Development Center (Planning & Development Services)
- Phone
- (803) 545-3483
- Hours
- Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET
South Carolina
Columbia, SC permit fees and requirements
Columbia's Development Center prices residential building permits at $20.00 up to $5,000 of value then $4.00 per $1,000 or fraction thereof
with a $25.00 flat plan review; commercial permits open at $50.00 and climb a chained ladder of $9, $4, $3 and $2 per $1,000 or fraction across four bands, with plan review at 30% of the permit fee. Trade permits mirror the building ladder and are no-cost when filed under the general contractor's permit number.
Permit costs we have worked out
Each page shows the fee components, the formula the jurisdiction uses, and a worked example you can follow by hand.
Estimate your potential Columbia permit fee with our Building Permit Fee Calculator.
| Permit | Category | Last reviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Building Permit Cost | structural | 2026-09-26 |
| Columbia Electrical Permit Cost | electrical | 2026-09-26 |
| Columbia Plumbing Permit Cost | plumbing | 2026-09-26 |
Local context
What is specific to Columbia
Columbia enforces the South Carolina Building Codes adopted effective January 1, 2023 through the Development Center at 1401 Main Street, with concurrent permitting, zoning and utility review on a single submittal. The fee sheets' ICC note makes the valuation basis explicit for houses: per-square-foot values of $45.00 (average), $63.00 (good) and $70.00 (best), plus $25.00 for garages.
The commercial ladder chains exactly at every seam — $905.00 at $100,001 is what $50.00 + 95 × $9.00 produces, $4,505.00 at $1,000,001 what the $4.00 band produces, and $16,505.00 at $5,000,001 what the $3.00 band produces — so no valuation pays a discontinuous jump. Subcontractors must pull individual trade permits for electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas, but the application's NOTE makes them free when filed under the general contractor's permit number; otherwise the subcontractor pays.
Valuation
How valuation is determined here
Total contract price or total value of work to be done, or per-square-foot ICC Building Safety Journal values for one- and two-family dwellings (Average $45.00; Good $63.00; Best $70.00; Garage $25.00).
Who to contact
The office that issues the permit, with the details we have verified. Confirm current hours before travelling.
What these fees do not include
The list is not a disclaimer: on a new house the fees left out can outweigh the permit fee several times over. Every entry here is stated on the permit page as well.
Not included in our estimates
These municipal figures cover the building permit, plan review and trade permits. They exclude:
- Zoning permits ($5.00 under $10,000; $10.00 over $10,000 and/or multi-family).
- Grading, flood plain and land disturbance review fees.
- Driveway and curb cut permits ($20.00 per driveway).
- Demolition permits ($25–$75 residential; $150–$200+ commercial).
Official sources for this jurisdiction
The documents these figures are transcribed from. Where a source contradicts itself we keep both readings and say so on the permit page.
- Permit portalCityPrimary source
Commercial Building/Zoning Permit Application (rev. 2.8.24)
NOTE: subcontractors must obtain individual trade permits for electrical, mechanical, plumbing & gas, and must provide the general contractor's permit number for a no-cost permit — otherwise the subcontractor pays the permit fees.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
Commercial Development Review Fees (LR-06/20/14)
Plan review 30% of the building permit fee; building and trade permits $50.00 at $1–$5,000, $50.00 + $9.00 per $1,000 or fraction to $100,000, $905.00 + $4.00 to $1,000,000, $4,505.00 + $3.00 to $5,000,000, $16,505.00 + $2.00 above.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
Residential Development Review Fees (Development Center, LR-08.05)
Plan review $25.00; building permit $20.00 at $1–$5,000 of value then $4.00 per $1,000 or fraction thereof; valuation per the total contract price or ICC Building Safety Journal per-square-foot data (Average $45.00, Good $63.00, Best $70.00, Garage $25.00 for one- and two-family dwellings).