Choosing the right surrogacy agency can shape how long you wait for a match, what you pay and how much support you have throughout the process. For intended parents in South Carolina, that makes it important to compare more than location alone.

Some agencies serve South Carolina through national surrogate recruitment, while others have a local presence in the state. A national surrogacy agency may offer a broader pool of potential matches, while a South Carolina-based professional may offer more local coordination.

This guide compares five agencies and professionals that serve intended parents in South Carolina, with a focus on published costs, average match times, financial protection and location. The goal is to help you see where each option differs so you can narrow your list based on your priorities.

If you’re ready to compare your options, get connected with a professional who serves South Carolina and can explain current costs, match times and financial protections for your situation.

South Carolina Surrogacy Agencies Compared

The agencies serving South Carolina differ most noticeably in published cost, match time, financial protection and whether they have an office in the state.

Those differences can help you narrow your search before scheduling consultations.

Professional	Published Cost	Published Average Match Wait	Financial Protection	Location
American Surrogacy	$100,000-$200,000+	1–6 months	Unlimited rematching without another agency match fee under qualifying circumstances; certain fees may be refundable if no embryos remain and the journey ends without a baby	National
Growing Generations	$213,000–$267,000+ for Legacy; higher-tier programs cost more	1–6 months	Up to $5,000 toward screening costs plus another match without an additional agency fee if a matched surrogate doesn’t pass screening; Heritage programs include a Match Timeline Guarantee	National
ConceiveAbilities	All-In Program: $197,500	Not published	Unlimited medically necessary rematches, defined credits after certain unsuccessful screenings or transfers and refund provisions under stated program terms	National, with an Atlanta office
Await Surrogacy	Not published	1–4 months	Not published	Greenville, South Carolina
Building Families	Not published	Not published	Not published	Columbia and Greenville, South Carolina

Information checked November 12, 2026. “Not published” means the professional did not publicly list that information when this article was reviewed. The comparison uses published information from American Surrogacy, Growing Generations, ConceiveAbilities, Await Surrogacy and Building Families.

Published figures can change, so ask each professional for a current written estimate and current program terms before comparing final costs.

American Surrogacy

American Surrogacy may fit intended parents who want national surrogate recruitment, a published 1–6 month match range and defined protection if they need another match.

• Average 1–6 month match time: American Surrogacy says nationwide marketing and its intended-parent-to-surrogate ratio contribute to its published match range. South Carolina intended parents therefore aren’t limited to candidates living in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville or elsewhere in the state.
• Limited Risk Program: Under qualifying circumstances, intended parents can rematch without another agency matching fee. Certain fees may also be refundable if the journey ends without a baby and no embryos remain.
• Screening before matching: The agency says candidates complete screening steps before being presented as a match, including medical-record review and other qualification requirements.

This may be a useful fit if reducing the amount of time spent waiting for a match is one of your main priorities.

Growing Generations

Growing Generations may fit intended parents looking for a premium, high-touch program with multiple service levels.

• Four program levels: Legacy, Legacy+, Heritage and Heritage+ offer different levels of service, with expedited matching available through certain tiers.
• Concierge support: Heritage programs include an assigned executive, after-hours access and additional personal support for certain appointments, delivery or court proceedings.
• Matching protections: If a matched surrogate doesn’t pass in-person medical screening, Growing Generations publishes protections that can include up to $5,000 toward screening expenses and another match without an additional agency fee. Heritage programs also include a Match Timeline Guarantee.

This model may appeal most to intended parents who place a high value on personalized support and are comfortable with the higher published cost of those services.

ConceiveAbilities

ConceiveAbilities may fit intended parents who want an established egg donor program available through the same organization as their surrogacy services.

• Egg donor options: Intended parents can review donor profiles that include medical, personal and family-history information. The program also coordinates donor screening and fertility-clinic steps.
• All-In pricing: ConceiveAbilities publishes a $197,500 All-In Program covering many stated surrogacy expenses. IVF, embryo creation and some fertility-clinic expenses remain separate.
• Rematching provisions: Its published program includes medically necessary rematches and certain credits following unsuccessful screening or embryo transfer under stated terms.

The agency also has an Atlanta office, which may give intended parents in western South Carolina a regional point of contact while still providing access to a national program.

Await Surrogacy

Await Surrogacy may fit intended parents who prefer working with a smaller agency headquartered in South Carolina.

• Published 1–4 month match range: Await says matching generally takes one to four months depending on intended-parent preferences and the surrogates currently available.
• Preliminary screening: Its process includes an application, interview, OB/GYN examination and criminal background check. Fertility-clinic medical screening occurs later.
• South Carolina location: The Greenville office may appeal to intended parents in the Upstate who prefer working with a professional based closer to home.

Await does not publish the same level of intended-parent pricing and financial-protection information as some national agencies.

Request its fee schedule, rematching policy and refund provisions in writing before comparing programs.

Building Families

Building Families may fit intended parents who need South Carolina-specific surrogacy and assisted reproduction support, particularly for agreements and parentage.

