Does a home improvement contractor need a license or registration in South Carolina?

Yes, a license. In South Carolina, a person who constructs, repairs or improves a residential building of up to three floors and 16 units when the job costs more than $5,000 must be licensed as a residential builder by the Residential Builders Commission. Specialty trades working on residential jobs over $500 for a builder, a general contractor or a property owner, such as roofers, siding and insulation installers, masons, carpenters and painters, must hold a residential specialty contractor license or registration. Working without the required license or registration is a misdemeanor, and an unlicensed or unregistered person may not file a mechanics’ lien or sue to enforce the contract. This is S.C. Code §§ 40-59-20, 40-59-30.

WhatSouth Carolina
Home improvement contractorsResidential builder license over $5,000

Source

S.C. Code §§ 40-59-20, 40-59-30

Read the statute in the South Carolina Code of Laws (South Carolina Legislature): scstatehouse.gov.

Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

How Seayora uses this rule

A contractor on Seayora keeps each license with its issuing state, its expiry date and the last four digits of its number, and the business is warned before one lapses — on the website and both phone apps. A customer finding a pro on Seayora sees whether a license is on file.

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