Building Inspection Services

Overview

In 1953, the S.C. General Assembly adopted the state's first plumbing code. This created a need for plumbing inspections, which were initially performed by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. At the request of local contractors, architects and engineers, Charleston County Council adopted plumbing codes in 1968 and established the Department of Building Inspection Services to enforce them. Council also adopted the Zoning and Flood Plain Management Ordinances in 1973, Standard Mechanical Code in 1981, and Fire Prevention Code in 1982, and Decal Ordinance in 1990. These ordinances are also enforced by the Department, which currently operates as the Building Inspections Department.