How to Choose a Contractor in South Carolina Without Getting Burned

South Carolina regulates residential builders and specialty contractors through the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. You can search a license holder directly on the LLR website rather than accepting a number printed on a business card. Two things to check beyond whether the license exists: that it is currently active, and that the classification matches the work being proposed.

The classification detail matters and is commonly glossed over. A specialty license for one trade does not authorize a whole-house remodel, and a residential builder license is a different credential from the specialty licenses that cover mechanical work. If someone is quoting you work outside their classification, they intend to subcontract it, which is fine if disclosed and a problem if not.

A contractor handing you a PDF of a certificate proves very little, because certificates are dated and coverage can lapse the week after one is issued. Ask for the certificate to be sent to you directly from their insurance agent, with your name listed as certificate holder. It is a routine request and takes an agent a few minutes.

• 01General liability coverage, and confirm the policy is active on the date work begins.
• 02Workers compensation coverage. If a crew member is injured on your property and the contractor carries none, exposure can land on you.
• 03Verify the named insured on the certificate matches the business name on your contract exactly.
• 04For roofing specifically, confirm the policy does not exclude roofing operations, which is a real and common exclusion.

A proposal is not a price. It is a description of work that happens to end in a price. If you cannot tell from the document exactly what will be installed and what will not, you cannot compare it against anything and you have no basis for a dispute later.

• 01Line items with quantities and specific materials, including manufacturer and product line, not a category like architectural shingle.
• 02Explicit exclusions. What is not included matters as much as what is.
• 03Unit pricing for the discoveries, such as a per-sheet decking price, so change orders are priced before anyone is standing on your roof with the old shingles off.
• 04A payment schedule tied to milestones. Nothing large up front.
• 05Named warranty terms, separating the workmanship warranty from the manufacturer's material warranty, which are two different things.
• 06Who is actually doing the work, and whether any portion is subcontracted.

• 01A large deposit demanded before materials are delivered or work begins.
• 02A price that expires today. Legitimate pricing is based on material and labor cost, which does not evaporate at midnight.
• 03A promise that insurance will definitely cover it, or an offer to cover your deductible, which is illegal in many circumstances and a bad sign in all of them.
• 04No physical address, or a truck with no permanent signage, especially in the weeks after a storm.
• 05Refusal to put something in writing that they stated verbally. This is the most reliable predictor of trouble.
• 06Pressure applied to the oldest person in the household rather than to whoever asks the most questions.

One more that is less obvious: a contractor who will only quote replacement and refuses to price a repair. There are situations where repair is genuinely not worth doing, and a good contractor explains why in terms of the specific condition of your home. A refusal to even discuss it usually reflects how the company sells rather than what your house needs.

• 01Who will be on my property, and are they your employees or a subcontracted crew?
• 02What did you find in the attic or crawlspace, and can I see the photographs?
• 03What is the per-sheet price if you find bad decking?
• 04Is the flashing being replaced or reused?
• 05What does your workmanship warranty cover, for how long, and what voids it?
• 06Can your agent send me a certificate of insurance directly?