STOP!

Please read before submitting requests for

Elevation Certificates / Building Records

Submit requests to the appropriate municipality

Seekers of building records (e.g., permits, certificates of occupancy, applications, etc.) or flood elevation certificates (ECs) for properties listed in the municipalities listed below should not submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Beaufort County.

Exception: Seekers of building plans/blueprints regardless of the municipality listed below (e.g., Town of Bluffton), should submit a FOIA request to Beaufort County.

About Elevation Certificates: Elevation Certificates are typically only filed with Beaufort County during the construction process or major renovation of structures located on parcels within Flood Zones “V,” “A” or “B”. Structures in Flood Zone “C” at the time of construction typically would not have ECs on file with the county. Beaufort County does not issue ECs; new ECs can be obtained by hiring a licensed land surveyor, professional engineer, or certified architect who is authorized by law to certify elevation information.

Additional Information:

  • Beaufort County does not issue building permits/certificates of occupancy for properties located within its municipalities.
  • Beaufort County may have ECs and building records for properties that were incorporated into or annexed by a municipality after construction.
  • Beaufort County does not have any building records whatsoever before 1975.

City of Beaufort (property ID number begins with R120 through R123)

  • Click here to view ECs on file with the city. For building records or ECs not online, contact Ivette Burgess at iburgess@cityofbeaufort.org or 843-525-7018 or Martie Kay McTeer at mmcteer@cityofbeaufort.org or 843-379-7051.

Town of Bluffton (property ID number series R610 through R614 and built after 2009)

  • Complete the town’s FOIA request form and email it to Debbie Szpanka at dszpanka@townofbluffton.com. Call 843-706-4534 for FOIA procedure questions.

Town of Hilton Head Island (property ID number series R510 through R553 and built after 1984)

  • Click here to view ECs and building records online on the town’s website, here to submit an EC request, or here to submit a building records request.

Town of Port Royal (property ID number series R110 through R113)

  • Submit requests for ECs and building records to Linda Bridges at lbridges@portroyal.org or by calling 843-986-2207.

How to find a property’s ID number: Locate the property’s current ID number on your tax bill or deed, or search Propertymax. It should look like this: R100-001-000-1234-0000. (Note: ID numbers may also start with “M”.)