Building permits, zoning and land rules in Anderson, South Carolina

At a glance

Building permits

Required through City Building and Codes for new construction, repairs and renovations¹⁴

Zoning

City Unified Development Ordinance governs land use and development²

Septic permits

SCDES approval required without public or community sewer; application fee $150³

Residential plan review

Published city fee: $25⁶

Owner-builder

State exemption is conditional and preserves building-code and zoning requirements⁷

Private wells

State Notice of Intent required before construction; residential well fee $70⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Anderson, SC?

Anderson requires building permits for all new construction, repairs and renovations, and contractors must hold a state license or South Carolina homebuilders license plus a city business license.¹ City Building and Codes issues building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical permits for work within the city.⁴

Anderson’s published fee schedule lists residential plan review at $25 and a single-family residential impact fee of $200; ask City Building and Codes for the full project calculation before budgeting.⁶ South Carolina’s owner-builder exemption can cover a home intended for the owner or family, but requires personal supervision, the required filings and compliance with building codes and zoning.⁷

Who issues building permits in Anderson, and how do you apply?

City of Anderson Building and Codes is the construction counter for land inside Anderson city limits, at 601 S. Main St. Anderson, SC 29624, telephone (864) 231-2217.⁴ Anderson accepts building-permit applications and plan-review submissions through ViewPoint Cloud, with drawings attached online instead of hard copies.⁹

Anderson inspection requests require 24-hour notice, so schedule the inspection before the work reaches a stage that needs approval.¹⁰ For a parcel outside city limits, use the Anderson County guide for the county building-permit answer rather than applying the city’s construction requirements to unincorporated land.¹¹

Does Anderson have zoning, and what does it mean for a home?

Anderson has its own Unified Development Ordinance governing development and redevelopment inside city limits.² City Planning’s UDO covers zoning, land use, site design and other development standards, and its interactive map shows property zoning designations.⁵ Use the parcel’s zoning designation when asking City Planning about the proposed dwelling and site layout.⁵

We could not confirm the complete Anderson district rules for minimum lot size, setbacks, dwelling floor area, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings; ask City Planning to identify the applicable UDO standards for the parcel before committing to a design.⁵ Anderson’s Planning Commission also reviews and approves subdivision plans, so a proposed lot split needs a separate planning conversation.¹²

How do septic permits and private wells work inside Anderson?

A home or manufactured home in Anderson without public or community sewer needs SCDES site approval and a septic installation permit before installation.³ The septic application fee is $150, and the permit is valid for 5 years; renewal after that period or modification requires a new application and fee.³ The installer must contact SCDES to arrange inspection before covering the system.¹³

SCDES lists an Anderson regional office for onsite wastewater questions after submission and statewide pre-application assistance at 1-855-731-2504.¹⁴ A private residential well follows a separate state process: submit a Notice of Intent before construction, with a $70 residential well fee.⁸

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Anderson?

We could not confirm a complete Anderson rule allowing residential RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on private land; ask City Planning about the proposed use and City Building and Codes about the proposed structure before buying an RV or ordering a home.⁵⁴ Anderson’s city zoning and construction requirements are separate approvals, so a building-permit discussion alone does not answer whether the land use is allowed.²¹

A composting or incinerating toilet is also subject to South Carolina approval: the state may consider permitted nonwater-carried sewage systems with engineered plans and specified health safeguards.¹⁵ Where pressurized water generates graywater, South Carolina requires a permitted graywater treatment system and approval to operate.¹⁶

Building a home in Anderson: what are the steps, in order?

1. Ask City Planning to confirm the zoning designation and proposed use under Anderson’s UDO before settling the site design.⁵
2. Establish whether the Anderson property has public or community sewer; where it does not, obtain SCDES septic approval before installation.³
3. Submit the Anderson building-permit application and drawings through ViewPoint Cloud, and ask City Building and Codes which trade permits the project needs.⁹⁴
4. Request city inspections with 24-hour notice and arrange the septic inspection before the installer covers the system.¹⁰¹³

Before buying a flood-prone Anderson parcel, ask City Building and Codes about floodplain requirements: new residential construction and substantial improvements in special flood-hazard areas require the lowest floor at least 2 feet above base flood elevation, and basements are prohibited.¹⁷

Watch-outs

• Anderson’s posted fee schedule says work begun before required building permits triggers a $200 fine and an automatically doubled permit fee.⁶
• South Carolina’s adopted 2024 mandatory codes have a January 1, 2027 implementation date; ask Anderson Building and Codes which code cycle applies to the construction schedule.¹⁸
• South Carolina’s farm-structure exemption excludes residences and attached structures, requires an affidavit before construction, and preserves municipal authority to require building permits.¹⁹

Sources

1. Building and Codes - City of Anderson SC (Anderson), quoted and re-checked
2. Planning - City of Anderson SC (Anderson), quoted and re-checked
3. Septic Tanks - Residential, Single Home Builder (Anderson), quoted and re-checked
4. City of Anderson Building and Codes (cityofandersonsc.com)
5. City of Anderson Planning Division (cityofandersonsc.com)
6. Building and Codes - City of Anderson SC (Anderson), quoted and re-checked
7. South Carolina Code Title 40, Chapter 59 — Residential Home Builders (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Private Drinking Water Wells (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Building Permit Information - City of Anderson SC (Anderson), quoted and re-checked
10. City of Anderson Building Permit Information (cityofandersonsc.com)
11. New Permitting Portal – What permits do I need and what Tab do I click on? (2026 county census)
12. Planning Commission - City of Anderson SC (Anderson), quoted and re-checked
13. Septic Tanks - Residential, Single Home Builder (Anderson), quoted and re-checked
14. SCDES Onsite Wastewater — Anderson Regional Office (des.sc.gov)
15. South Carolina State Register Vol. 45, Issue 5 — Regulation 61-56 (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. South Carolina State Register Vol. 45, Issue 5 — Regulation 61-56 (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Code of Ordinances, Chapter 50, Section 50-19, Specific standards (Anderson), quoted and re-checked
18. 2024 Building Code Modification Index (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. South Carolina Code of Laws, Section 6-9-65 (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.