South Carolina Contractor License Courses, Classes & Exam Prep

If you’re in the process of launching your very own contracting business, you’ve come to the right place. At Contractor Training Center, we prepare you for this exciting process. Our goal is to ensure that you have all the tools necessary to attain your contractor's license with our SC contractor's license exam prep, and to assist your company with the training needed to help your business grow.

Every credible contractor needs a contractor license in SC before they can perform work on someone’s property. Just like any state, there are requirements that you must meet before you’re legally able to perform work. The requirements are based on the license classification you are applying for. The most important one is having a valid South Carolina contractor license.

At Contractor Training Center, our experienced and knowledgeable team of trained professionals will teach you everything you need to know about this process. We support you so that you’ll have your license as quickly and efficiently as possible. We help prepare you with the necessary exam prep tools including resources, books, and assistance from us!

The benefits of having a contractors license in South Carolina

One of the main reasons the state of South Carolina board for contractors requires a contractor’s license is it keeps scam artists away from tricking people. When unlicensed individuals conduct work, it compromises the quality of the work. Worse yet, it can threaten the safety of homeowners. Before you can get out there and work, you will need a license for many reasons.

Gives You Credibility

Having a license increases your credibility, allowing you to build trust with your clients. There are other ways you can gain their trust, but this is a big part of establishing yourself and your business, especially if you're working with new customers.

Gives You A Higher Earning Potential

Consequently, there are larger projects that you can't perform without a contractor's license. With one, you can take on big assignments, get more jobs, and increase your profit. More times than not, clients will pay a higher price to a licensed contractor as opposed to unlicensed handymen.

Here are two main benefits of having a contractor’s license:

1. A license gives you credibility. Clients are more likely to hire a licensed contractor as opposed to an unlicensed handyman.
2. A license gives you a higher earning potential. This is what it’s all about right? You want to provide quality services while making a good profit. Having a license will open doors and attract more leads to your business.

These two reasons alone benefit business owners greatly. Moreover, there are larger projects that require a contractor’s license in the state of South Carolina. If you can earn a higher income, why not take it? Having a license opens doors all around you.

Did you know that for any residential building project costing over $200, the contractor needs to have a license to be able to legally conduct work in South Carolina?  For commercial projects, costs exceeding $5,000 require a license as well. This makes it difficult for contractors to offer their services without restriction. 

Obtaining a South Carolina contractor license can be a difficult, tedious process. However, we make this process as stress-free for you as possible. We walk you through every step of getting your SC contractor’s license. We do this keeping in mind the different types of exams available and necessary resources to pass the exam you select.

Get in touch with us today to get started!

The general requirements to get a South Carolina contractor's license are in detail on this page. Our goal is to make this process as easy as possible for you. We will walk you through the process of fulfilling your goal of being a licensed contractor. As long as you meet the requirements, you’ll be able to perform work in the beautiful state of South Carolina.

There are two different contracting boards in South Carolina that are run through the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. There is the Contractor’s Licensing Board that handle Commercial licenses, and the Residential Building Commission that handles Residential Builder Licenses. The rules are similar with a few exceptions.

Residential contractor license

Here are the steps you’ll need to take to become a licensed builder for residential projects in the state of South Carolina:

1. File a written application

First things first! The Commission requires a written application. You must send this to them prior to being eligible to take the exams. This is where many contractors struggle and procrastinate and lose momentum right out of the gate. At Contractor Training Center we offer our Application Fulfillment Service to help you past this hurdle. We will set up a Dropbox with you and put the correct documents in front of you along with a checklist of the requirements. You will still need to fill them out as this is your information and we don’t know it. We will answer all of your questions as you fill in all of the required information. Once everything is ready, we will review for accuracy and suggest editing where necessary. We save people time and frustration. You have one year from application submission to complete the entire process.

2. Submit a certified check

You can send a money order or cashier’s check along with your written application. The application fee is $100.

3. Submit an Affidavit

This affidavit needs to show proof of at least one year of experience working under the supervision of a licensed contractor.

4. Pass the exam

This is the most important part of the process and where we will help you the most. Before obtaining your South Carolina contractor’s license, you need to pass two examinations given by PSI. First,  you must pass the SC Business Law exam to make sure that you understand the laws of operating a business in the state of South Carolina. Then you must pass the technical exam for Residential Builder to show that you have the skills and knowledge to perform the work of a licensed contractor. We have the prep class, the approved set of books and the tabs needed to pass this OPEN BOOK exam. Tabbing and Highlighting the books is allowed and part of our curriculum. We will also teach you techniques to ensure that you can find the answers quickly and efficiently.  Check out the examination outline in the Candidate Information Bulletin. This will give you a general idea of what you need to study to be well prepared for the examination.

5. Pay the license fee

Yes, there is another fee that you will need to pay. These fees are pro-rated so you pay a $160 license fee if the license is issued between July 1st and June 30th on an even-numbered year. This is because license renewals are done every other year on even numbered years. They accept certified checks or money orders.

For more information on obtaining your residential contractor’s license, get in touch with the SC Residential Builders Commission by clicking here.

Commercial contractor license

Now, here are the steps you’ll need to take if you need to obtain a commercial license:

1. Send the registration form

You will begin this process by mailing the exam registration form and payment to PSI. Payment can be sent in a cashiers check or money order. Once you get approval from PSI, you’ll receive a registration confirmation notice. This makes you eligible to take the Business Law exam.

2. Prepare for the exam

We have the prep class, the approved set of books and the tabs needed to pass this OPEN BOOK exam. Tabbing and Highlighting the books is allowed and part of our curriculum. We will also teach you techniques to ensure that you can find the answers quickly and efficiently Check out the examination outline in the Candidate Information Bulletin. This will give you a general idea of what you need to study to be well prepared for the examination.

3. Arrive at your appointment

When ready, you’ll arrive at your scheduled exam appointment. Be sure to take proper identification with you to be accessed permission into the test.

4. Submit your license application

Congratulations, you passed! You will now need to send your commercial license application to the SC Contractors Licensing Board.

This is where many contractors struggle and procrastinate and lose momentum. At Contractor Training Center we offer our Application Fulfillment Service to help you past this hurdle. We will set up a Dropbox with you and put the correct documents in front of you along with a checklist of the requirements. You will still need to fill them out as this is your information and we don’t know it. We will answer all of your questions as you fill in all of the required information. Once everything is ready, we will review for accuracy and suggest editing where necessary. We save people time and frustration. You have one year from application submission to complete the process and get your license.

Visit the following address for more information regarding a General Contractors license: llr.state.sc.us/POL/Contractors