The short answer
Inside the City of Laurens, a homeowner may fix small things and may act as owner-builder for some kinds of work on a home they live in, but may not do remodel or repair work that includes plumbing or gas. The City's FAQ says that kind of work must be performed by a contractor holding a South Carolina license, and the same rule applies at a business.
What you can do without a permit
The City's permit exceptions for plumbing are narrow and practical. You may stop leaks in drains, water, soil, waste or vent pipes. You may clear stoppages. You may repair leaks in pipes, valves or fixtures. You may remove and reinstall a toilet. All of that is allowed only so long as the repair does not involve replacing or rearranging valves, pipes or fixtures.
Typical homeowner jobs that fit: replacing a toilet flapper or fill valve, plunging or snaking a sink, tightening a packing nut, swapping a faucet cartridge, or resetting a toilet on a new wax ring.
Tick off the city, county and utility items first, then let an independent local plumber price the repair.
Call (864) 766-8135Where the line falls
The City draws the line at new material in a concealed pipe. If a concealed trap, drain, water, soil, waste or vent pipe becomes defective and has to be removed and replaced with new material, the FAQ says that is new work: a permit is required and the work must be inspected. Moving a fixture, adding one, re-piping, replacing a water heater, or anything on the gas side is likewise new work.
If you are not sure which side of the line a job falls on, ask Planning and Development before starting. It costs nothing to ask and it avoids the doubled fee for work started without a permit.
The owner-builder route
The City FAQ describes how a homeowner can act as their own builder or general contractor for some work: complete the Owner/Builder Disclosure Statement, have it notarized and recorded at the Laurens County Clerk of Court, and submit a copy with the building permit application. State law then requires the owner to live in the home for two years afterward. All permits still require inspections.
Even under that route, the FAQ excludes electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and structural work, which must be done by contractors with a South Carolina license. An owner-builder can manage a remodel and hire the plumber; the owner-builder cannot do the plumbing.
Why the rule exists
Plumbing mistakes hide inside walls and under floors: an unvented drain that siphons traps and lets sewer gas in, a cross-connection that lets dirty water back into the supply, a gas fitting that leaks slowly. Inspections are designed to catch those while the work is still open. The City's application and inspection process also creates a record that a buyer, lender or insurer can rely on later.
What it costs to do it the City's way
Permit fees come from the City's valuation table, and inspections need 48 hours' notice. If work starts without the permit, the fee is doubled, and paying it does not excuse anything that does not meet code.
| Valuation unit | Rate | Base amount |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | 0.00 | $60.00 |
| $50,000 | 6.00 | $60.00 |
| $100,000 | 4.85 | $354.00 |
| $500,000 | 3.70 | $596.50 |
| $501,000 and up | 2.55 | $2,076.50 |
Outside the city
Laurens County publishes its own fee schedule and charges double for work without a permit. Ask the County Building Codes office what it allows a homeowner to do on a home they live in before you start, and check the county permit checklist.
Landlords and rental property
The City of Laurens runs a rental and vacant property registration program, and its FAQ applies the same plumbing rule to businesses as to homes: minor repairs are allowed, but remodel or repair work that includes plumbing or gas must be performed by a contractor holding a South Carolina license. For a landlord, that means routine fixes such as a flapper or a clogged sink can be handled by the owner or a handyman, while a water heater replacement, a new fixture or a re-pipe needs a contractor and a permit.
Tenants should report leaks, running toilets and slow drains promptly. Small problems are cheap to fix and expensive to ignore, and on a CPW sewer account the owner or tenant pays for every leaked gallon twice.
Buying a house with unpermitted work
If you are buying a house in the city and see plumbing that looks newer than the rest, such as a new water heater, a remodeled bathroom or new piping in the crawl space, ask the seller whether it was permitted. Planning and Development can tell you which permits were issued at the address. Unpermitted plumbing is not always defective, but it has not been inspected, and correcting it later can mean opening walls. A home inspector can point out concerns, and the permit record answers the question directly.
Homeowner checklist
Is it a small repair with no pipe, valve or fixture replaced or moved? Then go ahead. Does it replace a concealed pipe, add or move a fixture, touch gas, or replace a water heater? Then it needs a permit and a contractor with a South Carolina license. Not sure? Ask Planning and Development first. The hiring checklist covers checking the license.
Figures on this page come from: City of Laurens Planning and Development: Do You Need a Permit? and FAQ; City of Laurens: FY 2026-2027 Fee Schedule, Planning Department (PDF linked from Planning and Development); Laurens County, SC Building Codes: Fee Schedule; SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation: Contractor's Licensing Board. Checked 2026-10-29.
Describe the problem once. Independent plumbers who work in Laurens County can follow up.
Call (864) 766-8135Quick answers
Can I replace a toilet myself in the City of Laurens?
Removing and reinstalling a toilet is listed as exempt work, as long as no pipes or valves are replaced or rearranged.
Can an owner-builder do their own plumbing?
No. The City excludes plumbing and gas work, which must be performed by a contractor with a South Carolina license.
What happens if I start without a permit?
The City doubles the permit fee and the work still has to meet code.