South Carolina (SC)

South Carolina subcontractor insurance & compliance requirements

If you're a general contractor hiring subcontractors in South Carolina, here are the certificates and documents you should collect and keep current, and how TradeGuard tracks them automatically.

State contractor license
Required
OSHA
State OSHA plan
Contractor bond
Not statewide

Documents to collect from subcontractors in South Carolina

The core compliance documents a GC should require and keep current for each sub.

Contractor LicenseRequired

State-issued contractor license or registration

General Liability COIRequired

Certificate of Insurance for General Liability coverage

Workers Compensation COIRequired

Certificate of Insurance for Workers Compensation coverage, required for any sub with employees

W-9 / EIN FormRequired

Required for tax reporting on payments over $600

OSHA 10 CertificationRecommended

Required on many public and private commercial projects

Performance BondConditional

Required on public works projects over threshold

Payment BondConditional

Required alongside performance bond on public projects

Bid BondConditional

Required when bidding on public construction contracts; guarantees contractor will honor the bid if awarded

Licensing

SC Dept of Labor, Licensing and Regulation issues General and Mechanical Contractor licenses. License required for commercial work over $5,000 and residential over certain thresholds.

OSHA

South Carolina operates an approved state OSHA plan. South Carolina has an approved state OSHA plan (SC OSHA) covering private and public sector

Bonding

No statewide contractor bond requirement, though projects or public work may still require bonds.

Agencies
  • SCLLR: SC Dept of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
  • SC OSHA: South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health
  • SCWCC: SC Workers Compensation Commission

Summary for South Carolina

SC has its own OSHA plan. License required for work over $5,000 commercial. Workers comp required for employers with 4+ employees.

Track all of this automatically in South Carolina

TradeGuard collects every subcontractor's COI, license, and OSHA docs, flags South Carolina compliance gaps, and warns you before anything expires. Stop tracking it in a spreadsheet.

No credit card required · Cancel anytime · See how COI tracking works

South Carolina compliance FAQ

Do subcontractors need a contractor license in South Carolina?+

SC Dept of Labor, Licensing and Regulation issues General and Mechanical Contractor licenses. License required for commercial work over $5,000 and residential over certain thresholds.

Does South Carolina follow federal OSHA or a state OSHA plan?+

South Carolina runs its own OSHA-approved state plan. South Carolina has an approved state OSHA plan (SC OSHA) covering private and public sector

Is a surety bond required for contractors in South Carolina?+

South Carolina does not impose a statewide contractor bond requirement, though individual projects, owners, or public work may still require performance and payment bonds.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Requirements change; confirm current rules with the relevant South Carolina agencies before relying on them.

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