Building Inspections

Flood Insurance Rate Maps

FEMA has released digital flood insurance rate maps for coastal areas of Beaufort County. The new maps are now available for viewing:

Flood Maps

The mission of the Building Inspections is to:

  1. Protect the public’s safety, general welfare and property from hazards arising from the construction and use of buildings and structures.
  2. Enforce the building codes, fire code, national electrical code, floodplain regulations and dilapidated abandoned structures.
  3. Issue building permits for new construction, substantial improvements and additions.
  4. Register all manufactured homes placed in the county including the Municipalities.
  5. Staff the Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals
  6. Issue licenses to electrical contractors

2021 Building Codes

  • 2021 International Building Code
  • 2021 International Residential Code
  • 2021 International Fire Code
  • 2021 International Plumbing Code
  • 2021 International Mechanical Code
  • 2021 International Fuel Gas Code
  • 2009 International Energy Code
  • 2017 ANSI A 117.1 (Accessibility Code)
  • 2017 National Electric Code
See also:

A request for Alternate Materials, Methods of Design and Methods of Construction may be made for products or designs, which are not addressed by Building Codes, for consideration by the Building Official or Chief Plans Examiner. 

The submittal must be prepared by a South Carolina licensed architect or engineer and must include the information outlined in the document found here: Alternate Materials, Design & Methods Requirements

The process for accepting deferred submittals is per section of the IBC pertaining to deferred submittals. Currently we are enforcing IBC-2012, and section 107.3.4.1 pertaining to deferred submittals.

Section 107.3.4.1 of the IBC-2012 states the following:

Deferred submittals. For the purposes of this section, deferred submittals are defined as those portions of the design that are not submitted at the time of the application and that are to be submitted to the building official within a specified period.

Deferral of any submittal items shall have the prior approval of the building official. The registered design professional in responsible charge shall list the deferred submittals on the construction documents for review by the building official

Documents for deferred submittal items shall be submitted to the registered design professional in responsible charge who shall review them and forward them to the building official with a notation indicating that the deferred submittal documents have been reviewed and found to be in general conformance to the design of the building.

The deferred submittal items shall not be installed until the deferred submittal documents have been approved by the building official.

  1. Permits expire in accordance with the administrative chapters of the adopted codes.
  2. Renewals are granted in accordance with the requirements of the administrative chapters of the adopted codes.
  3. Expired permit files are pulled and marked as such and stored as per record keeping protocol.
  4. Projects left unattended after permit expiration are monitored on an as needed basis or in response to complaint.
  5. Properties that are left in unsafe or become a nuisance to the community are dealt with per the requirements of the adopted  Building , Fire codes , and County ordinances
Please call (843) 255-2078 to request a new inspection.

To request Building Inspections records, including Building Permit Files, please submit a Freedom of Information Act Request.  

If you are looking for an Elevation Certificate for your property, please do not submit a FOIA request.  Please click here to request Elevation Certificates only.