South Carolina Plumbing License Requirements Guide

[mv_video doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement=”false” doNotOptimizePlacement=”false” jsonLd=”true” key=”mnmvhyogtoxiiv17e7tu” ratio=”16:9″ thumbnail=”https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/v1679531313/soa4r741wpl6z1coxdjs.jpg” title=”How to Become Plumber in South Carolina” volume=”70″] In South Carolina, licensing for all mechanical and general contractors occurs at the state level. This state has two main plumbing classifications: commercial and residential plumbers. Before you can begin working, you must get your license from either the Contractor’s Licensing Board (CLB) or the Residential Builders Commission (RBC). Both the CLB and RBC operate under the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; the license you obtain largely depends on what type of work you want to do.

Compared to other states, requirements for licensure in South Carolina are rather lax. All you need is one year of hands-on experience for a residential license or two for a commercial one and to pass the appropriate licensure exam. However, it’s important to obtain experience that will fully qualify you for licensure, prepare you for the exam, and provide you with all of the training and knowledge you need to succeed in your career as a plumber.

South Carolina Plumbing License Reciprocity

South Carolina maintains reciprocity agreements with a number of other states for a variety of trades, but only Ohio and Tennessee have reciprocity for commercial plumbers. There are no reciprocal agreements for residential plumbers with any other states. For states that have them, though, these reciprocal agreements are a great option to save you the time and money it takes to secure a completely new plumbing license if you’re moving from one place to another.

However, in South Carolina, reciprocity only waives the technical portion of the licensing exam; you must still take and pass a business law and management exam before you can begin working. Upon passing that exam, you must submit your results, the initial licensing application, the application fee, a financial statement or surety bond form, a letter of licensure verification from your own state’s licensing board, and the SC exam waiver form to the CLB. Your current license must be active and in good standing to be approved for work in South Carolina.

South Carolina Commercial Plumbing License Requirements

The South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 40, Chapter 11 defines a mechanical contractor as “an entity which performs or supervises, or offers to perform or supervise, mechanical construction.” Plumbing is one of the trades included in this definition. With a commercial license, you are permitted to do industrial and residential work as well.

To apply for your commercial plumbing license, you must have at least two years of hands-on commercial plumbing experience and submit the following materials to the CLB:

Your completed initial license application;
The license fee — which varies based on the date your license expires — in the form of a check or money order made out to SCCLB;
A financial statement or surety bond;
Any relevant supporting documentation.

You can mail your completed application materials to:

South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board
P.O. Box 11329
Columbia, South Carolina 29211

Once the CLB approves your application, you can take the commercial plumbing exam. Upon passing, you must send your exam scores and appropriate license fee to the CLB. Finally, when they approve these materials, you will receive your commercial plumbing license for South Carolina. After receiving your license, it will require periodic renewal, which can be done using the online licensing portal.

Commercial Plumbing Exam

In South Carolina, you must take and pass the plumbing licensure exams offered by PSI Exams before you can apply for your license. One is a technical test that assesses your knowledge of the trade itself, while the other focuses on business management and regulations.

First, you must take and pass the Business Management and Law Exam. This test consists of 50 questions, and you must answer 35 of them correctly to pass. You have slightly over two hours to complete the exam. You will be tested on:

Business management;
Estimating and bidding;
Contracts and agreements;
Project management;
Insurance and bonding;
Safety recordkeeping and reporting;
Labor laws and employment regulations;
Financial management;
Tax laws;
Liens;
And environmental laws and regulations.

South Carolina Residential Plumbing License Requirements

The South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 40, Chapter 59 defines a residential specialty contractor as “an independent contractor who is not a licensed residential builder, who contracts with a licensed residential builder, general contractor, or individual property owner to do construction work, repairs, improvement, or reimprovement which requires special skills and involves the use of specialized construction trades or craft, when the undertakings exceed two hundred dollars.” Residential plumbers fall under this definition.

To apply for your residential plumbing license, you must have at least one year of previous hands-on experience and submit the following to the RBC:

The completed Residential Specialty Plumbing License Application;
A check or money order for $100 made out to SCRBC;
A copy of a government-issued photo ID;
A copy of your Social Security card;
A notarized Verification of Lawful Presence form;
Copies of W2s or 1099s from the employer who will verify your experience;
Copies of trade licenses from other states;
Copies of certifications, transcripts, or other documentation of work experience;
And any other supporting documentation as needed.

You can either use the online application portal, or complete a paper application and mail it to:

South Carolina Residential Builders Commission
PO Box 11329
Columbia, South Carolina 29211

After receiving your application, the RBC will review it and give you the approval to take the plumbing licensure exam. Once you have passed the exam, you must submit your results, a surety bond in the amount of $10,000, and a check or money order made payable to LLR-Residential Builders Commission. It must be in the amount of either $80 if the license is issued less than 12 months before the next renewal date, or $160 if it’s issued more than 12 months before that date.

