Columbia, SC
Columbia Building Permit Cost
A Columbia building permit is priced from the value of work:
$20.00 for the first $1–$5,000 then $4.00 per $1,000 or fraction thereof for one- and two-family residential, with a $25.00 flat plan review. Commercial permits open at $50.00 and climb a chained ladder — $9.00, $4.00, $3.00 and $2.00 per $1,000 or fraction across four bands — with plan review at 30% of the building permit fee.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial building permit, $5,001–$100,000 ($50.00 + $9.00 per $1,000)Permit fee | $50.00 + $9.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $5,000, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is commercial and Project valuation up to $100,000 | — |
| Commercial building permit, $100,001–$1,000,000 ($905.00 + $4.00 per $1,000)Permit fee | $905.00 + $4.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $100,000, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is commercial and Project valuation over $100,000 and Project valuation up to $1,000,000 | — |
| Commercial building permit, $1,000,001–$5,000,000 ($4,505.00 + $3.00 per $1,000)Permit fee | $4,505.00 + $3.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000,000, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is commercial and Project valuation over $1,000,000 and Project valuation up to $5,000,000 | — |
| Commercial building permit, over $5,000,000 ($16,505.00 + $2.00 per $1,000)Permit fee | $16,505.00 + $2.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $5,000,000, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is commercial and Project valuation over $5,000,000 | — |
| Residential building permit ($20.00 to $5,000; $4.00 per $1,000 or fraction above)Permit fee | $20.00 + $4.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $5,000, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is residential | — |
| Commercial plan review fee (30% of the building permit fee)Plan review | 30% of calculated permit fee | Occupancy is commercial | — |
| Residential plan review fee ($25.00)Plan review | $25.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential | — |
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 single-family home addition in Columbia with a contract value of $60,000 (residential).
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $60,000 |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
Example total
$265.00
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 2Rules considered 7
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Residential building permit ($20.00 to $5,000; $4.00 per $1,000 or fraction above)Permit feeResidential Development Review Fees: building permit $20.00 for $1.00 to $5,000 of value; over $5,000, $4.00 per $1,000 or fraction thereof. Valuation is the total contract price or ICC per-square-foot data (Average $45.00; Good $63.00; Best $70.00; Garage $25.00).Show the working
| $20.00 + $4.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $5,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $240.00 |
Residential plan review fee ($25.00)Plan reviewResidential Development Review Fees: plan review $25.00.Show the working
| $25.00 flat fee | $25.00 |
| Total | $265.00 |
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.
- Commercial building permit, $5,001–$100,000 ($50.00 + $9.00 per $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial building permit, $100,001–$1,000,000 ($905.00 + $4.00 per $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial building permit, $1,000,001–$5,000,000 ($4,505.00 + $3.00 per $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial building permit, over $5,000,000 ($16,505.00 + $2.00 per $1,000) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial plan review fee (30% of the building permit fee) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Above the first $5,000 there is $55,000 of value, which rounds up to fifty-five whole $1,000 steps: 55 × $4.00 = $220.00, plus the $20.00 base = $240.00. The residential plan review adds $25.00. Total: $240.00 + $25.00 = $265.00.
What is different in Columbia
Building permits are received at the Development Center, 1401 Main Street, and reviewed concurrently by permitting and zoning under the South Carolina Building Codes effective January 1, 2023. The residential valuation note makes the cost basis explicit: total contract price, or ICC per-square-foot values of $45.00 average / $63.00 good / $70.00 best for dwellings and $25.00 for garages. The commercial ladder chains exactly at every seam, so no project jumps when it crosses a band. Inspections are scheduled through the City's Access portal by 3 p.m. for next-day service.
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 and plan review. It excludes:
- Zoning permits ($5.00 / $10.00 by project value).
- Trade permits — electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas file individually.
- Grading, flood plain and land-disturbance review fees.
- Driveway and curb cut permits at $20.00 per driveway.
What you need before applying
- Executed Contract and ValuationRequired
Permit fees are calculated on the total contract price or total value of work, 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).
- Concurrent Zoning and Plan ReviewRequired
The Development Center routes submittals for concurrent review by permitting, zoning and other divisions; zoning permits are $5.00 under $10,000 of value and $10.00 over $10,000 and/or multi-family.
Common questions
How is a Columbia building permit fee calculated?
Residential one- and two-family permits are $20.00 for the first $1–$5,000 of value and $4.00 per $1,000 or fraction thereof above $5,000, with a $25.00 plan review. Commercial permits are $50.00 at $1–$5,000, then $9.00 per $1,000 or fraction to $100,000, then the chained $4/$3/$2 bands.
Columbia Residential & Commercial Development Review Fees
How is the value of a Columbia house determined?
The residential fee sheet's note bases fees on the total contract price or total value of work, or on ICC Building Safety Journal per-square-foot values: $45.00 average, $63.00 good, $70.00 best, and $25.00 for garages.
Columbia Residential Development Review Fees note
How much is plan review in Columbia?
$25.00 flat for residential projects; 30% of the building permit fee for commercial, due when plans are submitted.
Columbia Commercial Development Review Fees
Does the fraction of a thousand cost extra?
Yes — every rate row reads 'or fraction thereof', so $55,000 above the residential threshold buys fifty-five whole $4.00 steps ($220.00), not fifty-four and a half.
Columbia Residential Development Review Fees
When must inspections be scheduled in Columbia?
Inspections are scheduled through the City's Access portal by 3:00 p.m. for next-day service; there is no same-day inspection.
Columbia Development Center
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- 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).
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.