Building permits in Greenville County, South Carolina
Of the 12 common home projects we have verified in Greenville County, 3 need a permit outright and 9 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 13
- in Greenville County
Greenville County Building Safety (Planning and Code Compliance)
- 301 University Ridge, Greenville County Square, Suite S-3100, Greenville, SC 29601
- Phone: 864-467-7060
- Email: permits@greenvillecounty.org
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Greenville County
Greenville County permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history online.
What needs a permit in Greenville County
Of the 12 common home projects we have verified in Greenville County, 3 need a permit outright and 9 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Before moving or adding plumbing fixtures, adding circuits or changing walls in a bathroom | ...cost of the project."), plus trade fees: plumbing minimum fee per permit $72.00 and... |
| Deck Permit | It depends | deck area, for decks not more than 30 inches above grade at any point | ...work is priced on the Residential Permit Fees schedule by total valuation: "$1,000... |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Before any electrical work beyond minor repairs, including service upgrades, meter... | Electrical Permit Fees: minimum fee per permit $72.00 |
| EV Charger Permit | It depends | Before installing a hardwired charger or a new 240-volt circuit or receptacle for an... | Electrical Permit Fees: minimum fee per permit $72.00 |
| Fence Permit | It depends | fence height | ...work is priced on the Residential Permit Fees schedule by total valuation: "$1,000... |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | Before installing or changing out heating or cooling equipment, adding ductwork, or... | Mechanical Permit Fees: minimum fee per permit $72.00 |
| Patio Permit | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not published |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | Before adding or relocating plumbing fixtures, replacing concealed pipe, or connecting... | Plumbing Permit Fees: minimum fee per permit $72.00 |
| Pool Permit | It depends | prefabricated swimming pools only | ...work is priced on the Residential Permit Fees schedule by total valuation: "$1,000... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | Flat fee: the Residential Roofing Permit line is $108.00 under Miscellaneous Permit Fees... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure | ...work is priced on the Residential Permit Fees schedule by total valuation: "$1,000... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | Electrical schedule line Solar Panel per 5kw at $48.00, with the electrical minimum fee... |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Permit Fees on the Residential Permit Fees schedule: Gas Water Heater $36.00 and... |
Planning a project in Greenville County?
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Schedule an inspection in Greenville County
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. Inspectors can be reached by phone daily 8:00 to 8:30 am and inspections are performed daily 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. From November 1, 2026, residential new construction and alteration rough-in inspections are combined into one "Rough In Inspections" and finals into one "Final Inspections".
Schedule or request a Greenville County inspection
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: 864-467-7060.
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Greenville County permit fees compared with nearby South Carolina localities
| South Carolina locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville County | ...Permit Fees schedule by total valuation: "$1,000 and... | Mechanical Permit Fees: minimum fee per permit $72.00 | Electrical Permit Fees: minimum fee per permit $72.00 |
| Charleston | A $40.00 non-refundable application fee plus a... | A $40.00 non-refundable application fee, which the... | A $40.00 non-refundable application fee, which the... |
| Columbia | ...Review Fees sheet: 'Building Permit' at 'Value $1.00... | ...plumbing, gas, mechanical, electrical' at $20.00 for... | ...building, plumbing, gas and mechanical work: $20.00... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that South Carolina jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Greenville County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Greenville County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 13 permit types we have verified for Greenville County, 3 always require a permit (for example a roof replacement permit), 9 depend on size or scope (a bathroom remodel permit, for instance). Each Greenville County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Greenville County?
- Greenville County publishes a fee for 12 of the 13 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Greenville County Building Safety (Planning and Code Compliance); we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Greenville County?
- Greenville County Building Safety (Planning and Code Compliance) issues permits in Greenville County, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at 864-467-7060. The Greenville County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Greenville County pages were verified. 13 permit types, 4 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Greenville County Building Safety (Planning and Code Compliance) or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Greenville County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.
Permitting activity in Greenville County
In 2025, Greenville County authorized permits for 4,947 new residential housing units (4,222 single-family, 725 in multi-family buildings), valued at $2.0B , down from 5,575 the year before. That works out to about 8.5 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual data · population 583,125.