Charleston, SC
Charleston, SC Building Permit Cost
A Charleston building permit is priced from construction valuation on an ordinance-approved ladder:
$35.00 for the first $1,000 plus $5.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction thereof up to $50,000, chaining through $4.64, $3.00 and finally $2.00 per $1,000 above $500,000. Plans required over $1,000 of valuation add a plan review at 50% of the building permit fee, and every permit carries the $40.00 non-refundable application fee. New single-family valuation comes from the City's ICC Building Valuation Data — $116.15 per sq ft for finished structures in the schedule's own example.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valuation $50,001-$100,000 ($290.00 + $4.64 per additional $1,000 or fraction)Permit fee | $290.00 + $4.64 per $1,000 of project valuation above $50,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $50,000 and up to $100,000 | — |
| Valuation $100,001-$500,000 ($522.00 + $3.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction)Permit fee | $522.00 + $3.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $100,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $100,000 and up to $500,000 | — |
| Valuation $1,001-$50,000 ($35.00 + $5.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction)Permit fee | $35.00 + $5.50 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $1,000 and up to $50,000 | — |
| Valuation $500,001 and up ($1,600.00 + $2.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction)Permit fee | $1,600.00 + $2.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $500,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $500,000 | — |
| Building permit, above $500,000 ($1,600.00 + $2.00 per $1,000 or fraction)Permit fee | $1,600.00 + $2.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $500,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $500,000 | — |
| Plan review (50% of the building permit fee)Plan review | 50% of calculated permit fee | Project valuation at least $1,000 | — |
| Permit application fee ($40.00, non-refundable)Other fee | $40.00 flat fee | Every permit of this type | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A new single-family home in Charleston with 1,800 sq ft of finished area (valuation $209,070 at the schedule's ICC example rate).
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $209,070 |
| Project area | 1,800 sq ft |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
Example total
$1,318.00
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 3Rules considered 7
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Valuation $100,001-$500,000 ($522.00 + $3.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction)Permit feeResidential Valuation Permit Fee Table: $522.00 for the first $100,000 of construction valuation — the previous band's seam value — plus $3.00 for each additional thousand or fraction thereof, through $500,000. The schedule's own example lands here: $209,070 prices $522.00 + 110 × $3.00 = $852.00.Show the working
| $522.00 + $3.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $100,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $852.00 |
Plan review (50% of the building permit fee)Plan reviewPlan Review Fee: when the proposed construction exceeds $1,000 in valuation and plans are required, the plan review fee equals one half (50%) of the building permit fee, covering the initial review and a follow-up review verifying corrections.Show the working
| 50% of calculated permit fee | $426.00 |
Permit application fee ($40.00, non-refundable)Other feeA non-refundable permit application fee of $40.00 is required for all building and trade permits, in addition to any applicable permit fees. Construction valued at $1,000 or less pays this fee alone (the schedule's lowest table row). Charged as an administrative component so the 50% plan review reads the permit fee alone.Show the working
| $40.00 flat fee | $40.00 |
| Total | $1,318.00 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Valuation $50,001-$100,000 ($290.00 + $4.64 per additional $1,000 or fraction) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Valuation $1,001-$50,000 ($35.00 + $5.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Valuation $500,001 and up ($1,600.00 + $2.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit, above $500,000 ($1,600.00 + $2.00 per $1,000 or fraction) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 3 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Valuation is 1,800 sq ft × $116.15 = $209,070. The ladder band $100,001–$500,000 applies: $522.00 base + ($209,070 − $100,000 rounds up to 110 thousand steps) × $3.00 = $522.00 + $330.00 = $852.00. Plan review at 50% adds $426.00, and the application fee $40.00. Total: $852.00 + $426.00 + $40.00 = $1,318.00.
What is different in Charleston
Building permits are issued by the Building Inspections Division at 2 George Street and reviewed against the South Carolina Building Codes, with Board of Architectural Review sign-off layered on in the historic districts. The ladder chains exactly at every seam — the $290.00 base at $50,001 is what the $5.50 rate produces at $50,000 — so there is no discontinuity when a project crosses a band. Work inside the City's affordability definitions (Chapter 54) receives a 100% waiver of building permit fees, and permits valued at $1,000 or less pay the application fee alone.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate covers the building permit, its plan review and the application fee. It excludes:
- BAR/DRB filing fees for historic and design district work.
- Re-inspections at $100.00 each when work fails inspection.
- Plan-revision reviews ($100 commercial / $50 residential per trade discipline) when revisions increase construction cost.
- Water, sewer and site development fees outside the building permit.
What you need before applying
- Construction Cost DeclarationRequired
Construction cost includes the total value of work — all labor and material at current retail value plus overhead and profit (total contract price). A copy of the executed contract is provided when the project involves a contractor.
- ICC-Based Valuation for New Residential ConstructionRequired
Single-family new construction permits are calculated using the per-square-foot construction valuations from the most recently published ICC Building Valuation Data adopted by City Council.
Common questions
How is a Charleston building permit fee calculated?
The Residential Valuation Permit Fee Table prices from construction valuation: $35.00 for the first $1,000 plus $5.50 per additional thousand or fraction thereof to $50,000, then $290.00 + $4.64 per $1,000 to $100,000, $522.00 + $3.00 to $500,000, and $1,600.00 + $2.00 above.
Charleston Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule (Ord. 2017-131)
How much is the plan review fee in Charleston?
When the proposed construction exceeds $1,000 in valuation and plans are required, the plan review fee equals one half (50%) of the building permit fee.
Charleston Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule
What is the application fee for a Charleston permit?
$40.00, non-refundable, required for all building and trade permits and in addition to any applicable permit fees.
Charleston Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule
How is the valuation of a new home determined?
The fee for single-family residential new construction is based on valuation of construction determined by the Building Official using the most recently published ICC Building Valuation Data adopted by City Council — the schedule's example prints $116.15 per square foot for finished building structures.
Charleston Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule
Are any permits fee-waived in Charleston?
Yes. There is a waiver of 100% for all building permit fees required for construction of single-family detached residences qualifying as affordable housing as defined in Chapter 54 of the City Code.
Charleston Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule
What happens when work fails inspection?
A re-inspection fee of $100.00 is charged when a re-inspection is required as a result of the permit holder failing to comply with code; if more than one is required, only one $100.00 charge is applied to any element of construction for the same violation found in the initial inspection.
Charleston Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
City of Charleston Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule
Approved by Ordinance Nos. 2017-131, 2019-064 & 2019-072, effective October 1, 2019. $40 non-refundable application fee on all building and trade permits; plan review 50% of the building permit fee; residential valuation ladder $35.00 + $5.50 per $1,000 or fraction to $50,000, $290.00 + $4.64 to $100,000, $522.00 + $3.00 to $500,000, $1,600.00 + $2.00 above; valuation from ICC Building Valuation Data ($116.15/sq ft finished structures in the schedule's example).
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.