Codes
Office Hours:
8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.
Inspectors are in the office from 8-10 a.m.
Telephone Numbers:
(843) 719-4368 for Moncks Corner
(843) 723-3800 ext. 4368 forCharleston
(843) 567-3136 ext. 4368 for St. Stephen
(843) 719-4111 Fax:
Mailing Address:
PO Box 6122
Moncks Corner, SC 29461-6120
Location
1003 Hwy 52
Moncks Corner, SC 29461-6120
For at least 5,000 years, man has exercised controls over the construction and utilization of buildings and structures throughout the civilized world. It was not until the eighteenth century that building codes first appeared in the United States as the new republic prepared specifications to build a national capital on the banks of the Potomac.
In June of 1997, Berkeley County adopted the Building and Codes Ordinance. This occurred just prior to State mandated legislation that would require that all jurisdictions within the State adopt the Standard Building and related Codes, establish a building department, and appoint a building official. The law would mandate that all inspectors must be certified in the disciplines that they would inspect and be registered with the State of South Carolina.
In 1997 the Berkeley County Council also zoned the entire county, which created the need for code enforcement of zoning regulations. Our department responds to approximately 1500 calls a year.
The Building and Code Enforcement Department is also responsible for FEMA Flood determinations within the County. All the above has a direct relation to the rate of Berkeley County's Building Effectiveness Rating which helps determine the rates that you pay for homeowners' insurance. These ratings are based on a 1 to 10 rating system with 1 being the best and 10 being the worst. In 1997, Berkeley County's rating was 10. In the spring of 1999, we had improved our rating to a 5.
A great amount of change has occurred in Berkeley County since the adoption
of the Building Code Ordinance and the enforcement of zoning regulations. With
the expected growth within Berkeley County next year, this department stands
ready, willing and able to deal with that growth, while demonstrating the same
ideals that the department was founded on: honest and fair treatment of all
citizens, enthusiastically working toward a better Berkeley County.
Article 23 - Unclean Lots or Land, Unfit Structures, Junked Automobiles