South Carolina General Contractor License Requirements

Official classification: General Contractor (commercial, Group 1-5 bid limits); Residential Builder (residential homes) · Issued by the SC Contractor's Licensing Board (commercial) and SC Residential Builders Commission (residential), under the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR).

🏗️ General ContractorSC ✔ Verified 2026-06-18

License types

General Contractor (CLB) — Commercial general construction of $10,000 or more. Bid limit by financial Group: Group 1 = $100,000 max per job, Group 2 = $400,000, Group 3 = $1,000,000, Group 4 = $3,000,000, Group 5 = unlimited.
Residential Builder (RBC) — Building/superintending residential structures up to 3 floors / 16 units when the job exceeds $5,000.

Requirements at a glance

Experience required	Commercial (CLB): about 2 years of relevant experience within the past 5 years for the qualifying party. Residential builder: about 1 year within the past 5 years.
Application fee	$350 (CLB commercial); residential builder application fee is lower
License fee	$350 (CLB commercial)
Renewal fee	$350 biennial (CLB commercial); late penalties $100/$150/$200 at 30/60/90 days
Renewal period	Every 2 years (biennial)
Continuing education	None required
Bond required	Commercial: no fixed state bond; a surety bond may substitute for the CPA financial statement to qualify for a higher Group. Residential builder: a $15,000 minimum surety bond is required by statute.
Liability insurance	Not mandated by the board for issuance
Property damage	—
Workers' comp	Required under SC law if you have employees (generally 4 or more); not collected by the board at licensing
Background check	Notarized Verification of Lawful Presence required. Residential builder applications also require a credit report and reference letters; no fingerprint background check mandated.
Credit requirement	Commercial GC: a CPA-reviewed financial statement is the core of the Group system (Group 1 = $20,000 net worth / $10,000 working capital, up to Group 5 = $350,000 net worth / $250,000 working capital); a surety bond may substitute. Residential builder: credit report reviewed.
Reciprocity	Technical-exam waivers are available with some states (the SC Business/Law exam is still required). Residential builder exam-waiver reciprocity is reported with several states; confirm the current agreement with the board.
Processing time	Variable; typically a few weeks after exams and a complete application.

Exams

Technical/trade exam for the requested classification (e.g. Building)	Provider: PSI Passing: 70% (commonly cited; confirm with the board) Fee: Approximately $75-$106 depending on classification
SC Business Management and Law (residential builders take a residential Business/Law + Residential Builder exam)	Provider: PSI Passing: 70% (commonly cited; confirm with the board) Fee: Approximately $75

Local / municipal notes

The commercial $10,000 licensure threshold was raised from $5,000 by 2023 SC Act No. 69. Choose the narrowest commercial classification matching your work.

Fees and rules change frequently (often annually). This page was last verified on 2026-06-18 — always confirm current requirements directly with the SC Contractor's Licensing Board (commercial) and SC Residential Builders Commission (residential), under the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) before applying. This is not legal advice.