Spartanburg, South Carolina Building Permit Guide

Inside Spartanburg city limits, the City’s Building Inspections and Permits Department issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire protection permits. You file the online application in the City’s Form Center, upload commercial plans to the GoPost electronic review site, and pay online after approval is emailed. Fees start at a $50 minimum, a building permit for work valued at $200,000 is $874, and plan review adds half of the permit fee.

What requires a permit in Spartanburg?

Any work on a residential property in the city needs a residential building permit, and any work on non-residential property needs a commercial building permit. The department’s permit list and fee schedule cover:

Plans are reviewed only for major work. The City lists water heater installation and repair, minor interior work, plumbing and minor demolition as work that needs no plan review, though a permit may still be required.

Who issues permits in Spartanburg?

The Building Inspections and Permits Department, part of Development Services, issues all construction-related permits for commercial and residential projects inside the City of Spartanburg and inspects all new construction there. Check that the property really is inside city limits before applying: unincorporated land around the city is permitted by Spartanburg County, not the City. Zoning, site plan and other planning permits are handled by the City’s Planning Department.

Spartanburg permit types and filing path

Applications are online forms in the City’s Form Center. Printed versions can be picked up at 440 S Church Street and returned by email or in the drop-box. Once a permit is approved, the City emails the applicant, who then pays online.

• Residential: separate applications for a new single-family home or duplex and for residential updates. Permits can be issued to the owner or to a state- and City-licensed contractor.
• Commercial: the commercial building application, with plans uploaded to the GoPost electronic plan review site (hard sets are still accepted, but only in addition). Commercial permits go only to state- and City-licensed contractors, and exterior work also needs a site plan reviewed by Planning.
• Trades and site: electrical, plumbing, mechanical, demolition, site grading, erosion control, swimming pool, temporary power pole and street cut applications; the street cut permit also needs a signed Hold Harmless Agreement and a certificate of insurance naming the City.
• Fire: fire alarm, sprinkler, suppression and underground fire service main applications.
• Closing out: certificate of occupancy, permit time extension, permit cancellation and duct tightness compliance forms.

Permit costs and fees in Spartanburg

The City’s current fee schedule took effect in summer 2023 (dated July 2023; the permits page gives August 1, 2023). Building permit fees are paid at application, and the stated cost of labor and materials is checked against the current ICC valuation schedule and raised if it looks too low.

A home valued at $200,000, for example, pays a $874 building permit fee and a $437 plan review fee. Fire alarm, sprinkler, suppression and fire main permits, grading, signs and fences are all charged on the same valuation scale, and signs always need plan review. Starting work before the permit is issued doubles the fee.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire coordination

The City issues trade permits itself. Each trade permit has a $17.25 issue fee plus the item charges below, with a $50 minimum per permit.

A contractor replacing a water heater must remove and dispose of the old one. Fire alarm, sprinkler, suppression and underground fire main work each needs its own fire inspection permit application.

Application documents and plan review

The online application for a new single-family home or duplex asks for the parcel map number, flood zone, contract price, owner and contractor details with the SC LLR licence number, floor areas, rooms and garage size, and includes a zoning block for setbacks, lot coverage and sidewalks. Its checklist requires:

• A plat or plot plan showing the house footprint and its distances to the property lines (the City posts a typical dwelling plot plan as a model)
• Sewer tap and water capacity fee receipts from Spartanburg Water
• The owner-builder disclosure statement, recorded with the Spartanburg County Register of Deeds at 366 N. Church Street, if the owner is acting as builder
• A signed erosion control form

Commercial drawings and documents go to the GoPost electronic review site; a site plan for exterior work goes to Planning. The plan review fee is paid when plans are submitted.

Before you file in Spartanburg

• Business licence first: the City requires a City of Spartanburg business licence before you begin the permit application.
• Water and sewer: pay the sewer tap and water capacity fees to Spartanburg Water and keep the receipts for the application.
• Owner-builders: sign the City’s disclosure statement and record it at the County Register of Deeds; the home must be for your own use.
• Street work: sign the Hold Harmless Agreement and provide insurance before any street cut.

How to apply: 6-step Spartanburg workflow

Inspections and closeout in Spartanburg

The City’s certificate of occupancy application asks for 24 hours’ notice for inspections and gives 864-580-5324 as the inspection line. A $50 re-inspection fee applies to any trip beyond those on the permit job card, including failed work, work not ready and no access, and it must be paid before the same work is re-inspected or the job is shut down.

A permit becomes void if the project has had no inspection in 6 months, and a new permit and fees are then needed. Under the building codes the City cites, a permit also lapses if work does not start within 180 days of issue or stops for 180 days; a time extension must be requested in writing before the permit expires.

Certificate of occupancy inspections and deliveries take place only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The inspector checks exit signs, emergency lights, fire extinguishers, electrical panels and accessible entry and exit, and Planning also signs off.

Local details that matter in Spartanburg

Electronic commercial review: since June 2023 the City has asked for every commercial plan review to come in through GoPost, even when a paper set is also delivered.

Property maintenance: the City enforces the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code alongside the construction codes.

Signs and fences: both are charged on the building permit scale, but the fee schedule sends applicants to the Planning Department, and fences must meet the zoning rules.

Online records: the department publishes lists of issued permits, certificates of occupancy and single-family dwelling permits on its website.

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

Official Spartanburg permitting resources

• City of Spartanburg Building Inspections
• local permitting / planning instructions
• forms or supporting documents
• South Carolina Building Codes Council — code adoption
• Building Inspections online permit forms
• Fire inspection permit applications
• Residential building permits
• Commercial building permits

Spartanburg permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Spartanburg?

The City of Spartanburg Building Inspections and Permits Department at 440 S Church Street, for property inside city limits. Unincorporated land around the city is permitted by Spartanburg County.

How much is a building permit in Spartanburg?

The minimum is $50. Work valued at $200,000 pays $874, plus a plan review fee of half that, $437.

Do I need to submit commercial plans electronically?

Yes. Since June 2023 the City asks for all commercial plans through its GoPost electronic review site, with any paper set in addition.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Spartanburg?

Yes, for residential work. Owners acting as their own builder file the City’s disclosure statement and record it with the Spartanburg County Register of Deeds.

How much notice do inspections need?

24 hours. Re-inspections cost $50 and must be paid before the work is inspected again.

When does a Spartanburg permit expire?

If there has been no inspection for 6 months the City voids the permit. Request a written time extension before the expiration date.

Do contractors need a City business licence?

Yes. The City requires a business licence before the permit application, and commercial permits go only to state- and City-licensed contractors.

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