Construction Guide · Mount Pleasant, SC

Building Permits & Regulations in Mount Pleasant, SC: What to Know Before You Break Ground

Mount Pleasant's Building Inspection Division handles plan review and field inspections for new construction, but the town's growth-management program is what actually controls when you can start.

Understand the Building Permit Allocation System First

New residential permits are released twice yearly — January 1 and July 1 — on a first-come, first-served basis, with a set number available each cycle. Carolina Park, Liberty Hill Farms, and most non-unit-adding tear-down rebuilds are generally exempt. Confirm your project's BPAS status before you finalize a construction start date with your builder.

Plan Review Follows Current Building Codes

Mount Pleasant's Building Inspection Division reviews residential plans for code compliance under codes updated effective January 1, 2023, and the division holds International Accreditation Service (IAS) certification. The town recommends contacting a plan reviewer directly to confirm exactly what your specific project will require before you submit.

Don't Let a Permit Lapse

Once issued, a permit must be picked up and paid for within 180 days, and construction must begin — and continue — within rolling 180-day windows or the permit becomes void. Given how BPAS limits how many permits are available each cycle, losing one to a lapse is a real setback, not a paperwork inconvenience.

Who to Contact

The Building Inspection Division can be reached at (843) 884-5184 or buildinginspectionsdivision@tompsc.com, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 100 Ann Edwards Lane. Confirm current BPAS cycle availability and any code updates directly with the division before you commit to a timeline.

Planning to build in Mount Pleasant and want a construction timeline that actually accounts for BPAS? Contact Chris Eller directly.