• South Carolina presence: Building Families has locations in Columbia and Greenville and serves clients throughout the state.
• Surrogacy and ART services: Its work includes gestational carrier agreements, assisted reproduction matters and related legal coordination.
• Inclusive family services: The firm states that it works with clients regardless of marital status or sexual orientation.

Its public materials do not provide the same matching, pricing and financial-protection information published by the national agencies above.

If you also need surrogate recruitment, ask which parts of the process Building Families handles directly and which services require another professional.

How to Evaluate a Surrogacy Agency in South Carolina

A surrogacy agency serving South Carolina should be able to show you how it recruits surrogates, how long intended parents typically wait to match, what financial protection applies if the journey changes and which screening steps happen before matching.

Those standards directly affect your wait, your costs and the risk of preventable setbacks.

A useful overview of surrogacy agency evaluation factors explains why recruitment, screening and professional support deserve attention before you choose an agency.

Look for broad surrogate recruitment and a realistic match timeline. An agency that recruits nationwide can give South Carolina intended parents access to a larger candidate pool than one drawing from a small local area. Just as important, the agency should tell you its current average match time and explain what could make your own timeline shorter or longer.

A realistic estimate helps you plan around your fertility treatment, legal work and budget instead of entering the process without knowing whether matching typically takes a few months or much longer.

Ask what financial protection applies if something changes. A match can end, a surrogate can be unable to continue after screening or an embryo transfer may be unsuccessful. Before signing, find out which fees would need to be paid again and whether the agency offers rematching, credits, refunds or another form of financial protection.

That policy can change the financial impact of a setback. Two agencies with similar initial prices may expose you to very different additional costs if the first match or transfer does not move forward.

Confirm that substantial surrogate screening happens before matching. Medical-record review, psychological screening and background checks should happen before you commit significant time and money to a match whenever possible. Final fertility-clinic clearance may still happen later, depending on the agency’s process.

Pre-match screening cannot eliminate every possible disruption, but it can reduce delays caused by issues that could have been identified before you were matched.

Questions to Ask a Surrogacy Agency Before You Sign

Before signing with a surrogacy agency, ask specific questions about matching, costs, financial protection and screening. The answers should give you enough detail to compare one agency’s policies with another’s.

• What is your current average time from activation to an accepted match?
  A useful answer gives you a recent range and explains what affects it, such as your location preferences, communication preferences or other matching criteria.
• Where and how do you recruit surrogates?
  A useful answer tells you whether recruitment is local, regional or nationwide and how the agency keeps new candidates entering its screening process.
• What does my estimate include and exclude?
  A useful answer separates the agency fee from surrogate compensation, legal work, insurance, screening, travel, medical costs and escrow or accounting. It should also identify expenses such as IVF or donor services when they are separate.
• What happens financially if my match ends?
  A useful answer explains whether you receive another match, whether another agency fee applies and which screening or legal expenses may need to be paid again.
• What happens if the surrogate does not pass final medical screening?
  A useful answer explains who pays for repeat screening and whether the agency provides another match without charging another matching fee.
• What happens after an unsuccessful embryo transfer?
  A useful answer identifies which expenses repeat and whether any credits, refunds or rematching protections apply.
• Which screening steps happen before I accept a match?
  A useful answer identifies when medical-record review, psychological screening, background checks and fertility-clinic clearance occur rather than using fully screened without explaining what that means.

These questions make it easier to compare agencies on the policies most likely to affect your wait, budget and risk.

How We Chose the Best Surrogacy Agencies in South Carolina

We evaluated the professionals on this list using four criteria that affect how useful an agency may be to intended parents in South Carolina:

• Published costs: We used current public pricing when it was available. If a professional did not publish a total or range, the comparison says Not published.
• Average wait to match: We used published matching timelines rather than total journey length so the comparison reflects how long intended parents may wait before accepting a surrogate match.
• Programs that improve the intended-parent experience: We reviewed rematching provisions, refunds or credits, donor services, timeline commitments and other features that can affect cost, timing or support.
• Service to South Carolina families: Each professional either serves South Carolina through a national program or has a presence in the state. We also considered published service to different family types, including single and LGBT intended parents.

These criteria keep the comparison focused on practical differences between the agencies rather than name recognition alone.

Get Connected With a Surrogacy Agency That Serves South Carolina

The best surrogacy agencies for intended parents in South Carolina should be able to tell you what you’ll pay, how long matching currently takes, which screening occurs before a match and what you’ll owe if a match or transfer does not proceed as planned.

A national agency may make more sense if broad surrogate recruitment and formal rematching protections are priorities.

A South Carolina-based professional may be a better fit if you value local coordination. Some intended parents use a national agency for matching while working with South Carolina counsel for contracts and parentage.

Gay intended parents may also need to compare egg donor services, donor agreements and parentage planning for both parents. An agency’s experience coordinating those services can be more important than whether its office is physically located in South Carolina.

We can connect you with a professional who serves intended parents in the state and can provide current information about costs, matching, screening and financial protection.

Compare written estimates and program policies before deciding which approach fits your family.