South Carolina Plumber License Requirements

Official classification: Mechanical Contractor - Plumbing (PB) [commercial]; Residential Specialty Contractor - Plumbing [residential] · 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).

🔧 PlumberSC ✔ Verified 2026-06-18

License types

Mechanical Contractor - Plumbing (PB) — Commercial plumbing work on projects of $10,000 or more; bid limit set by financial Group 1-5.
Residential Specialty Contractor - Plumbing — Residential plumbing work, licensed under the Residential Builders Commission.

Requirements at a glance

Experience required	Commercial (CLB): at least 2 years of full-time experience within the past 5 years for the qualifying party. Residential: at least 1 year working for a plumbing contractor within the past 5 years.
Application fee	$350 (CLB commercial); residential specialty 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	No fixed state bond for the commercial license; a surety bond may substitute for the CPA financial statement to set the Group bid limit. A residential licensed plumbing specialty requires a $10,000 surety bond when a job exceeds $5,000.
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; no fingerprint/criminal background check mandated for issuance.
Credit requirement	Commercial: a CPA-reviewed financial statement (net worth) sets the bid Group, or a surety bond may substitute. Residential: no net-worth tier; a bond substitutes.
Reciprocity	Technical-exam waivers are available with some states (the SC Business/Law exam is still required of all applicants); confirm the current agreement with the board.
Processing time	Variable; typically a few weeks after exams and a complete application.

Exams

Commercial Contractor Plumbing exam (80 questions, 4 hours)	Provider: PSI Passing: 70% (commonly cited; confirm with the board) Fee: Approximately $75
SC Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors (50 questions)	Provider: PSI Passing: 70% (commonly cited; confirm with the board) Fee: Approximately $75

Local / municipal notes

SC licenses plumbing as a Mechanical Contractor subclassification (commercial) or a Residential Specialty (residential); there is no separate statewide journeyman/master plumber license. Local jurisdictions may require additional registration.

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.