STATE LICENSE
RequiredSC LLR — Contractor's Licensing Board (co…
Two boards, two thresholds. The Residential Builders Commission licenses anyone who builds, repairs, or improves a residential building of no more than three floors and no more than sixteen units per apartment building when the undertaking exceeds $5,000 (S.C. Code § 40-59-20(6)). The Contractor's Licensing Board licenses general construction where the total cost exceeds $10,000 (§ 40-11-30, as amended by 2023 Act No. 69). The Commission is the exclusive licensing entity for anyone who works solely in residential building (§ 40-59-270).
The commercial license is sized, not just granted. Every CLB general contractor license carries a group that caps each bid and job — Group 1 at $100,000 per job up to Group 5 unlimited — and each group requires a minimum net worth or working capital, or a surety bond in the same amount as the net worth (§§ 40-11-260, 40-11-262). The total cost of construction sets the group, and dividing work into portions to dodge the requirements is unlawful (§ 40-11-300).
The residential builder license requires one year of supervised experience, a PSI exam, a credit report, and a $15,000 surety bond (§ 40-59-220). A builder licensed by examination may also perform every residential specialty trade without a separate specialty license (§ 40-59-20(7)).
The state sets the license floor; the county or city permit office controls filing, inspections, and local rules wherever the job site sits.
South Carolina turns every permit desk into a licensing checkpoint: a city or county building official must refuse a permit unless the applicant shows the required state license or an exemption, and must report suspected violators to LLR (S.C. Code § 40-11-350 for Contractor's Licensing Board work; § 40-59-280 for residential work). Local business licenses are a separate tax layer standardized by § 6-1-400: the license year runs May 1 – April 30, and a license issued on a construction contract may instead expire when the project is completed. Whether the job sits inside the City of Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, or Myrtle Beach — or in unincorporated Charleston, Richland, Greenville, or Horry County — the state credential is the same; what changes is which desk issues the permit and which jurisdiction collects the business license tax.
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.
Renewal postmarked November 1–30 costs $235; December $285; January $335. After that the license needs reinstatement ($350).
The Contractor's Licensing Board does not accept surety bonds payable to the Residential Builders Commission for license renewal.
The group is measured against the total cost of construction; splitting a project into portions to stay under a group or the $10,000 floor is unlawful under § 40-11-300(A).
A practical sequence for a new general contracting 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.
Practicing or offering to practice in violation of Chapter 11 is a misdemeanor.
Engaging in residential building without a Commission license is a misdemeanor.
An unlicensed entity may not sue at law or in equity to enforce the contract; an unlicensed residential contractor also may not file a mechanics' lien.
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: PSI exam vendor fees (paid to PSI; not published on llr.sc.gov) · RBC builder renewal fee amount (renewal page does not list it) · No continuing-education requirement was located for CLB or RBC licensees; § 40-59-230(B) authorizes the Commission to adopt one by regulation · H.4518 (2025–2026) would restructure Chapter 59 (bonds, a $200 trade-registrant threshold, biennial CE tiers); its bill page showed no action after committee referral on 5/6/2025, so it is not reflected here · 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.