As used in this chapter unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

1. (1) "Commission" means the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission.
2. (2) "Department" means the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
3. (3) "Director" means the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
4. (4) "Firm" means a business entity functioning as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership, professional association, professional corporation, business corporation, limited liability company, joint venture or other legally constituted organization which practices or offers to practice residential building or residential specialty contracting.
5. (5) "License" means a license, registration, or certification issued in accordance with this chapter.
6. (6) "Residential builder" means one who constructs, superintends, or offers to construct or superintend the construction, repair, improvement, or reimprovement of a residential building or structure which is not over three floors in height and which does not have more than sixteen units in any single apartment building, 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.

7. (7) "Residential specialty contractor" means an independent contractor 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 five hundred dollars and are not regulated by the provisions of Chapter 11. A residential specialty contractor is not authorized to construct additions to residential buildings or structures without supervision by a residential builder or other appropriately licensed person or entity. Residential specialty contracting includes the following areas of contracting and other areas as the commission may recognize by regulation:

   1. (a) plumbers;
   2. (b) electricians;
   3. (c) heating and air conditioning installers and repairers;
   4. (d) vinyl and aluminum siding installers;
   5. (e) insulation installers;
   6. (f) roofers;
   7. (g) floor covering installers;
   8. (h) masons;
   9. (i) dry wall installers;
   10. (j) carpenters;
   11. (k) stucco installers;
   12. (l) painters and wall paperers;

   13. (m) solar panel installers.

       Plumbers, electricians, and heating and air conditioning installers and repairers must be issued specialty contractor licenses after passing the required examination, if the other requirements of this article are met. Vinyl and aluminum siding installers, masons, dry wall installers, carpenters, stucco installers, painters and wall paperers, and solar panel installers must be issued specialty contractor registrations, if the other requirements of this article are met.

       A residential specialty contractor is prohibited from undertaking work outside the scope of his license or registration, including employing, hiring, and contracting or subcontracting with others to perform such work on his behalf.

       The provisions of this chapter do not preclude a licensed residential builder from also obtaining licensure or registration as a residential specialty contractor in an area of contracting identified in statute or recognized by the commission. In addition, a residential builder, who is licensed by examination in this State, is authorized to perform work in any of the areas of residential specialty contracting without separately obtaining a residential specialty contractor license or registration.

8. (8) As used in this chapter, the terms defined in Section 40-1-20 have the same meaning as stated in that section.

HISTORY: 2002 Act No. 359, Section 1; 2022 Act No. 186 (H.3606), Section 2, eff May 16, 2022.

Editor's Note

Prior Laws:1962 Code Section 56-1545.32; 1974 (58) 1949; 1990 Act No. 595, Section 1; 1976 Code Section 40-59-10.

Effect of Amendment

2022 Act No. 186, Section 2, in (7), in the first sentence, deleted "who is not a licensed residential builder," following "means an independent contractor", substituted "five hundred dollars" for "two hundred dollars", and inserted the second sentence; in (l), substituted "painters and wall paperers;" for "painters/wall papers."; and inserted (m) and the following three undesignated paragraphs.