services (CC&I), 864-586-6111, after the project is approved by the Town’s Zoning Department (864-445-3522) and the contractor’s business licence is current.
- Batesburg-Leesville (part of the town lies in Saluda County): the Town’s own Building Official reviews plans and issues building and trade permits; the Building Permit Clerk is at 803-532-4601, option 2.
- Ridge Spring, Ward and Monetta (Monetta lies mostly in Aiken County): the published sources do not say who issues their building permits, so ask town hall first; Ridge Spring Town Hall is 803-685-5511.
Trade permits, filing and local fees
Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work each have their own County application, with residential and commercial versions. Each form asks for the 911 address, tax map number, the contractor’s state licence number and type, the power company (Dominion, Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative or Aiken Electric Cooperative) and the total value of the work, which sets the fee. The electrical form covers new service, service upgrades, re-establishing service and solar installations. When a licensed contractor does the work, the contractor, not the owner, must sign and complete the application.
County Council is considering Ordinance 08-26, which would adopt an updated building permit fee schedule; it had its public hearing on September 14, 2026 and is on the October 12, 2026 agenda for second reading, so until it is adopted the 2018 schedule below still applies.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $5,000 or less | $50 |
| $5,001 to $50,000 | $50 for the first $5,000 plus $7 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $365 for the first $50,000 plus $6 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $665 for the first $100,000 plus $5 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 and up | $2,665 for the first $500,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Plan review, when required | Half of the permit fee, paid when plans are submitted |
| Demolition | $100 |
| Moving permit | $150 |
| Manufactured home decal, permit and inspection | $225 |
| Re-inspection, or a missed inspection not cancelled | $50 |
The schedule covers new homes and renovations, modular homes, commercial work, pools, signs and accessory structures. The valuation must include materials and labor and the electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing equipment; the Building Official sets the final figure using the ICC Building Valuation Data, and can refuse a permit if the stated value looks too low. For example, work valued at $200,000 carries a $1,165 permit fee. Fees double when work starts before the permit is issued. A refund is possible only within 30 days of issuance, before work starts, on a hand-delivered letter.
Application documents
New home
- Residential building application with copies of the contractor’s and every subcontractor’s licence
- Plans, PDF preferred, showing electrical, mechanical and plumbing fixtures, truss layouts, engineered joists and LVLs, and foundation details
- Water and septic verification, with the licensed septic installer’s details for a new system
- Plat showing setbacks and the house location; lake lots must show floodplain lines
- Manual J and Manual D for the HVAC, and a REScheck report
- In the floodplain (362 BFE on Lake Murray): a flood elevation certificate and plans stamped by an engineer or surveyor
Commercial
- Commercial building application
- Site plan survey with setbacks, building location and any 100-year floodplain
- Construction and civil plans stamped by an engineer or architect, PDF preferred
- Fire alarm and sprinkler plans where needed
- Licences and contact details for the general contractor and all subcontractors
- DHEC permit to construct
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Additions need footing details, existing and new areas and how the addition attaches to the house; decks and porches need framing, railing and stair details. Storage sheds and pole barns need a plat with all four setbacks and footing details, and are limited to 60 amps for a shed and 100 amps for a pole barn unless the Building Official approves more. Sign plans take up to 5 business days to review.
How to apply for a Saluda County building permit
Confirm the land is outside the towns of Saluda and Batesburg-Leesville and note its 911 address and tax map number.
For a new septic system, get the state septic permit first (the County lists the DHEC office in Aiken, 803-642-1637) and a well permit if needed.
County code section 6-7 keeps buildings 25 feet from a street right-of-way, 20 feet from other structures and 10 feet from property lines. A home built in the floodplain (362 BFE) needs a flood elevation certificate.
Use the residential, commercial, accessory, pool, sign or manufactured home form and attach the checklist documents.
Bring or mail the package to 400 W Highland Avenue; plans can be sent as PDFs. Pay by cash or check payable to Saluda County.
Call 864-445-4500 ext. 2272 for each inspection stage through the final.
Rather not deal with the Saluda County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Saluda County
Inspections take place Monday to Friday. The County’s web page asks for 24 hours’ notice, while the current applications tell the permit holder to book at least 2 business days ahead; calling 2 business days ahead satisfies both. Calls are taken from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday and until 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
A failed or unready inspection costs $50, paid before the visit is rescheduled, and so does a scheduled inspection that is not cancelled. In the floodplain, a flood elevation certificate is required before the Certificate of Occupancy is issued for a new home or addition.
Manufactured homes are inspected against the County’s set-up checklist: footings at least 12 inches below grade, 12 inches of underfloor clearance, secured skirting with an access opening, an outside cleanout on the sewer line, a 36 by 36 inch landing with handrails at each exterior door, and the decal displayed in the window nearest the street.
Local Saluda County details
Lake Murray: the County posts Dominion Energy’s Lake Murray Permitting Guidelines. Dominion owns most land below the 360-foot contour, and docks, boat ramps, excavation and shoreline work need Dominion’s approval and dock inspection as well as any County permit.
Palmetto Pointe: new homes in this subdivision need the Palmetto Pointe Architectural Review Board’s approval letter and landscaping approval letter, a DHEC permit letter even on the community system, and a plat showing the 362 line.
Manufactured homes: the County accepts homes built from 1976 on. A used home needs the dealer’s moving permit showing no unpaid taxes in the county it came from, and the installer or mover must give a state licence number.
Tiny homes: the County posts a 2021 Manufactured Housing Institute of South Carolina warning about storage sheds sold as “tiny homes”. It says a prefabricated home must carry a label showing it was built to the South Carolina Residential Code or the federal HUD code before anyone lives in it.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Saluda County permit search and official resources
- Saluda County building department
- Saluda County Building Codes
- Saluda County Building Permit Fees (2018)
- Residential Building Application
- New single-family home requirements
- New commercial construction and sign requirements
- Work exempt from permit
- Manufactured home submittal requirements
- Saluda County flood zone information
- Town of Saluda building codes
- Batesburg-Leesville building permits
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Saluda County permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Saluda County?
Saluda County Building Codes, staffed through SAFEbuilt, for unincorporated land. The Town of Saluda uses CC&I and Batesburg-Leesville has its own Building Official.
How much is a building permit in Saluda County?
$50 for work valued at $5,000 or less, then a sliding scale per $1,000 of value; a $200,000 project costs $1,165. Plan review, when required, adds half of the permit fee.
Do I need a permit for a shed or carport?
Yes if it is free-standing and over 200 sq ft on a residential lot, or over 120 sq ft on a commercial lot, and always if it has electrical, plumbing, gas or mechanical work. Metal carports and greenhouses count.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 864-445-4500 ext. 2272. The applications ask for at least 2 business days’ notice.
How much does it cost to set up a manufactured home?
The decal, permit and inspection fee is $225, and a moving permit is $150. Homes must be 1976 or newer.
Can I pay by card?
No. The County takes cash or a check payable to Saluda County.
Can a homeowner sign the application?
The County publishes a Homeowners Disclosure Statement for owners doing their own work. When a licensed contractor does the work, the contractor must sign and complete the application.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Saluda County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.