General Information
The purpose of the South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public through the regulation of businesses and individuals who identify, assess, and provide contract work to individuals or other legal entities.
Additional information related to obtaining a license can be found in Licensure Information. If you wish to perform only residential construction, other than residential swimming pools, you must contact the Residential Builders Commission at (803) 896-4696 for more information.
Please see the list below detailing work which may not require a license. Although no specific license is required to perform the work below, portions of the work that are regulated by this Board may require a General or Mechanical Contractor license with the appropriate classification(s) or subclassification(s) pursuant to SC Code ann. §40-11-410, when the total cost of construction for the regulated work is greater than $10,000.
Non-Regulated Work(No Specific License Required)
General and Mechanical Contractor's License
A General or Mechanical Contractor's license is required for anyone performing commercial construction over $10,000 in the regulated classifications listed in Title 40, Chapter 11, Section 40-11-410, An Act to Regulate the Practice of General and Mechanical Contracting in S.C.
Licensure Applicants must designate a Primary Qualifying Party (PQP) for each classification or subclassification for which a license is desired as a prerequisite to licensure. A PQP is a qualifying party (QP) that has been designated by the applicant as the principal individual responsible for directing or reviewing work performed by the applicant in a particular classification or subclassification. Additional qualifying parties are individuals that have met the same exam requirements, but has not been designated by the entity as a primary qualifying party (PQP).
PQPs must complete the exam requirements for certification prior to the entity or individual submitting an application to the Board for licensure. There are no pre-approvals required to schedule the PSI exams. Contact PSI at (855) 746-8173 or online at www.psiexams.com. Additionally, see Licensure with the Board: "Applying for a License", "Apply for a Qualifying Party Certification by Exam, Waiver, or Non-Technical Exam", and "How to Schedule an Exam".
To be eligible for certification as a PQP or QP, applicants must qualify by technical examination (when required), exam waiver/reciprocity, or MASC certification. Applicants are also required to pass the S.C. Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam. In addition, all applicants must submit at least 2 years of work experience performed within the past 5 years for the requested license classification or subclassification (except waiver/reciprocity applicants).
To determine if a license is required and what type is needed, more information can be found here:
Classification Definitions - See Section 40-11-410 (please see H. 4115 for recent law changes that may not currently reflect at this link)