Shed Permit in Charleston, South Carolina

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a shed permit in Charleston?

Charleston requires a permit for a detached shed at any size. The city's Accessory Structures guideline covers a shed, garden shed, detached garage, pool house or accessory dwelling unit under the permit type "Accessory Structure," and it marks both Zoning and Building Inspections as required reviews with no square-footage condition on either. The absence is deliberate rather than an oversight, because Charleston does write size-conditioned review triggers elsewhere in the same guideline series: its fence guideline says Building Inspections review attaches "only for fences taller than 7ft in height above grade," and its masonry wall guideline says "only for fences taller than 7ft and masonry walls taller than 3ft above grade." The 200 square foot line in S.C. Code 40-59-265 therefore does not switch Charleston's permit off, and a small storage shed is still filed as "Accessory Structure" and "Residential Uninhabitable." For a shed that needs plans, the city wants a site plan with distances, an Erosion Protection and Sediment Control Certification, and, for a pre-designed kit, the manufacturer's installation specifications, which it says are "required to show building meets our regional design criteria," the practical bite of Charleston's coastal wind loading. Always confirm with the City of Charleston Permit Center, Development and Construction Services (Building Inspections Division) before starting.

How much does a shed permit cost in Charleston?

A $40.00 non-refundable application fee plus a valuation-based building permit fee, under the Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule approved by Ordinance Nos. 2017-131, 2019-064 and 2019-072, effective October 1, 2019. The New Residential Valuation Table sets construction cost at "$45.92/ft2" for "Accessory Structures, Unheated" and "$116.15/ft2" for "Accessory Structures, Heated"; the resulting valuation runs through the Building Permit Fee Table, which is "$15.00 for the first $1,000 construction valuation, plus $5.00 for each additional thousand or fraction thereof, to and including $50,000." The plan review fee is 50% of the building permit fee. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.

Where do you apply for a shed permit in Charleston?

You can apply through the Charleston permit portal or contact the City of Charleston Permit Center, Development and Construction Services (Building Inspections Division) directly. The links are listed on this page.

Can a homeowner pull a shed permit themselves in Charleston?

Under South Carolina law (S.C. Code Ann. 40-59-260(A), (B), (C), (E), (F); 40-59-265; 40-59-280; 40-59-20(6), (7); 40-59-30(A)): South Carolina licenses residential builders and residential specialty contractors under S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 59, and 40-59-260 exempts the owner of record who builds for himself. The exemption applies only if the owner does the work himself, with his own employees, or with licensed contractors or registered entities, if the structure is intended for the owner's sole occupancy or occupancy by the owner's family and is not intended for sale or rent, and if the general public does not have access to it. The owner must personally appear and sign the building permit application, and the local permitting agency must hand over a disclosure statement whose statutory text reads in part: You must supervise the construction yourself. You may build or improve a one-family or two-family residence. The building must be for your own use and occupancy. It may not be built for sale or rent. The sale restriction is two years and is a presumption rather than a flat bar: 40-59-260(B) makes proof of sale or rent, or of offering for sale or rent, within two years after completion or issuance of a certificate of occupancy prima facie evidence that the project was undertaken for sale or rent, which forfeits the exemption and exposes the owner to the chapter's penalties. South Carolina then adds a step no other state in this wave has: 40-59-260(E) requires the owner to promptly record a notice with the register of deeds, indexed under the owner's name in the grantor index, stating that the building was constructed by the owner as an unlicensed builder, and failure to record revokes the statutory exemption. The exemption is from the licensing chapter, not from the permit, and 40-59-280 requires the building official to refuse a permit unless the applicant furnishes evidence of licensure, registration, or exemption. Confirm how Charleston applies this before you apply.