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

In unincorporated Richland County, county permitting covers residential and commercial new construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, building moves and demolition¹. Ask Building Permitting and Inspections whether the proposed project needs a permit before hiring a contractor or ordering materials^1,2. South Carolina's mandatory building codes and state modifications must be enforced by every county and municipality¹⁰. The currently effective statewide cycle is the 2021 South Carolina Building Codes, which took effect January 1, 2023⁹. A farm structure other than a residence or a structure attached to a residence may qualify for a conditional exemption, but the owner must file the required affidavit before construction, and the exemption does not remove permit authority or floodplain standards⁸. Qualifying owner-builders remain subject to codes and zoning⁷.

Richland County Building Permitting and Inspections handles county building permits and inspections at 803-576-2140, at 2020 Hampton Street in Columbia². Planning and Development Services answers zoning questions at 803-576-2190 or devservices@richlandcountysc.gov³. Floodplain Management answers flood-map and elevation-certificate questions at 803-576-2172 or flood@richlandcountysc.gov¹¹. Engineering maintains county encroachment-permit records at 803-576-2400¹².

Inside city limits, Columbia and Forest Acres handle their own building permits^13,14. Cayce, mainly in Lexington County but reaching into Richland County, also handles its own building permits¹⁵. Septic permitting remains with SCDES for homes without public or community sewer, including inside municipalities^4,5.

Richland County administers zoning and land-development regulation in unincorporated areas; municipal jurisdiction or agreements can change the applicable authority³. Columbia, Forest Acres and Blythewood set their own zoning^16,17,18. Cayce, mainly in Lexington County but reaching into Richland County, also sets its own zoning¹⁹. SCDES still handles septic approval for homes without public or community sewer^4,5.

For county-governed land, minimum lot size and setbacks depend on the zoning district and applicable overlays or development standards; ask Planning and Development Services for the parcel's requirements^3,20. We could not confirm county building-height or minimum dwelling-size rules; ask the same office before relying on a listing³. Richland County reviews administrative, minor, major and family-heir subdivisions, with floodplain review potentially applying in an A Flood Zone²¹. State law provides an information-record path for divisions into parcels of at least 5 acres without a new street, but the plat still goes to the planning agency²².

SCDES administers septic permitting and installation inspections in Richland County⁴. A home or manufactured home without public or community sewer needs SCDES site approval and a septic-installation permit before the county can issue a building permit⁵. Submit the Onsite Wastewater System Application through the state portal with the property's plat or deed and $150 fee; traditional permitting includes a site visit and suitability evaluation⁴. A Permit to Construct lasts 5 years; renewal or approved changes require a new application and fee⁵.

Before a new system is covered, the installer must schedule an SCDES inspection⁴. If the inspector does not arrive within 30 minutes of the scheduled time, a licensed installer may self-inspect and submit the approved final-inspection form⁴. State law generally does not require routine inspections of existing systems, but local ordinances may add requirements; ask SCDES about the property⁴. Only 26.9% of Richland County soils rate free of severe limitations for conventional drain fields; SCDES considers alternative systems case by case^23,24.

South Carolina provides a building-code pathway for tiny houses through IRC Appendix AQ, but a tiny house must still satisfy Richland County zoning, site-development, building-permit, utility and septic requirements⁶. We could not confirm the rule for long-term RV living on private land in unincorporated Richland County; ask Planning and Development Services before placing an RV³. County zoning and development standards vary by district, so ask Planning and Development Services for a written, parcel-specific answer before buying or placing an RV or tiny house³. A manufactured home follows a different path: if the property lacks local sewer service, septic approval is required before the county can issue the building permit⁴. Where a sewer district serves the property, a sewer tap fee must be paid before the county issues the manufactured-home setup permit²⁵. SCDES approval of an alternative wastewater system does not itself approve a dwelling type or off-grid occupancy²⁴. Owner-builder status also does not waive zoning or codes; qualifying owners must personally supervise construction, use licensed help where required and record the statutory notice⁷.

1. Ask Planning and Development Services to confirm jurisdiction, zoning district, allowed residential use and dimensional standards³.
2. Confirm sewer availability; a home or manufactured home without public or community sewer needs SCDES septic approval before the county building permit⁴.
3. If septic is needed, submit the SCDES application, plat or deed and $150 fee, then complete the site evaluation⁴.
4. Check floodplain status early; property in a FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Area requires a Floodplain Development Permit, generally with the land-development or building-permit application, plus elevation certificates for structures¹¹. Ask Floodplain Management about required elevation certificates and Building Permitting and Inspections for current fees^2,11.
5. Ask Building Permitting and Inspections what permit and plans the project requires, then apply for review^1,2.
6. Coordinate access with Engineering because county subdivision review includes road right-of-way and driveway-separation rules^12,21.
7. Arrange new septic-system inspection before covering the installation⁴. Ask Building Permitting and Inspections for residential closeout requirements². Richland County’s published commercial process issues a certificate of occupancy, posted to the applicant’s online account, only after all requirements and inspections are complete²⁶.

Before making a land contract unconditional, verify the zoning district, sewer availability, septic suitability, floodplain status, subdivision history and legal road access^3,11,21. Only 26.9% of county soils rate free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make satisfactory SCDES approval a purchase contingency when sewer is unavailable^4,23. About 81.3% of the county is wooded and 94.2% has slopes of 15% or less; clearing, drainage and the actual homesite still need parcel-level review²³. The typical home value is $247,539, USDA farmland value is $5,124 per acre, and the median property-tax bill is $1,569 per year²³.