South Carolina

To do residential building over $200 and commercial building over $5,000 in South Carolina you must be licensed.

To find out if a contractor is licensed in South Carolina, go to http://verify.llronline.com/LicLookup/LookupMain.aspx and look under "contractors" and "residential home builders". You may also call (803) 896-4696 for residential. To find out if a general or mechanical contractor (commercial) is licensed in South Carolina call (803) 896-4686. To find out if someone is licensed to do asbestos abatement work call (803) 734-4517.

• General or Mechanical Contractor
    
• HVAC Contractor

• Asbestos

• Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Out-of-State Corporations

To get an application for a residential builder's license, contact:

South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Residential Builders Commission Synergy Business Park, Kingtree Building 110 Centerview Dr., Suite 102 Columbia, SC 29210 (803) 896-4696 Fax: 803-896-4404 http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/ResidentialBuilders/

You will have to pass an exam to get your license and you must have one year of work experience under the supervision of a licensed residential builder to take the exam. The exam is on plans, regulations, contracts, and standards.

Exams are given by PSI Examination Services. Contact them at:

PSI Examination Services (800) 733-9267 Fax: (818) 247-3853 http://www.psiexams.com

Builder's license fees: It will cost you $135 to file the application and $100 to take the exam. After you pass the exam, you'll need to pay a $110 license fee and submit a surety bond for $15,000. The license expires July each year regardless of date issued.

If you have a license from another state whose requirements are comparable to South Carolina's, the Commission may grant you a license without taking the exam. Check with the Commission on this.

In addition to licensing residential builders, the Commission also registers specialty contractors in the following 12 classifications at a cost of $50 and upon credit approval:

• Plumbers

• Electricians

• Vinyl and aluminum siding installers

• Insulation installers

• Roofers

• Floor covering installers

• Masons

• Dry wall installers

• Carpenters

• Stucco installers

• Wall paperers/painters

A residential specialty contractor is an independent contractor, who is not a licensed residential builder. The specialty contractor contracts with a licensed residential builder, general contractor, or individual property owner to do construction work, repairs, improvements, or re-improvements requiring special skills and involving the use of specialized construction trades or craft, when the undertakings exceed $200. If a specialty contractor performs work exceeding $5,000, the specialty contractor must obtain a surety bond in the amount of $5,000. 

HVAC Contractor 

For information on the HVAC license, contact:

South Carolina Residential Builders Commission Residential Heating & Air Conditioning License South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing PO Box 11329 Columbia, S.C. 29211 Phone (803) 896-4696 http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/ResidentialBuilders/index.asp?file=PUB.htm

The exam is given by:

PSI Examination Services (800) 733-9267 Fax: (818) 247-3853 http://www.psiexams.com

HVAC license fees: It will cost $100 for the application processing fee. The exam fee is $100 and the license is $100. All licenses are renewable July 1st of each year.

You must also furnish an original surety bond in the amount of $10,000 with the license fee after passing the exam.

General or Mechanical Contractor

To do commercial, general or mechanical contracting work in South Carolina over $5,000 you must get a license from the South Carolina Contractors' Licensing Board. You must be able to prove 2 years of "commercial" experience within the last 5 years. 

South Carolina Contractors' Licensing Board PO Box 11329 Columbia, S.C. 29211 Phone (803) 896-4686 http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Contractors/

The Board issues these types of general contracting licenses:

General Classifications:

Building
building contractor (limited)
general contractor (unlimited)

Highway
asphalt paving
concrete paving
bridges
incindental
grading

Public utilities
pipelines
water & sewer lines
water & sewer plants

Specialties
boring & tunneling
interior renovation
concrete
railroad
structural framing
structural shapes
marine
roofing, general
roofing, specialty
masonry
wood frame structures
metal buildings
swimming pools
public utility, electrical
boiler installation
glass & glazing

Mechanical Classifications:
plumbing
heating
electrical
lighting protection systems
air conditioning
pressure and process piping
refrigeration
packaged equipment

General or mechanical license fees: All licenses are effective from the date of issue to October 31st of that licensing period. It will cost $360 for a general contractor license and $175 for a mechanical contractor license. 

You will have to pass a technical and a business management and law exam. To get an application for a license, contact PSI Exams at:

PSI Examination Services (800) 733-9267 Fax: (818) 247-3853 http://www.psiexams.com

Check with the board for reciprocity with Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah and Texas.

If you have a Building license in North Carolina you may be able to get your South Carolina license without taking the exam. Check with the Board on this.

Asbestos

To work on any asbestos or asbestos abatement project in South Carolina you must be licensed by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). To get an application for a license contact:

Bureau of Air Quality Department of Health and Environmental Control 2600 Bull Street Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 898-4123 Fax: (803) 898-4117 http://www.scdhec.net/

The application is available online at http://www.scdhec.net/eqc/admin/html/eqforms.html. 

Here's a table of the licenses DHEC issues and the cost of each:

License	Fee
Contractor	$100
Supervisor	$50
Worker	$10
Consultant	$100
Consultant/Project designer	$100
Consultant/Building inspector	$100
ConsultantManagement planner	$100

All licenses except the contractor license require you to successfully complete Department-approved asbestos training courses. To get a contractor license you must certify that you employ a licensed supervisor. If you have a license and/or training from another state, the Department may accept it. Check with them about this. All licenses are good for one year.

Department of Transportation (DOT)

To bid on any South Carolina Department of Transportation construction project, you must be prequalified by the Department. You must also have a General Contractor and Bidder license from the South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board to win a contract with the Department. To get the Prime Contractor Prequalification Questionnaire, contact:

Contract Administrator South Carolina Department of Transportation 955 Park Street P. O. Box 191 Columbia, SC 29201-0191 (803) 737-2314 http://www.dot.state.sc.us/

The Transportation Department will ask you for these items:

• financial statement
• which types of work you want to be prequalified for
• disadvantaged business status of your firm
• equal employment opportunity affidavit
• your current and past work projects as a prime contractor
• what equipment your firm owns or leases

You'll also be asked which of the following types of work you want to be
prequalified in:

The Department will use this information to give your company a prequalification rating based on your verified experience, net liquid assets, responsibility record, and available equipment for the types of work you select.

Out-of-State Corporations

Corporations doing business in South Carolina should register with the South Carolina Secretary of State to do business in the state. For information contact:

Corporation Department Office of the Secretary of State P. O. Box 11350 Columbia, SC 29211 (803) 734-2170 Fax (803) 734-2164 http://www.scsos.com

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