Handyman License Requirements in Lexington, SC
Optional: update link to https://www.lexsc.gov/178/Business-Licensing; note out-of-town contractors obtain a per-job business license with the building permit.
Lexington requirements
Optional: update link to https://www.lexsc.gov/178/Business-Licensing; note out-of-town contractors obtain a per-job business license with the building permit.
Source link: lexsc.gov · lexsc.gov · lexsc.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Local business license
Depends
- Name: Town of Lexington Business License
- Applies when: CONDITIONAL
- Office: Town of Lexington Office of Business Licensing / Finance Department, Town Hall, 111 Maiden Lane (803-951-4631)
- Fee: Class-rated (1 of 8 classes by NAICS) plus zoning fee; job license for out-of-town contractors priced separately from the permit; not stated as a flat amount
"If the business is an out-of-town contractor that has a job within the Town of Lexington ... When you come to pick up and pay for the building permit, the Town's Finance Department will issue a business license for the job."
Source: lexsc.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Local contractor or handyman license
None found on official sources
- Name: No town or county contractor license; Town requires proof of SC state licensure (residential builder or contractor license) before issuing a building permit
- Trigger: Building-permit work in Town
"You will be required to show proof of proper licensure through the State of South Carolina (such as a residential builder's license or a contractor's license) before a building permit will be issued."
Source: lexsc.gov · checked November 2, 2026
County: Lexington County
The South Carolina rule
Regulator: South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR): South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (residential builders and residential specialty contractors); South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board (general and mechanical contractors, Title 40 Ch. 11)
Tiered. Residential specialty contractor (trades incl. carpenters, drywall, painters/wallpaperers, floor covering, roofers, masons, insulation, siding, stucco, plumbers, electricians, HVAC) is required 'when the undertakings exceed five hundred dollars' (i.e., $500 or less is exempt; over $500 requires registration, or an exam-based license for plumbing/electrical/HVAC). Residential builder license required 'when the cost of the undertaking exceeds five thousand dollars'. Registration limited to 3 trade classifications; more than 3 requires a residential builder license. Chapter 11 (Contractor's Licensing Board): license required where 'the total cost of construction is greater than ten thousand dollars' for general or mechanical contracting (raised from $5,000 by 2023 Act No. 69, eff May 19, 2023).
What counts toward it: labor+materials (40-59-240(D) bond rule says 'total cost of materials and labor'; the definitions in 40-59-20 say 'undertakings exceed' / 'cost of the undertaking exceeds' without itemizing - treat as total job cost)
"when the cost of the undertaking exceeds five thousand dollars. Anyone who engages or offers to engage in such undertaking in this State is considered to have engaged in the business of residential building."
Source: scstatehouse.gov · scstatehouse.gov · checked November 2, 2026
State registration
Residential Specialty Contractor Registration (RBS) with the Residential Builders Commission for non-exam trades over $500; no exam required for registered trades; application fee $100, renewal $100. Max 3 trade classifications. Plumbers, electricians, HVAC installers/repairers must pass an exam for a specialty contractor license. Business entities: residential business certificate of authorization (40-59-400/410; details not reviewed).
Source: llr.sc.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Insurance and bond
Residential specialty contractor: when total cost of materials and labor for an individual property owner exceeds $5,000, must obtain a surety bond in an amount approved by the commission (LLR application package: bond 'in the amount of $5,000'). No state general-liability insurance amount found.
Source: scstatehouse.gov · llr.sc.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Forming an LLC in South Carolina
State filing fee: $110.
Source: scstatehouse.gov · checked November 2, 2026
What to do, in order
- Read the South Carolina rule and confirm with South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR): South Carolina Residential Builders Commission (residential builders and residential specialty contractors); South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board (general and mechanical contractors, Title 40 Ch. 11).
- Line up the Lexington items listed on this page.
- Get your insurance and rate in place before the first paid job.
Nearby places
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice.
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