Tega Cay, South Carolina Building Permit Guide

Inside Tega Cay, building permits come from the City’s own Building Department in Development Services at City Hall, 7725 Tega Cay Drive (803-548-3513), not from York County. Applications, documents, payments and inspection requests all go through the City’s Evolve portal. Under the fee schedule effective July 1, 2026, a residential building permit is 0.80% of the project cost (minimum $100) plus a plan review fee of 25% of that permit fee.

What requires a permit in Tega Cay?

Tega Cay’s fee schedule shows that many projects need more than one permit: a zoning compliance permit, a land disturbance permit and a building permit are typical for new homes, additions and pools.

Pruning your own trees needs no permit, and a tree permit costs nothing. Working without a permit costs 200% of the standard permit fee, and working while a stop work order is in place is fined $1,000 for each day.

Tega Cay building department: who handles permitting

The City of Tega Cay issues its own building permits for property inside city limits. Its Development Services Department provides permitting, inspection and code enforcement, with a residential section for one- and two-family dwellings and a commercial section for businesses, institutions, schools, industry and multi-family buildings. Zoning compliance, land disturbance and tree permits come from the same department.

Tega Cay permits: Evolve portal and forms

Every application is filed in Evolve. Accounts from other cities’ Evolve portals do not carry over, so you need a Tega Cay account; logins use a one-time PIN sent by email or text. An application runs through permit type, a Before You Begin checklist, the address or tax map parcel ID, permit details, contacts (including subcontractors), document uploads and an electronic signature. Approved documents and stamped plans can then be printed from the portal, and anyone can search basic permit information without logging in.

• Business licence: anyone doing the work other than the homeowner needs a City of Tega Cay business licence, which can be bought when the permit is applied for.
• Homeowners: an owner doing the work records a Homeowners Disclosure Statement with the York County Register of Deeds.
• Zoning permit: upload a survey either drawn on to scale (Option A) or marked to point to a separate detail drawing on the City’s template (Option B); the City’s survey guide lists what the survey should show.
• Retaining walls: plans, the approved site plan with top-of-wall and footing elevations, design details and soil parameters, sealed calculations and the third-party inspector’s details.

Tega Cay permit cost

Fees come from the City’s Development Services & Impact Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026. Project cost is stated by the owner or contractor, and the City may compare it with ICC Building Valuation Data.

Plan review covers up to two review sessions; a third or later session is billed at $150 an hour. Card payments of $2,000 or more made in person or by phone carry a 2% bank fee.

Impact fees: a new single-family home pays $7,924 (parks and recreation $5,019, police $754, fire $1,820, public works $331), and a multi-family unit $4,666. Water and sewer impact fees are charged per meter: $2,211 for a 0.75-inch meter.

For example, a new house with a $400,000 project cost has a $3,200 building permit, $800 plan review, $350 zoning compliance and $350 land disturbance fee, plus the impact fees.

Tega Cay trade permits

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work is reviewed and inspected by the City’s Building Department, not the county. The July 2026 fee schedule lists no separate electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit fees; trade subcontractors are added as contacts on the Evolve application, and each needs a City business licence.

The department has announced its switch to the 2024 code editions and the 2023 National Electrical Code on January 1, 2027. Applications submitted before that date are generally reviewed under the earlier editions, and those submitted on or after it must meet the new ones.

Tega Cay permit application: how to apply step by step

Inspections in Tega Cay

Inspections are requested from the open, issued permit in Evolve, which also lists scheduled and completed inspections and their results. The City publishes residential inspection guides, starting with a monolithic slab guide, and a safety inspection costs $50.

Re-inspections cost $50 the first time, $75 the second and $100 the third, with later fees at the Building Official’s discretion. For retaining walls 4 feet or taller, a South Carolina professional engineer inspects at the stages the design sets, in addition to the City’s footing and formwork inspections, and the signed Special Inspection Form must be uploaded to Evolve before the Certificate of Completion is issued.

Local Tega Cay details that matter

Trees: under City Code section 22-91, removing a tree over 4 inches in diameter needs a free tree permit, processed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mark the trees and show them on the application; trees inside the buildable area of a new house or pool go on the land disturbance permit instead.

Waterfront: waterfront construction needs a $75 zoning compliance permit and may also need land disturbance and building permits.

City utilities: new connections to City water and sewer pay the per-meter impact fees, and contractors use the City’s contractor water and sewer application.

Appeals: Board of Building Appeals and Board of Zoning Appeals applications each cost $350.

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

Tega Cay permit search and official resources

• Review the City’s official department resources
• Open official Tega Cay inspection information
• Tega Cay Evolve permit portal
• Development Services and Impact Fee Schedule (July 2026)
• Applying for Permits Guide
• Tega Cay building code adoption (2027 update)
• Zoning plan specifications
• Tree permits and guides
• Retaining wall permit requirements

Frequently asked questions

Who issues building permits in Tega Cay?

The City of Tega Cay’s Building Department in Development Services at City Hall, 7725 Tega Cay Drive, for property inside city limits.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Tega Cay?

0.80% of the project cost, plus 25% of that for plan review. A $400,000 house pays $3,200 plus $800, before zoning, land disturbance and impact fees.

What are Tega Cay’s impact fees?

$7,924 for a single-family home and $4,666 per multi-family unit, plus water and sewer impact fees by meter size ($2,211 for a 0.75-inch meter).

Can I use my Evolve account from another city?

No. Accounts from other jurisdictions do not work in Tega Cay’s portal, so you need a new one.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree?

Yes, for any tree over 4 inches in diameter measured a foot above the ground. The permit is free.

Do I need a permit for a retaining wall?

Yes, for every retaining wall. Walls 4 feet or taller must be designed and inspected by a South Carolina professional engineer.

Can a homeowner do their own work?

Yes, after recording a Homeowners Disclosure Statement with the York County Register of Deeds. Anyone else doing the work needs a City business licence.

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