State requirements
South Carolina contractors are licensed by South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation); residential builders are licensed by the SC Residential Builders Commission. General liability is not required by statute to hold the license, but contracts and leases require it in practice. Workers compensation is required once you reach the state's employee threshold.
| Licensing authority | South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation); residential builders are licensed by the SC Residential Builders Commission |
|---|---|
| General liability required for license | No |
| Statutory GL minimum | No state minimum verified |
| Workers compensation | Required above a threshold |
| Contractor license bond | Surety bond equal to the net worth requirement for the license group: general contractors $20,000 (Group 1) to $350,000 (Group 5); mechanical contractors $7,000 to $300,000 |
Verified against https://llr.sc.gov/clb/faq.aspx in the October 2026 research pass. Where a figure is not stated, no authoritative source published one, and we say so rather than estimating.
Licensed specialists we work with write contractors in all fifty states. Tell us your trade and we will route you to one who handles South Carolina.
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South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation); residential builders are licensed by the SC Residential Builders Commission
A general or mechanical contractor license is required when the total cost of construction exceeds $10,000. Applicants must meet either a working capital or a net worth threshold for their license group, and may file a surety bond in the same amount as the group's net worth requirement instead. Residential swimming pool construction was added to the licensed classifications in 2023. Workers' comp is required for businesses that regularly employ four or more employees.
No statutory minimum applies in South Carolina. What you actually need is set by the contract in front of you. Most South Carolina general contractors require one million per occurrence and two million aggregate from their subcontractors, plus additional insured status and a waiver of subrogation.
Workers compensation is required once you reach the state's employee threshold. Operating without it where it is required exposes the business to penalties and to direct liability for an injured worker's medical costs.
Any vehicle used for business needs commercial auto. A personal policy excludes business use in every state, and it will not cover the tools inside the truck.
General liability never covers your own tools. Inland marine covers them in transit and on site, including theft, which is the most common loss contractors actually file.
Workers compensation is required once you reach the state's employee threshold.
Workers compensation covers medical costs and lost wages for a work-related injury or illness. It is separate from general liability, which covers injury to other people. If an employee is hurt on a job site in South Carolina, that is a workers compensation claim, and general liability will not respond to it.
South Carolina requires a contractor license bond of Surety bond equal to the net worth requirement for the license group: general contractors $20,000 (Group 1) to $350,000 (Group 5); mechanical contractors $7,000 to $300,000. A license bond protects the consumer if you fail to complete the work or violate licensing law. It is not insurance and it does not pay a claim made against you, which is why contractors carry both.
Beyond the license bond, bid bonds and performance bonds come up on larger and public work. Bid bonds are typically priced as a percentage of the bid amount rather than a flat fee, so the cost scales with the project.
No. South Carolina does not mandate general liability by statute for contractor licensing. In practice you still need it, because contracts, commercial leases and most licensing applications require proof of coverage. A contract requirement is not less binding than a statute, it is just enforced by the party hiring you.
Workers compensation is required once you reach the state's employee threshold.
Yes. The contractor license bond is Surety bond equal to the net worth requirement for the license group: general contractors $20,000 (Group 1) to $350,000 (Group 5); mechanical contractors $7,000 to $300,000. It protects the consumer, not you, and it does not take the place of insurance.
South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board (SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation); residential builders are licensed by the SC Residential Builders Commission.
The consequences run from losing the contract to losing the license. A general contractor who finds your certificate is not what the subcontract required will typically stop work and withhold payment until it is corrected, and an uninsured loss becomes a personal liability rather than an insurance claim.
Yes. A single policy can list every state you operate in. Pricing is driven by the highest-exposure state on the schedule, so tell us all of them rather than only your home state.
Requirements differ enough by state that it is worth checking before you bid.
Tell us your trade, payroll and what South Carolina requires of you.
