Emergency Repair Permitting

Beaufort County is ready to assist homeowners who will be rebuilding, repairing, and reconstructing storm-damaged structures in an orderly, safe and timely manner. To help with this effort, the County’s Building Codes Offices in Beaufort and Bluffton will reopen on Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at 8 a.m.:

• County Administration Building, 100 Ribaut Road, 2nd Floor, Beaufort
• Myrtle Park Building, 4819 Bluffton Parkway, 3rd Floor, Bluffton

“The rebuilding process can be complicated, but Beaufort County is committed to helping homeowners through this recovery effort,” said the County’s Building Codes Director, Chuck Atkinson. “Although the speed of reconstruction is a high priority, the safety of the reconstruction process and application of all required building codes are also a paramount issue. Recovery after a storm requires a lot of patience.”

The following information is being provided to serve as a general guide to assist property owners and properly licensed contractors through the permitting process:

• Work that does not require a building permit – Removal of debris from on or in a structure, minor demolition to prevent injury or further damage to buildings, structural shoring and bracing, replacement of broken windows and doors, minor non-structural repairs made to the exterior of structures, repair of minor water leaks that do not involve structural, mechanical or electrical systems.
• Emergency Mechanical and Electrical repairs – Where equipment replacement or electrical repairs must be made in an emergency situation, a properly licensed contractor may perform the work while onsite and submit a permit application within 48 hours of completing the repairs. Please note that power releases and required inspections will not be performed until the work has been permitted.
• Buildings with structural damage – Due to the dynamic nature and wide ranging impacts of structural damage, buildings that require structural repairs will be assessed on a case by case basis. To expedite this process, permit applicants are encouraged to provide photographs of damaged areas to assist County staff in determining what construction documents will be required for permit approval.

Questions concerning permit requirements should be sent via email to wbcodes@bcgov.net or by calling the Beaufort County Building Codes Office at 843-255-2065.