Building permits, zoning and land rules in Kershaw County, South Carolina

Yes. Kershaw County Planning & Zoning issues building permits and inspections, and the county enforces South Carolina's mandatory building codes^1,2. You can apply for a building permit and schedule inspections through the link on the county page¹. An owner may act as the builder for a qualifying one- or two-family residence intended for the owner or family, but must personally supervise the work, use licensed contractors where required, sign the application in person, and record the required notice⁴. Selling or renting within 2 years creates a presumption that the project did not qualify for that exemption⁴. A residential owner also does not need a building permit for a one-story detached accessory structure up to 200 square feet, or a deck up to 200 square feet and no more than 30 inches above grade⁴. A farm structure such as a barn or shed can skip the building-code portion when the owner files the county farm-structure affidavit before construction; the affidavit states a 5000 square foot size limit, and residences are excluded⁶.

Kershaw County Planning & Zoning, at 515 Walnut St in Camden, 803.425.1500, handles building permits and inspections¹. Once a permit is issued, the property must be clearly marked with proper address numbers under the county's 9-1-1 addressing requirements¹. The mandatory South Carolina codes currently enforced by counties took effect in 2023, while local administrative procedures remain the county's responsibility². The county fee schedule effective July 1, 2025 computes building permit fees from valuation of $88 per square foot of heated space, $35 for unfinished space, $51 for garages and $24 for porches and decks, or the contract cost, whichever is higher⁷. Ask Planning & Zoning for the current application checklist and plan-review fees¹.

Yes, Kershaw County administers a Unified Code of Zoning and Land Development Regulations governing land use and the number of dwellings allowed per parcel¹. The county's permit page points readers to rules for dwellings per lot, accessory apartments, and floodplain permitting¹. The available facts do not establish that identical county zoning applies everywhere, so Accessory apartments are limited: the principal dwelling must be owner-occupied, the apartment cannot exceed 50 percent of its floor area or two bedrooms, a detached one must be at least 20 feet from the principal dwelling, and neither may be a manufactured home⁸. Call Planning & Zoning at 803.425.1500 to confirm whether the parcel is under county or municipal jurisdiction and to verify its district, allowed uses, setbacks, and dwelling limits¹.

SCDES, not Kershaw County, issues septic approvals and permits for a home or manufactured home not served by public or community sewer, and the county cannot issue the building permit first³. The application fee is $150, and a Permit to Construct is valid for 5 years; renewal or modification after that requires a new application and fee³. Before the system is covered, the installer must schedule an SCDES inspection; if the inspector has not arrived within 30 minutes of the appointment, a licensed installer may self-inspect and submit the approved documentation⁹. Only 25.8% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation an early contingency¹⁰.

Kershaw County administers zoning and regulates the number of dwellings allowed on a parcel, but we could not confirm the county's rules for living in an RV, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, or minimum dwelling size¹. A manufactured or tiny home using septic still needs SCDES approval before construction or placement when public or community sewer is unavailable³. Before buying for any of these uses, call Planning & Zoning at 803.425.1500 with the parcel number and ask about jurisdiction, zoning district, dwelling type, temporary occupancy, and required permits¹.

1. Call Kershaw County Planning & Zoning at 803.425.1500 to verify jurisdiction, zoning, allowed dwellings, and the current application requirements¹.
2. If sewer is unavailable, apply to SCDES for septic approval; the county cannot issue the building permit until the septic permit is issued³.
3. If you will use a private residential well, submit the required Notice of Intent to SCDES before well construction⁵.
4. Decide whether to hire a licensed builder or use the conditional owner-builder exemption and complete its personal-appearance, supervision, disclosure, and recording requirements⁴.
5. Apply through the county's building-permit link and schedule the required inspections¹.
6. Mark the property with its proper address numbers when the permit issues¹.

Confirm jurisdiction and zoning first, because Kershaw County regulates land use and dwelling count but the parcel-level district rules still need verification¹. Make septic feasibility a contract contingency: SCDES issues the permit, and only 25.8% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field^3,10. A private residential or irrigation well requires a Notice of Intent before construction; the listed fees are $70 for a residential well and $50 for an irrigation well, and SCDES has a 48-hour review period for a completed filing⁵. Also confirm floodplain constraints and legal driveway access with Planning & Zoning before closing¹.