What can a handyman do in Pickens, 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 Pickens adds
Due April 30 annually; contact Business Code Compliance (864) 417-2951; form at https://cityofpickens.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Business_License_Any_Business.pdf.
Source link: cityofpickens.com · library.municode.com · pickenssc.govoffice3.com · checked November 2, 2026
Local business license
Required
- Name: City of Pickens Business License (annual license tax, Code of Ordinances Ch. 9)
- Office: City of Pickens Business Code Compliance, (864) 417-2951 (application phone on form 864-878-6421)
- Fee: based on gross receipts per the city's rate schedule; due April 30 each year
"The City of Pickens requires all businesses operating within city limits — including home-based businesses, professional services, contractors, and rental property owners — to maintain a current City of Pickens Business License. ... Due Date: April 30 of each year. Basis: Calculated on total gross receipts"
Source: cityofpickens.com · checked November 2, 2026
Local contractor or handyman license
None found on official sources
- Name: No separate city contractor license; contractors use the city's 'Business License Application--Contractors'
- Trigger: any business activity within city limits
"Every person engaged or intending to engage in any business ... in whole or in part within the limits of the City of Pickens, South Carolina, is required to pay an annual license tax for the privilege of doing business and obtain a business license"
Source: library.municode.com · 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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