BMP inspections for construction sites in Myrtle Beach, SC

Horry County is one of the fastest-growing counties in South Carolina by permit volume. Residential subdivision development along US-501, US-544, SC-31, and SC-90 in the Carolina Forest, Market Common, and International Drive areas, commercial and retail construction along US-17 and US-501, hospitality and condo development across the Grand Strand, and logistics development near Conway all generate substantial NPDES-permitted land disturbance. Each project disturbing one acre or more requires coverage under the SCDHEC Construction General Permit and regular BMP inspection documentation.

SC Drone Services provides aerial BMP inspection documentation for active construction sites in Myrtle Beach and across Horry County. A single flight covers the full site: every silt fence section, sediment basin, inlet protection device, stabilized construction entrance, slope stabilization area, and discharge point. GPS-tagged photos organized by BMP type and a written condition summary are delivered within 48 hours.

Any construction activity disturbing one acre or more requires coverage under the SCDHEC Construction General Permit. The inspection schedule is fixed: at least once every seven calendar days during active land disturbance, and within 24 hours of a rainfall event measuring 0.5 inches or more. Both requirements run independently. A rain event inspection does not satisfy or reset the seven-day schedule.

The inspection record must include the date and time, weather conditions, findings at every BMP location, and any corrective action taken or required. Records remain in the SWPPP for at least three years. SCDHEC's Coastal district covers Horry County for field compliance inspections and checks both BMP physical condition and inspection record completeness at each site visit.

The Grand Strand receives 50 or more inches of annual rainfall, concentrated from June through October when summer convective storms and tropical systems move through. A storm that crosses Horry County in a single afternoon can trigger the 24-hour rain event inspection requirement across dozens of active sites simultaneously, from Little River south to Murrells Inlet. A drone covers a large residential subdivision site in the Carolina Forest area in under an hour at first light the morning after a qualifying event, producing a complete GPS-tagged record of post-rain BMP conditions across the full site.

Same-day rain event flights are available throughout Horry County and into Georgetown County for contracted clients. Setting up rain event logistics at the start of the construction season, before the first significant storm, allows the 24-hour window to be met consistently rather than scrambling for coverage after an overnight rain event.

Environmental consultants and CEPSCI inspectors managing multiple active permitted sites in Horry County face the multi-site rain event problem in concentrated form. A summer storm that tracks up the coast covers the full county in a single event, activating simultaneous 24-hour inspection obligations at every active site from Little River south through Conway and Murrells Inlet. Sites distributed across that geography span more than 50 miles north to south.

SC Drone Services works as a drone documentation subcontractor on your existing inspection program. You remain the qualified inspector of record and sign every inspection record. We provide GPS-tagged aerial documentation in the format your SWPPP log requires. For the full multi-site coverage model and how the subcontractor arrangement works, see our SWPPP inspection support service page. For the Grand Strand regional coverage overview, see the Grand Strand drone inspection services page.