STATE LICENSE
RequiredSC LLR — Residential Builders Commission …
Residential plumbers are licensed by exam — water and natural gas piping, sewage systems, and water filtration and conditioning in homes (Reg. 106-1(a)). The path is one year of supervised experience within five years, the PSI plumbing and Business Management and Law exams, a $135 application, a $220 license fee, and a $10,000 bond once a job exceeds $5,000. With a current bond on file, the Commission says there is no contract limit on projects.
Commercial plumbing is the CLB Mechanical 'Plumbing' subclassification, which also covers solar water heating, swimming pool piping, and gas lines to gas-fired plumbing equipment — within property lines, plus meter and sewer-tap connections the utility allows (§ 40-11-410(5)(f)).
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. 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.
A SC Mechanical Contractor licensed by exam in Plumbing, or a Master Plumbing exam holder, may skip the residential technical exam — Business Management and Law is still required.
Owners may stop leaks, clear stoppages, and reset toilets without a permit or license; replacing a defective concealed pipe counts as new work and needs a permit (§ 40-59-265(A)(5)).
CLB plumbing contractors in groups three through five may install standpipe hose systems that do not feed automatic sprinklers without a fire sprinkler license.
A practical sequence for a new plumbing 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.
Residential specialty contracting without the required license is a misdemeanor.
Mechanical contracting over $10,000 without a CLB license is a misdemeanor.
Unlicensed contractors cannot enforce the contract; residential contractors also lose mechanics' lien rights.
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: Residential plumbing exam-waiver states — the RBC plumbing FAQ's list is labeled as applying to the Residential Builders license only · Backflow-tester certification requirements (outside the contractor-licensing statutes reviewed) · PSI exam fees (paid to PSI) · 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.