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

Lee County, South Carolina requires permits for applicable building, electrical, plumbing, gas, mechanical, alteration, renovation, roofing, re-roofing, and addition work, including additions to manufactured or mobile homes¹. Residential new construction, additions, garages, and storage buildings require drawing sets, a plan-review fee at submission, and a South Carolina licensed contractor or a valid exemption¹. The 2021 South Carolina building codes took effect January 1, 2023⁷. A qualifying owner-builder must personally appear and sign the permit application, supervise construction, use licensed or registered trades where required, and record notice with the register of deeds⁶. Selling, renting, or offering the home for sale or rent within two years creates a presumption that the exemption did not apply unless the commission approves otherwise⁶. A farm structure built and used on a farm may be exempt from building-code requirements, but not if it is a residence or attached to one; the owner must file an affidavit with the building-code official before construction, and the county may still issue a permit⁹.

The Lee County Planning and Zoning Department, on the 3rd floor of the courthouse in Bishopville, handles building permits, zoning, and floodplain regulation for the county¹⁰. Reach the office at (803)484-5341 Ext. 3196 or giseman@leecountysc.org¹⁰. By its own description, the department issues building permits for all construction in the county, reviews site plans, regulates floodplain areas, and verifies land zoning¹⁰. Lee County uses a third-party company for every inspection except Fire Marshal inspections, and applicants schedule through Evolve or by calling 803-483-3196¹⁰. The inspection must use the code in effect when the original building permit was issued; structural changes use the code tied to the application or permit date, while a change of use uses the code in effect on the inspection date⁹.

Lee County has zoning, but the administrator depends on the parcel's location: the county administers and enforces the Lee County Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance, while the City of Bishopville administers city zoning². For land outside Bishopville, ask the Lee County Planning and Zoning Department to identify the parcel's district and any required approval¹⁰. For land inside Bishopville, ask the city zoning administrator about the city district and standards; the city's Board of Zoning Appeals hears appeals and variance requests². We could not confirm the minimum dwelling size, setbacks, lot coverage, height limits, or district-specific lot sizes for a particular parcel.

Septic permitting in Lee County is administered by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services rather than the county³. Before building a home or placing a manufactured home on land without public or community sewer, obtain SCDES site approval and a permit to install; without that permit, the county cannot issue the building permit³. After a new septic system is built, SCDES returns to inspect the installation and issues approval to operate if the system meets South Carolina standards¹¹. State law does not require regular inspection of an existing system, although a town may adopt its own inspection ordinance¹². Only 31.9% of Lee County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make the site and soil evaluation an early contingency¹³. An onsite wastewater permit cannot be issued where public sewer is accessible, and sewer accessibility must be verified before the application¹⁴. Reach SCDES through its septic-tank program⁴.

We could not confirm a Lee County rule allowing long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping, or tiny-home occupancy on private land. Zoning authority depends on location, so ask the Lee County Planning and Zoning Department about land outside Bishopville and the city zoning administrator about land inside Bishopville before moving an RV or tiny home onto it^2,10. Ask separately about temporary occupancy during construction, full-time occupancy, utility connections, minimum dwelling size, and whether a tiny home will be treated as a site-built, modular, or manufactured structure. A South Carolina rule limiting stays in state-park campsites does not answer what is allowed on private land¹⁵.

1. Identify whether the parcel is under Lee County zoning or City of Bishopville zoning, then ask the appropriate zoning administrator to confirm the district, setbacks, minimum size, and any proposed RV or tiny-home use².
2. For a county-administered project, obtain Planning Department approval of the deed and plat, complete the E911 address inquiry, and line up the required permit applications and fees¹.
3. If public or community sewer is unavailable, obtain the SCDES septic permit before applying for the county building permit³.
4. If you need a private well, submit SCDES's Notice of Intent before construction begins⁵.
5. Submit the county building-permit package; residential new construction, additions, garages, and storage buildings require drawing sets and a plan-review fee¹.
6. If using the owner-builder exemption, personally sign the application, supervise the work, use properly licensed trades, and record the required notice⁶. For a qualifying farm structure, file the required affidavit before construction and ask whether Lee County will still issue a permit⁹.
7. Schedule construction inspections through Evolve at 803-483-3196; the applicable code generally follows the original permit date^9,10.
8. After a new septic system is built, obtain the SCDES inspection and approval to operate¹¹.
9. For a driveway onto a state highway, obtain SCDOT approval before cutting the entrance¹⁶.

Soils: only 31.9% of Lee County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so get a SCDES site evaluation before assuming a standard system will work¹³. Water: a private well needs a SCDES Notice of Intent before drilling, and a septic permit cannot be issued where public sewer is accessible to the parcel^5,14. Flood: the Planning and Zoning Department regulates floodplain areas, so ask whether a specific parcel falls in a mapped floodplain before buying¹⁰. Access: Lee County Public Works maintains county roads, while a driveway onto a state highway needs SCDOT approval^16,17. Subdivision: dividing land into parcels of five acres or more with no new street is treated as an information-record filing rather than full subdivision review under state law¹⁸. Taxes and costs: Lee County's effective property tax rate is 0.6%, the median annual bill is $579, and typical homeowner's insurance is about $1,581 a year¹³.