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Remodel and repair permits in the City of Charleston, SC

Data through September 2026 · updated 19 Oct 2026

2,722 remodel and repair permits were issued in the City of Charleston, October 2024 through September 2026: about 1,361 a year and 35% of all permits. 1,397 remodel and repair permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 5% more than the 1,325 in the 12 months before. The busiest month is March. The usual one took 212 days from issue to the city's final. 29403 has the most, 544.

What this file covers: The city's layer holds building permits only, so trade permits are few.

2,722permits issued
1,397last 12 months
Marbusiest month
212days, usual issue to final
56%finished
$18,940usual declared value
Sep 2026records through

Remodel and repair permits by month

Permits issued each month, October 2024 through September 2026.

Oct 2024: 102Oct2024Nov 2024: 95Dec 2024: 61Jan 2025: 160Jan2025Feb 2025: 100Mar 2025: 136Apr 2025: 111May 2025: 108Jun 2025: 110Jul 2025: 112JulAug 2025: 125Sep 2025: 105Oct 2025: 107Nov 2025: 82Dec 2025: 104Jan 2026: 107Jan2026Feb 2026: 104Mar 2026: 135Apr 2026: 158May 2026: 101Jun 2026: 124Jul 2026: 129JulAug 2026: 127Sep 2026: 119
The same numbers as a table
MonthPermits
Oct 2024102
Nov 202495
Dec 202461
Jan 2025160
Feb 2025100
Mar 2025136
Apr 2025111
May 2025108
Jun 2025110
Jul 2025112
Aug 2025125
Sep 2025105
Oct 2025107
Nov 202582
Dec 2025104
Jan 2026107
Feb 2026104
Mar 2026135
Apr 2026158
May 2026101
Jun 2026124
Jul 2026129
Aug 2026127
Sep 2026119

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When remodel and repair permits are filed

By calendar month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). March is the busiest (119), December the quietest (73). A busy month at the permit counter usually means a longer wait for a contractor.

January: 118 (100 = an average month)February: 90 (100 = an average month)March: 119 (100 = an average month)119April: 119 (100 = an average month)May: 92 (100 = an average month)June: 103 (100 = an average month)July: 106 (100 = an average month)August: 111 (100 = an average month)September: 99 (100 = an average month)October: 92 (100 = an average month)November: 78 (100 = an average month)December: 73 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND
The same numbers as a table
MonthIndex
January118
February90
March119
April119
May92
June103
July106
August111
September99
October92
November78
December73

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How long a remodel and repair permit takes

Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025, at least 12 months before the file ends. Usual days is the middle permit among the 290 with a final date.

MeasureValue
Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 20251,325
Finished55.9%
Expired0.2%
Usual days, issue to final212
Middle half, days114–344

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What a remodel and repair permit is declared at

The value written on the permit at application, from 2,679 permits with one. Not a quote and not the final bill.

MeasureValue
Usual declared value$18,940
Middle half$8,291–$43,363

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ZIP codes with the most remodel and repair permits

Counted at the property's ZIP code. Share is the part of the city's 2,722 remodel and repair permits.

ZIP codePermitsShare
2940354420%
2940149218%
2940740215%
2941427910%
2941226910%
294922098%
29455913%
294057under 1%

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How Charleston compares with other cities

From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.

How these numbers are made

Source: City of Charleston GIS, Permits All Issued (Dashboard View), EnerGov layer External/Applications 1134, read 19 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.

Building permits the City of Charleston Department of Permitting & Inspections issues inside the city limits only: the Peninsula, West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, Daniel Island and Cainhoy parts of the city. North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville and unincorporated Charleston County run their own permit offices and are not in this file. Business-license certificates of occupancy, tree removal, rental registrations and sidewalk dining permits are left out.

  • The city's public permit layer names no contractor, so there are no contractor lists, rankings or firm pages for Charleston.
  • The layer holds building permits only: the city's separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are not published, so trade counts come only from single-family alteration permits whose description names one trade (roofing above all) and are far below the real number of trade jobs.
  • The value is the valuation on the permit application, which sets the fee. It is not a final cost.
  • Many permits stay marked Issued after the work passed its final inspection. A permit counts as finished if the city marked it Completed, recorded a finaled date or recorded a passed final inspection; only those with a finaled date add days.
  • Permits the city marked void or that were cancelled or denied are not counted.

Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →

Cite this page

Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:

Contractor Records, "Remodel and repair permits in the City of Charleston, SC", https://contractorrecords.com/charleston-sc/remodel-permits, data through September 2026, from the City of Charleston Department of Permitting & Inspections building-permit records.

Link to a table: By month · Season · Days to final · Declared value · By ZIP code.

Download the tables (CSV): Remodels & repairs permits by month · Remodels & repairs permits by calendar month (index) · Remodels & repairs permits: days to final · Remodels & repairs permits: declared value · Remodels & repairs permits by ZIP code.

Common questions

  • How many remodel and repair permits does Charleston issue a year?About 1,361 a year in the City of Charleston: 2,722 permits issued October 2024 through September 2026, 1,397 of them in the last 12 months.
  • How long does a remodel and repair permit take in Charleston?The usual one took 212 days from issue to the city's final inspection, and the middle half took 114 to 344 days (290 permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025 that reached a final). The wait to get the permit issued is not in this file.
  • When do people in Charleston file the most remodel and repair permits?March (119 against an average month of 100); December is the quietest (73). If you can choose, a quiet month at the permit counter can mean contractors have more room in their schedules.
  • Which ZIP code has the most remodel and repair permits in Charleston?29403, with 544 of the 2,722 (20%); then 29401 (492).