Town of Greeleyville, South Carolina building permits and land rules

At a glance

Building permits

Required for construction and other regulated work; apply to the building official.¹

Zoning and setbacks

We could not confirm town zoning or setback schedules; ask the town clerk.⁴

Septic approval

State septic approval plus town connection permits and inspection.³²⁵

RV and tiny-home living

We could not confirm private-land occupancy rules; ask the town clerk and building official.⁴

Owner-builder

State exemption is conditional for an owner or family residence, with supervision and recording requirements.⁶

Building-permit timing

Valid for 12 months; work must begin within 6 months, subject to extension provisions.⁷

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 Town of Greeleyville, SC?

Greeleyville requires an application to the building official before construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, demolition or a change of building occupancy, as well as other regulated work.¹ Greeleyville requires separate permits for the construction contractor and each plumbing, electrical, mechanical or gas-equipment contractor.¹ Ordinary minor repairs may proceed without a building permit only with building-official approval and without violating the town building chapter.¹ New-construction plans must include a septic or sewer permit, so settle wastewater approval alongside the house plans.¹

Who handles building-permit applications in Town of Greeleyville?

Greeleyville’s code directs building-permit applications to the building official on the town’s form, with the required fee, work description, location and owner or authorized-agent signature.⁷ Start with the Town of Greeleyville contact listed here and ask the clerk to identify the current building official and application counter.⁴ The building official may require plans, specifications, computations, site drawings and a boundary survey.⁷ Town business-license-tax certification is required before building-permit issuance.⁷ We could not confirm a published town fee schedule; request the applicable building and trade-permit fees from the clerk before submitting.⁷

Does Town of Greeleyville have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

We could not confirm an adopted Greeleyville zoning ordinance, zoning map, minimum lot size, minimum dwelling size or setback schedule; ask the town clerk for the rules applicable to the parcel.⁴ We also could not confirm private-land RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or accessory-dwelling rules in Greeleyville; describe the proposed use to the clerk and building official before buying.⁴ Greeleyville requires adequate facilities for liquid waste and human-excreta disposal before a place intended for human habitation is occupied.⁸ Wastewater approval therefore needs attention even while the proposed housing use remains unresolved.⁸

How do septic permits work inside Town of Greeleyville?

Greeleyville requires a clerk-issued permit for a public-sewer or sanitary-septic connection, and the town directly inspects and approves installation and connections.²⁵ Where public or community sewer does not serve a proposed home or manufactured home, SCDES approval and a septic installation permit are required.³ Greeleyville’s sanitation code requires service connections for buildings needing water or sewer service unless the town receives the specified state permission for septic use.⁸ Ask the town about service availability before applying: state rules prohibit an onsite wastewater permit where public sewer is accessible.⁹ The SCDES application fee is $150, and the online application requires a plat or deed.¹⁰

What are the steps for building a home in Town of Greeleyville?

First, resolve water and sewer service with Greeleyville and obtain the applicable sewer or septic approval for the new-construction plans.⁸¹ Next, submit the town building-permit form, fee, work description and location, plus plans or a survey when the building official requires them.⁷ Arrange the required separate contractor permits and town business-license-tax certification before issuance.¹⁷ Greeleyville building permits are valid for 12 months, and work must begin within 6 months unless extended under the ordinance.⁷ During septic installation, the installer must contact SCDES for inspection before covering the system; town inspection and approval also apply.¹¹

What should owner-builders check before building in Town of Greeleyville?

South Carolina’s owner-builder exemption applies conditionally to a residence intended solely for the owner or family, with no intent to sell or rent and no public access.⁶ The owner must personally sign the building-permit application, supervise construction and comply with applicable building codes and zoning rules.⁶ The owner-builder exemption does not authorize hiring an unlicensed residential builder or specialty contractor, and the owner must record the required notice with the register of deeds.⁶ Selling or renting within 2 years after completion creates a statutory presumption against the exemption unless otherwise approved by the commission.⁶ Ask Greeleyville’s building official how to document the exemption with the town application.⁷

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Greeleyville’s floodplain application procedure, certificate-of-occupancy requirements or driveway approval process; ask the town clerk for the responsible official before committing to a site.⁴
• Greeleyville’s town connection permit does not replace SCDES septic approval or the installation inspection.²¹¹
• South Carolina’s 2024 building codes are scheduled for local implementation on January 1, 2027; ask the Greeleyville building official which edition applies to the application date.¹²

Sources

1. Greeleyville Code § 8-28, Building permit (Town of Greeleyville), quoted and re-checked
2. Greeleyville Code § 28-31, Sewer connections required when provided (Town of Greeleyville), quoted and re-checked
3. DHEC Onsite Waste Water Program description (Town of Greeleyville), quoted and re-checked
4. Town of Greeleyville — town clerk / building-official referral (williamsburgcounty.sc.gov)
5. Greeleyville Code § 28-31, Sewer connections required when provided (Town of Greeleyville), quoted and re-checked
6. South Carolina Code Title 40, Chapter 59 — Residential Home Builders (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Greeleyville Code § 8-28, Building permit (Town of Greeleyville), quoted and re-checked
8. Greeleyville Code § 28-63, Required for human habitation (Town of Greeleyville), quoted and re-checked
9. Professional Soil Classifiers - Sewer Accessibility Verification (South Carolina statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) (des.sc.gov)
11. Greeleyville Code § 28-31, Sewer connections required when provided (Town of Greeleyville), quoted and re-checked
12. 2024 Building Code Modification Index (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.