Charleston, SC
Charleston, SC Electrical Permit Cost
An electrical trade permit in Charleston carries the $40.00 non-refundable application fee
with the schedule's trade row pricing the permit itself at a flat $75.00; when plans are required for the scope, plan review adds 50% of the permit fee, and plan revisions that increase cost run $100.00 per trade discipline (commercial) or $50.00 (residential).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical trade permit ($75.00)Permit fee | $75.00 flat fee | Every permit of this type | — |
| Electrical trade permit row ($75.00)Permit fee | $75.00 flat fee | Every permit of this type | — |
| 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 licensed electrician pulls a trade permit for a residential service upgrade and kitchen circuits in Charleston.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $5,500 |
Example total
$190.00
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 3
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Electrical trade permit ($75.00)Permit feeBuilding and Trade Permit Fee Schedule, trade row: the electrical trade permit prices at $75.00. Work already inside a master building permit's scope files under the master permit rather than as a separate trade permit.Show the working
| $75.00 flat fee | $75.00 |
Electrical trade permit row ($75.00)Permit feeThe Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule prices trade permits from the same valuation bands as the building ladder; the electrical trade row prices the permit at $75.00. The $40.00 application fee is charged in addition.Show the working
| $75.00 flat fee | $75.00 |
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.Show the working
| $40.00 flat fee | $40.00 |
| Total | $190.00 |
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.
The electrical trade row prices the permit at $75.00. The application fee adds $40.00. Total: $75.00 + $40.00 = $115.00. (A plan review at 50% applies only when plans are required for the scope.)
What is different in Charleston
Electrical trade permits file through the Permit Center with the contractor's South Carolina LLR license. Work already inside a master building permit's scope files under the master permit rather than as a separate trade permit. Inspections follow rough-in and final; failed re-inspections are $100.00. Historic-district work may need Board of Architectural Review approval before the trade permit is issued.
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
Utility meter and service charges, re-inspection fees, plan-revision fees, and BAR/DRB filing fees for historic-district work are outside the trade permit fee.
What you need before applying
- South Carolina Electrical Contractor LicenseRequired
Trade permits are issued to contractors licensed by South Carolina LLR; the Board of Architectural Review and Technical Review Committee reviews may apply in the historic districts before issuance.
Common questions
What does an electrical permit cost in Charleston?
The trade row prices the electrical permit at a flat $75.00, and the $40.00 non-refundable application fee applies to every trade permit — $115.00 before any plan review.
Charleston Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule
Do I need a separate electrical permit if I have a building permit?
Work included in the scope of a building permit files under the master permit. Standalone trade permits are for electrical work pursued on its own — service changes, rewiring, or work with no building permit in place.
Charleston Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule
How much is a plan revision review for electrical work?
$100.00 per trade discipline for commercial construction and $50.00 per discipline for residential, charged when plan revisions or an updated scope of work result in an increase in construction cost.
Charleston Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule
Who can pull an electrical permit in Charleston?
Trade permits are issued to contractors licensed by South Carolina's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; historic-district work may also require Board of Architectural Review approval first.
Charleston Building Inspections Division
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.