Do I Need Design Review Board Approval for My Storefront in Greenville, SC?
If your storefront is in downtown Greenville, the Village of West Greenville, the West End or one of the City's historic districts, almost any change to the outside of the building needs design approval before you can get a building permit. That approval is called a Certificate of Appropriateness. For most storefront work it's a $100 staff review, not a public hearing.
If your building is outside those areas, you don't need it. Your project goes straight to a regular building permit.
I'm Edward Griffin, owner of Solidus Construction, a licensed general contractor in Greenville. I recently took a window replacement on a downtown restaurant building through this process. This guide explains where the rules apply, what triggers them, and how to get through without delaying your opening.
Where design review applies
The blue areas go to the Design Review Board, and the orange neighborhoods go to the Historic Review Board. Everything else in the City needs only a building permit.
- Downtown Design District: downtown, the Village of West Greenville along Pendleton Street, the Unity Park area, and part of East North Street.
- West End Overlay: the historic commercial blocks of South Main Street and Augusta Street near Fluor Field.
- Preservation districts: Col. Elias Earle, Heritage, East Park, Overbrook, Hampton-Pinckney and Pettigru Street. These are mostly residential, but they include some offices and small commercial buildings.
- Local landmarks: 14 individual buildings across the City. If yours is one, exterior changes need review even outside a district.
A map is a starting point, not a ruling. Before you sign a lease, ask Planning & Development to confirm whether the address is in a review area: (864) 467-4476 or planning@greenvillesc.gov.
What changes need approval
Inside a review area, the rule of thumb is simple: if people on the sidewalk will see it, it needs a Certificate of Appropriateness. On our downtown job, City staff put it plainly: any exterior alteration needs one.
For a storefront, that usually includes:
- Storefront glass, doors and windows, including swapping one window style for another
- Awnings and canopies
- Exterior materials, trim and facade changes
- Exterior lighting and visible mechanical equipment
- Signs, which have their own $150 application
Work that stays entirely inside the building, like a kitchen, restrooms or a new floor plan, doesn't need design review. It still needs a building permit.
Don't assume small exterior items are exempt. Repainting, like-for-like repairs and outdoor seating are worth a quick email to staff before you start. Their answer in writing protects you.
Staff approval or a public hearing?
Most storefront changes are reviewed by City staff as a minor application. A public hearing before the board is generally for bigger moves: new construction, additions, demolition, parking or site expansions, and land disturbance.
| Minor (staff review) | Major (board review) | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical storefront work | Windows, doors, awnings, materials, lighting | New buildings, additions, demolition, site work |
| Who decides | Planning staff | Design Review Board or Historic Review Board |
| Application fee | $100 | $300 per review phase (site plan, architectural) |
| Public hearing | No | Yes |
| Sign posted on the property | No | Yes, 15 to 18 days before the meeting |
| Material samples | No | Labeled samples at the meeting |
Staff decide which path your project takes, so describe the scope clearly and ask early. On our window job, staff confirmed by email that it was a staff-level review before we prepared the application.
Two more fees worth knowing: an informal review with staff costs $50, and changing a plan that's already approved costs $50 for a minor change or half the original fee for a major one.
How long it takes and what it costs
Staff review: there's no meeting to wait for, so timing depends on how complete your package is. On our downtown window job, about seven weeks passed between staff confirming the review level in late July and the approval letter in early September. That included preparing drawings and getting the building owner's sign-off.
Board review: the Design Review Board meets once a month, on the third Thursday according to the Upstate Business Journal. Applications are due by 2:00 p.m. on the deadline date on the City's calendar, and the property has to be posted 15 to 18 days before the meeting. Miss a deadline and you wait for the next month. Plan on at least two months, longer if the board asks for changes.
Fees: $100 for a staff review, $150 for a sign, and $300 per board review phase. These are design review fees only. The building permit is a separate application with its own fee.
After approval: the approval letter is not a building permit. It also notes that:
- Work that stops for six months can count as failing to comply with the approval.
- Changes to the approved design may need a revised approval.
- The City can withhold your certificate of occupancy if the finished work doesn't match.
- Anyone who disagrees with a staff decision has 10 business days to appeal to the Design Review Board.
Step by step: getting approved without delaying your opening
- Check the address before you sign the lease. Use the map above, then confirm with Planning & Development. Knowing early tells you whether to build design review time into your lease and opening date.
- Describe the work to staff and ask which review it needs. A short email with photos of the storefront and a sentence on what's changing is enough. Get the answer in writing.
- Get the building owner's authorization early. The application needs signatures from both the applicant and the property owner or their authorized agent. A tenant can't sign for the owner. On our job, the drawings were done before the owner's authorization, and the application waited on it.
- Prepare a complete digital drawing set. For a staff review, expect existing and proposed plans and elevations, material specifications, color selections and photos of the building and its neighbors. Staff check the package for completeness before they review it.
- Show how the design fits the guidelines. The application asks how the project responds to the City's design guidelines, which were adopted in 2017 for downtown. Photos of similar storefronts nearby make a strong case.
- Run the building permit alongside it. Ask staff whether the permit can be reviewed at the same time. If your project hangs anything over the sidewalk, like an awning or a door or window that swings out, ask about an encroachment permit too.
- Don't order long-lead items until you're approved. Custom storefront systems and windows are often non-returnable. If the design changes during review, you don't want to own the wrong product.
Solidus Construction handles design review and permitting as part of storefront and tenant work in downtown Greenville and across the Upstate. If you're looking at a space in a review area, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Design Review Board approval to change my storefront in Greenville, SC?
Only if the building is in a design review area: the Downtown Design District, the West End Overlay, a historic preservation district or a local landmark. Inside those areas, most exterior changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness. Elsewhere in the City, you only need a building permit.
How much does a Certificate of Appropriateness cost in Greenville?
$100 for a minor application reviewed by staff, $150 for a sign, and $300 per phase for a project reviewed by the board.
Do I need approval for a new sign downtown?
Yes. Signs in a design review area have their own $150 application, separate from other exterior work.
Does interior work need design review?
No. Work that stays inside the building only needs a building permit.
Is a Certificate of Appropriateness the same as a building permit?
No. It approves the design only. You still need a building permit, and an encroachment permit for anything over the sidewalk.
Sources
- City of Greenville, Application for Urban Design Certificate of Appropriateness: review areas, fees, public notice and submittal requirements
- City of Greenville GIS, Architectural Design Review map layers: Downtown Design District, preservation districts and local landmarks, pulled October 5, 2026
- City of Greenville, Downtown Design Guidelines
- Upstate Business Journal, Greenville's Design Review Board process, step by step, January 29, 2024
- Solidus Construction project records: a minor Certificate of Appropriateness for a downtown window replacement, approved by City staff in September 2026
Rules and fees change. Confirm with City of Greenville Planning & Development before you apply.