What can a handyman do in Lexington, SC?
South Carolina's small-job figure is $500. The exact wording below decides whether a job fits.
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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
What Lexington adds
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
Jobs a handyman usually takes
Examples of everyday jobs that stay inside a small-job rule when the whole job fits the wording above. This is an example list, not a legal one:
- Mounting TVs, shelves, mirrors and pictures
- Assembling furniture and flat-pack cabinets
- Patching drywall and interior painting
- Caulking, weatherstripping and sealing
- Repairing doors, locks, screens and windows
- Basic carpentry, trim and small repairs
- Pressure washing and gutter cleaning
Trade work in South Carolina
Residential plumbing, electrical and HVAC: residential specialty contractor LICENSE by exam from the Residential Builders Commission for undertakings over $500. Commercial/other mechanical (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) contracting over $10,000: Contractor's Licensing Board (Ch. 11). No handyman carve-out beyond the $500 threshold. Counties/municipalities may require their own exam/license (40-59-240(C)), but not a second exam if the commission exam was passed.
Source: scstatehouse.gov · scstatehouse.gov · checked November 2, 2026
When a permit changes the answer
No statutory text found saying a permit requirement by itself voids the dollar exemption. 40-59-280: building officials must refuse a permit for an undertaking requiring licensure/registration unless the applicant shows license/registration or exemption. 40-59-265 lists minor improvements exempt from permits that an owner may do without a license.
Source: scstatehouse.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Nearby places
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice, so confirm with the office named before you take the job.
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