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How to become a general contractor in South Carolina
South Carolina licenses general contractors through the SC Contractors' Licensing Board (LLR).1 You need a South Carolina general or mechanical contractor license for any commercial job where the total cost of construction is more than $10,000.
The license steps
Contractor license from the SC Contractors' Licensing Board (LLR).
Get the experience
At least 2 years of work experience within the past 5 years in the classification you want, shown on a Work Experience Affidavit.
- Issued by
- SC Contractors' Licensing Board (LLR)
Pass the exams
You must pass the South Carolina Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractors exam through PSI, plus a technical exam for most classifications (for example Wood Frame Structures, Roofing, Electrical, Plumbing, Air Conditioning and Heating).
- Issued by
- SC Contractors' Licensing Board (LLR)
Line up the bond and insurance
No surety bond is required if you show the minimum net worth or working capital for your group on a financial statement. South Carolina does not require general or mechanical contractors to carry liability insurance as a condition of the Contractor's Licensing Board license.
Apply for the license
Initial license fee is $350 for a general or mechanical contractor license.
- Issued by
- SC Contractors' Licensing Board (LLR)
How do you start as a general contractor in South Carolina?
There are three ways in: a registered apprenticeship (16 programs in South Carolina), trade school (11 schools with general contractor programs), or a helper or trainee job with a licensed general contractor.
Earn while you learn
A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.
- Pay
- From day one
- In SC
- 16 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In SC
- 11 schools with programs
Start on a crew
Get hired as a helper by a licensed general contractor and log hours on the job.
- Pay
- Paid on the job
- Start
- No experience needed
$75,350
a year is the median for general contractors in South Carolina ($36.23 an hour, May 2025).3
Pay by city and percentile- Sumter$37.64
- Charleston–North Charleston$37.24
- Hilton Head Island–Bluffton$36.84
- Greenville–Anderson$35.99
- Spartanburg$35.95
More questions about becoming a general contractor in South Carolina
Do you need a license to work on your own as a general contractor in South Carolina?
Yes. South Carolina licenses general contractors through the SC Contractors' Licensing Board (LLR).1
Are general contractors in demand in South Carolina?
Projections Central expects about 1,220 general contractor openings a year in South Carolina through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.2
Find an apprenticeship near you
16 registered programs in South Carolina. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for general contractors in South Carolina
Sources
- SC Contractors' Licensing Board (LLR): contractor licensing (llr.sc.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, South Carolina, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)