Occupancy

Certificates of Occupancy

New Construction: When construction work is complete, the Building Codes and Inspections Department will issue the Certificate of Occupancy, which must be obtained before a building or structure is occupied. 

Please note: No Certificate of Occupancy is issued for a Manufactured Home.  For newly constructed homes, a $48 fee will be required for household garbage, recycling, and yard waste services and must have a certificate of occupancy already issued.  The fee must be paid to the Richland County Finance Department. Contact our Ombudsman's Office at (803) 929-6000 to set up an account and a new roll cart and recycling bin will be delivered to your address.

Change of Use

A change of occupancy applies to the use of the building only and is not related to any process required by the zoning code to change the use of a property. Building occupancy classifications address the impact of the building on the occupants of the building, while zoning use classifications focus on how a property can be developed and the impact on surrounding properties. It is important to keep in mind that the legal use of the building may not be its most recent actual use. That means that a change of occupancy permit may be required even if you don’t plan to make any changes to the building or how the building is currently being used.