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Charleston County · South Carolina

Insulation in Edisto Island, South Carolina

Insulation and air sealing for Edisto Island homes: attics, crawl spaces, rim joists and walls, starting with a free assessment of the R-value you actually have. Edisto Island enforces the 2009 IECC (state law), which sets R-30 for a new attic.

Free insulation assessmentR-value measured in Edisto Island. The report is yours either way.

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Rebates worked out first
Air sealed, then insulated
Charleston, Berkeley & Dorchester
Insulation services in Edisto Island

What we do in Edisto Island homes.

Insulation and air sealing in Edisto Island

Energy code here
2009 IECC (state law)
Set by state law, not locally
Attic R required
R-30
For new work under that edition
DOE recommends
R49
Uninsulated attic, zone 3
Permit to insulate
Yes
Charleston County

We cover ZIP code 29438.

Our job history shows nothing in Edisto Island so far. Plenty of sites will show you a number here anyway.

The housing stock in Edisto Island

Edisto Island is a rural Sea Island of about 68 square miles between the North and South Edisto rivers, shielded from the Atlantic by the beach town of Edisto Beach in Colleton County; the Charleston County part is unincorporated. Long a center of Sea Island cotton and later vegetable farming, it is dotted with plantation houses and historic churches on the National Register, and it was linked to the mainland by the Dawhoo Bridge in 1920.

Orange spray foam insulation filling the bays between wooden rafters on a roof deck

What the energy code requires in Edisto Island

Edisto Island enforces the South Carolina Energy Standard (the 2009 IECC), by state law. The Charleston County side of the island follows the county's code list, which includes the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code.

Under that edition the required attic value for new work here is R-30, and walls R-13. For comparison, the Department of Energy recommends R49 for an uninsulated attic in climate zone 3A, where Edisto Island sits, and R38 where there are already a few inches up there.

Table 402.1.1 of the 2009 IECC, climate zone 3, which South Carolina's Energy Standard Act adopts for the whole state (section 6-10-30 of the South Carolina Code).

Do you need a permit to insulate here?

Edisto Island requires a permit for this work. The county's building code lists insulation among the installations that need a permit, and the county FAQ says that apart from no-inspection jobs under $1,000 done by the homeowner or a one-trade specialty contractor, permits are needed for all work no matter the value. We pull it as part of the job.

Contractor registration in Edisto IslandAn insulation contractor needs a Charleston County contractor license or registration (the county issues it to holders of a South Carolina license or registration), must display the county decal on both sides of work vehicles, and needs a county business license.

Permits and inspections in Edisto Island

The published number is 843-202-6930. The department page is here.

Worth knowing in Edisto IslandIn A-type flood zones in unincorporated Charleston County, enclosed areas below base flood elevation, crawl spaces included, must keep flood vents that let flood water flow in and out freely at all times.

Permitting is on us, not on you.

Rebates an Edisto Island homeowner can actually use

Homes across Charleston County buy electricity from Dominion Energy South Carolina and Berkeley Electric Cooperative, and the name on the bill decides which program applies. For Dominion Energy South Carolina customers with electric heat, Home Energy Check-up Plus covers 90% of the cost of attic insulation, air sealing and duct sealing, with a ceiling of $2,880, on jobs completed by March 31, 2027 after the free Home Energy Check-up; the program's own contractor does that work, not us.

Berkeley Electric lends rather than rebates: its HomeAdvantage program lends up to $20,000 at 5%, with an energy audit first and the payments added to the electric bill. Income-qualified households can apply to Palmetto Community Action Partnership (843-720-5336) for free weatherization instead. The Charleston County page and the rebate guide carry the full rules.

123456
Every layer of an insulated attic, explained
Worker in a respirator fitting insulation against a black moisture barrier in a crawl space
Screened porch with a hanging daybed, patterned cushions, ceiling fans and a plank floor
Loose-fill fiberglass insulation spread between attic floor joists beneath a gable window
Worker in white coveralls lifting a plywood skirt panel to reach insulation under a raised house

Nearby

Edisto Island borders Johns Island, Edisto Beach, North Edisto River and South Edisto River. These are the ones we also cover, each with its own energy code and permit rule:

Elsewhere in Charleston County we also cover:

How Edisto Island compares with its neighbors

South Carolina sets the residential energy code statewide, so the attic figure is R-30 wherever it is published here; what changes is the permit desk, and 7 of the 7 publish a permit rule for insulation.

CityEnergy codeAttic R requiredPermit to insulateBuilding dept.
Edisto Island2009 IECC (state law)R-30Yes843-202-6930
Johns Island2009 IECC (state law)R-30Yes843-577-5550
Adams Run2009 IECC (state law)R-30Yes843-202-6930
Awendaw2009 IECC (state law)R-30Yes843-202-6930
Charleston2009 IECC (state law)R-30Yes843-577-5550
Unincorporated Charleston County2009 IECC (state law)R-30Yes843-202-6930
Folly Beach2009 IECC (state law)R-30Yes843-588-2447

All 22 Charleston County jurisdictions side by side →

Common questions about insulation in Edisto Island

How much insulation does Edisto Island require in an attic?

Edisto Island enforces the 2009 IECC (state law), which sets R-30 for an attic in new work. Whether it reaches a retrofit of an existing house is not published.

Do I need a permit to insulate in Edisto Island?

Yes. Edisto Island requires a permit for this work, and we pull it as part of the job.

What insulation rebates can I get in Edisto Island?

Dominion Energy South Carolina's Check-up Plus pays 90% of attic insulation, air sealing and duct sealing, up to $2,880, until March 31, 2027, for electrically heated homes; the program's contractor does the work. Berkeley Electric members get a 5% on-bill loan instead. The federal 25C credit ended for work placed in service after December 31, 2025.

Code and permit facts checked October 24, 2026, rebates October 24, 2026; housing: Census ACS 2020–2024. Sources: charlestoncounty.gov (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) · scstatehouse.gov · www2.census.gov (2) · llr.sc.gov · en.wikipedia.org (2, 3, 4) · scencyclopedia.org · dominionenergy.com · berkeleyelectric.coop · santeecooper.com · coastal.coop · energystar.gov. These change; confirm with the building department at 843-202-6930 or the utility named on your electric bill first.

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