For land outside the incorporated towns, building permits in Williamsburg County come from the County’s Building Codes department (Code Enforcement) at 201 W Main Street, Suite 121, Kingstree (843-355-9321 ext. 5300). You file the County’s Application for Construction with two sets of plans; the permit fee is $50 minimum and $760 for work valued at $200,000, plan review adds half the permit fee, and inspections need 48 hours’ notice.
What requires a permit in Williamsburg County?
The County’s Application for Construction covers residential, commercial and multi-family work and asks for separate cost figures for building, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, pools and demolition. The department’s forms page groups permits into five kinds:
Permit types
- Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas and insulation work on new homes, additions and commercial buildings
- Insulation, finished with the residential energy compliance sticker
- Fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems
- Signs, towers, swimming pools and spas, and construction trailers
- Manufactured home installation
Related approvals
- Moving a building and demolition
- Subdivision plats under the 2003 Land Development Regulations
- Farm structures, using the County’s farm structure affidavit
- Septic systems, permitted by the state health department rather than the County
- A flood elevation certificate in A and AE flood zones
Who handles permitting in Williamsburg County?
The Williamsburg County Building Codes Department, set up in 1999 and listed on the County site as Code Enforcement, covers the unincorporated areas of the county. It reviews residential and commercial plans, inspects new construction, reviews commercial sprinkler and fire alarm plans after the State Fire Marshal has approved them, manages floodplains, provides fire marshal service through the County Fire Department and inspects manufactured home installations. It does not license contractors, approve septic tanks or sell code books.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 201 W Main Street, Suite 121, Kingstree, SC 29556 |
| Phone | 843-355-9321 ext. 5300 (permit technician ext. 5302, building inspector ext. 5303) |
| Fax | 843-353-4474 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
Towns in Williamsburg County
- Kingstree: the Town’s Community Planning & Development department issues all permits in town and inspects all structures there (843-355-8156; Town Hall 401 N. Longstreet Street, 843-355-7484). It uses its own permit and plan review, zoning, tree and flood permit forms.
- Hemingway: the Town code creates a Town Building Inspector and requires a permit from that inspector before building, repairing, moving or remodeling inside town limits, except minor repairs under $1,000 in total; the Town posts its building permit application on its forms page (Town Hall 843-558-2824).
- Greeleyville, Lane and Stuckey: the County says its building department covers the unincorporated areas, and none of these towns posts permit information, so ask town hall first.
- Andrews: only a small part of the town (44 residents in the 2025 Census estimate) lies in Williamsburg County. The Town has its own Zoning, Building, and Safety Compliance department and a construction permit application for work in town (843-264-8666).
Trade permits, filing and local fees
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work is listed on the same Application for Construction, with the contractor and cost for each trade. The County’s fee schedule works on the total valuation, based on ICC figures:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1,000 to $50,000 | $15 for the first $1,000 plus $5 per additional $1,000 ($50 minimum) |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | $260 for the first $50,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,000 to $500,000 | $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3 per additional $1,000 |
| $500,000 and up | $1,660 for the first $500,000 plus $2 per additional $1,000 |
| Plan review | Half of the permit fee |
| Moving a building | $100 |
| Demolition | $100 flat |
| Mobile homes | $150 single-wide; $200 double-wide; $50 to move |
| Plat review | $25 per lot residential; $50 commercial |
| Re-inspection | $50 |
A house valued at $200,000 pays $760 for the permit and $380 for plan review. Sprinkler drawings go to the state first, then to the County with the shop drawings and the sprinkler specification sheet; fire alarm submittals follow the State Fire Marshal’s plan list.
