STATE LICENSE
RequiredSC LLR — Residential Builders Commission …
Floor covering installers are a named residential specialty under S.C. Code § 40-59-20(7)(g); all residential specialty contractors working over $500 must be registered (§ 40-59-220(A)). The Commission's scope covers installation, replacement and repair of floor coverings including surface preparation — asphalt, vinyl, rubber, linoleum and carpet (Reg. 106-1).
On commercial work the split is unusual: 'flooring (excluding carpet) and finishing' sits in the CLB's Nonstructural Renovation subclassification, which requires a PSI technical exam since January 1, 2025 — while commercial carpet installation is on the board's non-regulated list.
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
Floor covering rarely triggers a building permit, so the local layer is mainly the business license tax: § 6-1-400 sets a May 1 – April 30 license year, or a license that expires with a construction contract. Where a permit is pulled, the building official must see the state credential first (§§ 40-11-350, 40-59-280). The state registration is the same in the City of Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, or Myrtle Beach and in unincorporated Charleston, Richland, Greenville, or Horry County. For residential specialty trades, § 40-59-240(C) adds a twist: counties and municipalities may require their own examination and license, but may not re-examine a contractor who already passed a Commission-approved exam in that trade.
The local offices section below names the exact permit desk for every South Carolina county on file.
Each row names the issuing authority, cost, timeline, citation, and status behind the requirement — verified against the official source.
Published fees from the issuing authorities, as of October 2026. Local permit fees vary by project and jurisdiction — the basis is stated where a flat number does not exist.
Commercial carpet installation needs no CLB license; commercial hard-surface flooring over $10,000 does.
Tiling, carpeting and similar finish work by an owner on their own residential property needs no permit or license (§ 40-59-265(A)(1)(f)).
Registration applicants submit a complete credit report and list outstanding judgments from the past five years.
A practical sequence for a new flooring contractor in South Carolina. Actual agency processing times are noted in the ledger above.
Each item names the issuing authority, cycle, and citation.
Statutory consequences with their citations — not estimates, not “commonly cited” guesses.
Engaging in residential specialty contracting without registration is a misdemeanor.
An unregistered contractor may not file a mechanics' lien or sue to enforce the contract.
Commercial Nonstructural Renovation work over $10,000 without a CLB license is a misdemeanor.
Inside city limits, the city office listed here issues the permit; the county office serves unincorporated areas. Every office links to its official page.
Every fact in this file was checked against these official sources on October 2026.
Pending verification: Which residential classification covers hardwood and ceramic tile installation — the floor covering definition lists asphalt, vinyl, rubber, linoleum and carpet only · RBC specialty registration renewal fee amount · Jurisdiction-specific business license rates and any local trade-license overlays in Charleston, Columbia/Richland County, Greenville, and Horry County/Myrtle Beach were not researched for this record — see the local office records
General information, not legal advice. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the issuing authority before filing or contracting.
Store licenses, permits, policies, and renewal dates in one place.