South Carolina · Checked October 22, 2026
Registration + endorsement. For houses, roofers register as Residential Specialty Contractors with the LLR Residential Builders Commission — roofing is a listed specialty trade, with no trade exam for the registered category. Commercial roofing over $5,000 needs a Contractors' Licensing Board general contractor license in a General Roofing or Specialty Roofing classification, with exams and financial limits.
| Item | South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Regime | Residential specialty registration for home roofing; full contractor license for commercial roofing over $5,000 |
| Exam | None. Exam required only on the commercial CLB route, not the residential registered route. |
| Experience | Registered residential specialty: affidavit showing 1 year experience per classification. CLB roofing: 2 years experience within last 5 years. |
| Application fee | $100 (Residential Specialty Contractor, per LLR fee table) |
| License / registration fee | $100 application; renewal $100 |
| Total state cost | $100 state fee for residential registration, plus $5,000 bond premium if work >=$5,000; CLB license fee $350 cited by secondary sources — LLR page lists Application $100 / Renewal $100 / Late $20 / Reinstatement $290 for Residential Specialty Contractor (RBS). Older secondary sources listing $50/$100 by months-to-renewal appear outdated. |
| Bond | $5,000 Registered Residential Specialty Contractor surety bond if cost of work is $5,000 or more (LLR). Licensed residential specialty (electrical/HVAC/plumbing only) $10,000; residential builder $15,000. CLB general contractors may post bond in lieu of financial statement, amount by group. |
| Insurance minimums | State sets no published minimum (insurers and contracts still will) |
| Who qualifies | For CLB license, a Primary Qualifying Party who passes exams; for residential registration, the registrant personally with experience affidavit. |
| Timeline | LLR advises 7-10 business days before checking application status; full timeline Not published |
| Renewal | Residential Specialty registrations renew June 30 of every odd year (2025, 2027...). CLB licenses expire Oct 31 of even years; renewal fee $135 per secondary sources. |
| Credential | Scope | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Residential Specialty Contractor — Roofing | residential | Via Residential Builders Commission. Choose up to 3 classifications; affidavit of 1 year experience per classification; 3 reference letters; no exam for registered category. |
| General Contractor — General Roofing / Specialty Roofing | commercial | Via Contractors' Licensing Board for commercial work over $5,000. Requires PSI Business Management & Law exam plus technical exam; 2 years experience in last 5 years; group financial limits 1-5. |
| Licensed Residential Builder | residential | Broader residential license (exam, $15,000 bond) — alternative route for builders doing roofing as part of residential building. |
License trigger: $5,000 — Commercial general/mechanical work over $5,000 requires CLB license; residential specialty work over $200 historically triggers registration, and the $5,000 bond is required when residential specialty work is $5,000 or more. Residential specialty registration itself is the entry credential for home roofing regardless of most job sizes; bond trigger is $5,000.
Subcontractors doing residential specialty roofing must themselves be registered/licensed in the classification; a GC license does not automatically cover a specialty sub's registration duty.
Cities/counties require a local business license and building permits on top of state registration/license; fees vary by city and were not published in a single state source.
No specific deductible-waiver statute found. No South Carolina statute specifically banning a roofer from paying/waiving/advertising a deductible waiver was found in this research. General insurance fraud law applies — do not treat absence as permission.
Run the compliance checker for South Carolina →
Thresholds and classes turn on your contract value and your role. Run the checker with South Carolina preselected:
Confirm with the board before you file: fees and rules change, and the board — not this page — decides your application. Information only, not legal advice.
The checker gives you the verdict. The kit gives you the paperwork, in filing order: the application walkthrough for your state's class, qualifying-party documentation templates, the bond and insurance spec sheet with your state's exact minimums, the city-registration checklist pack for no-license states, and the contract-compliance pack (deductible language and required contract notices, including Florida's deadlines calendar).
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