Application documents
One- and two-family homes
- Application for Construction with the property identification number, flood zone, required elevation and wind and seismic zones
- Two sets of construction plans and two site plans, to engineer’s scale or fully dimensioned, or the plans are rejected
- Site plan with distances to property lines, other structures, a north arrow and utility easements
- Foundation, floor framing, floor, elevation and roof framing plans, including window U-factors and SHGCs
- In a flood zone, the elevations must mark the level one foot above the flood plain
- Manual J and Manual D for the HVAC (no hand calculations)
Commercial and multi-family
- Site plan sealed by a South Carolina licensed land surveyor
- Sealed plans for assembly, educational, institutional and hazardous uses, buildings housing more than two families, and buildings over 5,000 sq ft
- A cover sheet with design criteria and the design professional in charge
- Special inspection reports from certified third-party agencies where design professionals are involved
- A state land disturbance permit with any preliminary plans for the planning commission
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →An addition to a manufactured home must be free-standing, and two single-wide homes may not be joined into a double-wide. Homeowners pulling their own permit may have family members help, but not friends; anyone hired under a contract must be licensed for the full contract amount.
How to apply for a Williamsburg County building permit
Kingstree issues its own permits; check with town hall for the other towns.
Apply to the state for a septic permit, or tick the WCWSA sewer option on the application.
Sites in A or AE zones need a flood elevation certificate.
Follow the County’s residential or commercial plan requirements, including the HVAC load calculations.
Bring the Application for Construction and plans to 201 W Main Street, Suite 121; the permit and plan review fees are set from the project value.
Call 843-355-9321 ext. 5300 at least 48 hours ahead for each stage.
Rather not deal with the Williamsburg County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Williamsburg County
The County’s inspection page asks for at least 48 hours’ notice; its older residential plan requirements sheet still says 24 hours, so booking two days ahead covers both. Have the address, tax map or permit number, inspection type, contractor and a contact number ready. The County cannot promise a time, only whether the visit will be before or after lunch.
A home is inspected in this order: foundation, slabs, piers or CMU walls for crawl spaces, wall and roof sheathing, rough-in, framing, insulation, temporary power and final. Termite treatment must be done before concrete is poured, compaction results are required for slabs, and only structural slabs are inspected, so a garage slab carrying no wall, floor or roof load is skipped. Keep the approved plans on site and the permit posted for the whole job. A re-inspection costs $50.
Since July 2024 the County has enforced IRC section M1307, so appliances fixed in place must be anchored and water heaters strapped where the seismic design category calls for it.
Local Williamsburg County details
Manufactured homes: the installer must be licensed by the state Manufactured Housing Board, and the owner and installer sign the County’s set-up letter, which must be posted on the home at the final inspection; until then, electricity and gas are not released. Homes must meet Wind Zone 2, sit on a sloped dirt pad, and in A or AE flood zones need elevation certificates both before and after set-up.
Subdivisions: the 2003 Land Development Regulations govern dividing land in the unincorporated county, and plats cost $25 per residential lot.
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 →Williamsburg County permit search and official resources
- Williamsburg County building department
- Williamsburg County permit applications and guidance
- Williamsburg County Code Enforcement
- Building permit fee schedule
- Application for Construction
- Residential plan requirements
- Commercial plan submittal requirements
- Manufactured home requirements
- Town of Kingstree Community Planning & Code Enforcement
- Town of Hemingway forms (building permit application)
- Town of Andrews Zoning, Building, and Safety Compliance
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Williamsburg County permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Williamsburg County?
The County Building Codes department (Code Enforcement) in Kingstree for the unincorporated county, 843-355-9321 ext. 5300. The Town of Kingstree issues its own permits.
How much is a building permit in Williamsburg County?
The minimum is $50. A $200,000 house pays $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3 per $1,000 after that, $760 in all, with plan review at half that.
How much notice do inspections need?
At least 48 hours, and the County can only say whether the inspector will come before or after lunch.
Can I build my own house?
Homeowners can pull their own permit and have family members help, but anyone hired under a contract must be licensed for the full amount.
Do I need a flood elevation certificate?
Yes, in A and AE flood zones, including for manufactured homes before and after set-up.
Who approves septic tanks?
The state health department, not the County.
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More South Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Williamsburg County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.