The Midlands, and a good way past it.

Some municipalities issue their own building permits. Some hand it to a third-party provider. In parts of Lexington County the county building code applies inside town limits, but you still need a zoning permit from Town Hall first. Getting that order wrong is how a project loses two weeks before anybody picks up a tool.

The housing stock varies just as much. Cayce and Forest Acres are full of mid-century homes where we expect original wiring, cast iron drains and vinyl flooring that has to be tested before demolition. Newer Northeast Columbia and Chapin subdivisions have different problems — builder-grade framing details, drainage and grading, and moisture in crawl spaces.

We work these jurisdictions every week, so we know which office to call and what your specific street tends to hide.