You must also renew your license every odd-numbered year before June 30th of that year. The RBC will send you a renewal notice in the month of April. If you fail to renew your license on time, you will be subject to a late fee and your license will lapse. It can remain inactive for three years before you have to re-apply and re-test again.

Residential Plumbing Exam

The residential plumbing contractor exam is also offered by PSI Exams. The exam is actually two separate tests, the Technical Examination and the Business Management and Law Examination.

The Business Management and Law Exam consists of 50 questions and lasts for two hours. It is open-book, but you may only bring a copy of NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management — South Carolina Residential Builders. You will be tested in the following areas:

Business management;
Licensing laws and rules;
Estimating and bidding;
Contracts and agreements;
Project management;
Insurance and bonding;
Safety recordkeeping and reporting;
Labor laws and employment regulations;
Financial management;
Tax laws;
Liens;
And environmental laws and regulations.

You must answer at least 34 questions (68%) correctly in order to pass the exam, and you have to pass this test to sit the Technical Exam.

The Technical Exam consists of 65 questions, and you have three hours to complete it. You will be tested on:

Your general plumbing knowledge;
Piping, valves, and controls;
Fixtures and equipment;
Water supply;
Drain, waste, and vent sewers;
Isometric analysis;
Safety;
And specialty applications.

The exam is open-book, but you may only bring in certain reference materials, including the South Carolina International Plumbing Code and the Code of Federal Regulations – 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA). You must get at least 44 questions (67.7%) correct to pass. For additional information on both of these tests, see the Residential Builders and Residential Specialty Examinations Candidate Information Bulletin for South Carolina.

Within a 12-month period, you have three attempts to pass the exam. If you fail it three times, you will be required to wait at least one year from the last date you failed the exam before you can take it again. At that point, you will be required to re-submit your application and get approved to take the exam.

Upon passing both of these tests, you can submit your results and your completed application to the RBC. After they review and approve your application, you will officially be licensed as a residential plumber in South Carolina.

Plumbing Apprenticeship Requirements

In South Carolina, you do not have to work as an apprentice before getting either your residential or commercial plumbing license. You only need one or two years of hands-on plumbing experience, respectively. Experience gained from vocational programs or college courses may be taken into consideration, but they do not necessarily count toward that requirement.

Apprenticeships, on the other hand, are a simple way to get that hands-on experience while still learning theoretical aspects of the trade. Further, you can foster connections with working professional plumbers and earn a respectable income at the same time. Even though an apprenticeship isn’t a necessity, it is a secure and rewarding way to prepare for your career as a plumber.

South Carolina Plumbing Apprentice Jobs

There are several different ways you can find a plumbing apprenticeship in South Carolina. The government-supported Apprenticeship Carolina is an organization that helps businesses find interested apprentices (and vice versa). You can connect with a Registered Program Specialist to discover opportunities in your area. Similarly, the federal government offers several resources to help people find open positions, including the Apprenticeship Finder tool and the Available Occupations list for apprentices.

You may also want to look at opportunities that may be available through local plumbers unions. Local 421 is a long-standing plumbers and pipefitters union in the area that also serves plumbers in North Carolina. In addition, you can look into general trade or mechanical contractor unions.

Finally, looking for an apprenticeship is highly similar to any other job hunt. You can always use job-seeking tools and websites — such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and Monster — to discover even more potential apprenticeship opportunities.

Plumbing Trade Schools in South Carolina

Currently, there is only one school in South Carolina that offers an educational plumbing program.

Technical College of the LowCountry
- Public
- Locations: Beaufort, Bluffton, Seabrook, and Varnville
- Tuition & Costs: $190 per credit hour for in-state, in-county students
- Contact Information:
  - Beaufort
    - (843)-525-8207
    - 921 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC 29901
  - Bluffton
    - (843)-470-6000
    - 100 Community College Drive, Bluffton, SC 29909
  - Seabrook
    - (843)-466-2700
    - 169 State Highway S 7-549, Seabrook, SC 29940
  - Varnville
    - (803)-943-4262
    - 54 Tech Circle, Varnville, SC 29944

You may also want to consider looking into plumbing programs in the states neighboring South Carolina, including Georgia and North Carolina. Depending on where you live, you may not have to go too far out of your way to get your education.

South Carolina Professional License Search

The CLB offers a free License Lookup search tool that you can use to verify someone’s credentials. This tool will tell you the status of a license, such as if it is active, lapsed, or suspended, as well the type of license they have, the name of their business, and the city in which they are registered.

For More License and Career Guides

To find out how to become a Plumbing Contractor in another state, start here.

For information on other trades in South Carolina, click on a link below to learn more about the licensing requirements:

Image Source: https://unsplash.com/