Mount Pleasant is the most permit-disciplined town we work in, and the homeowners who have a smooth renovation there are the ones who knew three things going in: the permit runs through a portal called OPAL, the town's own plan-review lead time is measured in weeks, not days, and the drawing set has to be sealed. Here is the process as the town publishes it, with the numbers.
OPAL is the front door
Since July 22, 2024, the Town of Mount Pleasant has run permitting through OPAL, which the town describes as “a new, streamlined permitting and application process known as OPAL (Online Permitting and Application Licensing).” Applications, plan uploads, fees, and inspection scheduling all happen there. There is no walking a paper set into Town Hall anymore, and a contractor without an OPAL account cannot pull your permit.
Plan review takes four to six weeks
The town's Permit page states: “Our current lead-time for plan review is 4-6 weeks, so Third Party Plan Review is not available at this time.” Read that twice. It means a kitchen or addition that needs plans reviewed will spend a month or more in the queue before a permit issues, and there is no paid fast lane. We build that window into every Mount Pleasant schedule, and it is the single most common reason a start date in Mount Pleasant lands later than a start date in Daniel Island or West Ashley.
What a remodel or addition application must include
The town's Building Permit Application for Remodels, Additions, and Detached Structures lists the package. In the town's own words, “Structural plans must be signed and sealed by a S.C. Registered Design Professional,” and the set also calls for a site plan, a drainage plan, elevations, foundation and floor plans, wall sections, mechanical layouts, a flood elevation certificate if applicable, and compliance documentation for the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code. An engineer's seal is not optional for structural changes, so budget for it.
What the permit costs
Mount Pleasant bases the fee on construction valuation, which the Building Official sets from the ICC Building Valuation Tables rather than from your contract price. The fee schedule effective July 1, 2024 reads: for valuations of $2,001 to $50,000, “$69 for the first $2,000; plus $11 for each additional $1,000,” and the plan review fee is one half of the permit fee. As a worked example, a project the town values at $50,000 carries a permit fee of $597 plus a $298.50 plan review fee. Larger projects step into higher brackets on the same schedule.
The Building Permit Allocation System, and why it usually does not apply to you
Mount Pleasant has run a Building Permit Allocation System since January 8, 2019 that caps how many new dwelling units are permitted each year. Homeowners hear “allocation” and worry their renovation needs a slot. It does not. The system limits “New Single Family (attached and detached), Accessory Dwelling Units and Multi-family Units,” and the town states that “Redevelopment (tear down and rebuilds) are not subject to the BPAS except if you are adding more dwelling units than what previously existed.” A kitchen, a bath, an addition, or even a full rebuild of one house is outside it. Adding a garage apartment is not.
Flood zones inside the town
Much of Mount Pleasant is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and the town's code defines a substantial improvement as work “taking place during a period of five years, the cumulative cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the fair market value of the structure.” The published Mount Pleasant Code § 152.04 also explains how multiple improvements are accumulated. For multiple improvements within that window, the code adds each improvement's percentage of the structure's value immediately before that improvement; it is not simply all costs divided by today's value. Confirm the property, prior work, valuation and proposed scope with Town Building Inspection before relying on the calculation. If your project is anywhere near that line, read our guide to the 50% rule before the design is finished, and expect the flood elevation certificate on the checklist above to be mandatory.
Who to call
The town's Building Inspection Division is at 843-884-5184. On our jobs, the permit package is our work, not yours: we assemble the drawings, coordinate the engineer's seal, file in OPAL, and put the four-to-six-week review on the schedule you sign. SC License CLG.127339.
Sources
- Town of Mount Pleasant, OPAL announcement (July 16, 2024): tompsc.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2764
- Town of Mount Pleasant, Permit page (plan-review lead time): tompsc.com/151/Permit
- Building Permit Application for Remodels, Additions, and Detached Structures: tompsc.com/DocumentCenter/View/48250
- Fees and the July 1, 2024 fee schedule: tompsc.com/153/Fees, EDS fee schedule
- Building Permit Allocation System: tompsc.com/1100
- Town Code § 152.04: codelibrary.amlegal.com
Verified against the pages above on September 2, 2026. Lead times and fees change; the town's pages are the authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Mount Pleasant renovation permit take?
The town states its plan-review lead time is 4 to 6 weeks and that third-party plan review is not available. Add the time to prepare sealed drawings before submission.
Do I need an engineer for a kitchen remodel in Mount Pleasant?
If the work is structural, yes: the town's application requires structural plans signed and sealed by a South Carolina registered design professional. A finishes-only remodel with no structural change generally does not.
Does the Building Permit Allocation System affect my addition?
No. BPAS limits new dwelling units. Additions, remodels, and rebuilds of an existing single home are exempt unless you add a dwelling unit, such as a garage apartment.
How much is a Mount Pleasant building permit?
It is based on the town's construction valuation, not your contract. For valuations from $2,001 to $50,000 the fee is $69 for the first $2,000 plus $11 per additional $1,000, and plan review adds half of the permit fee.