- No registration needed for residential specialty jobs of $500 or less. Over $5,000 you need a bond as a specialty contractor, and work that is general building over $5,000 needs a Residential Builder license.
- One year of residential work experience within the past five years for each trade you register, shown by a notarized work experience affidavit or notarized reference letters.
- $5,000 surety bond if you do jobs over $5,000 in total labor and materials.
Do you need a state license in South Carolina?
South Carolina licenses some handyman work at the state level and leaves the rest alone. Which side of that line a job falls on decides whether you need the state license.
No registration needed for residential specialty jobs of $500 or less. Over $5,000 you need a bond as a specialty contractor, and work that is general building over $5,000 needs a Residential Builder license.
South Carolina license types for handyman work
South Carolina splits the work into 2 licenses. Pick the one that matches the jobs you take, since working outside its scope is the same as working without one.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential Specialty Contractor registration | Up to three trades such as carpentry, drywall, painting, flooring, roofing, siding, insulation, masonry, stucco |
| Residential Builder license | Needed for jobs over $5,000, additions, enclosed porches, structural work, or more than three trades |
Steps to get licensed in South Carolina
- Pick up to three trades you will offer.
- Send the Residential Specialty Contractor application to the Residential Builders Commission with the fee and a full credit report.
- Add a $5,000 surety bond if you will take jobs over $5,000.
- Keep each job inside your registered trades, and sub out plumbing, electrical and HVAC to licensed contractors.
- Renew on time and send the bond or a continuation certificate with each renewal if you carry one.
Experience and other requirements
Experience. One year of residential work experience within the past five years for each trade you register, shown by a notarized work experience affidavit or notarized reference letters.
The license to apply for. Residential Specialty Contractor registration.
South Carolina handyman exams
Trade exam. No trade exam for specialty registration.
Business and law exam. No business and law exam for specialty registration.
What it costs in South Carolina
The board lists 2 fees along the way. These are the state's own numbers. Insurance, any bond, exam prep and your business registration come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Specialty registration (more than 12 months before renewal) | $100 |
| Specialty registration (less than 12 months before renewal) | $50 |
Insurance and bond
Insurance. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Bond. $5,000 surety bond if you do jobs over $5,000 in total labor and materials.
Renewal and licenses from other states
Renewal. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Reciprocity. The official pages we read do not say. Check with the board (official site).
Good to know in South Carolina
- You may only work in the three trades listed on your registration, and can change them only at renewal.
- Plumbing, electrical and HVAC each need their own residential license from the Commission, separate from the specialty registration.
- Each person doing the work needs their own registration.
After you are licensed
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a handyman near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the South Carolina LLR, Residential Builders Commission and the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the board before you file.
More for your trade: how handyman businesses run on Koira.