South Carolina contractor insurance requirements

Workers' comp in South Carolina

South Carolina employers with four or more employees in the state, counting part-time workers and family, must carry workers' comp. Businesses with annual payroll under $3,000 are exempt.

The agency in charge is the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission. It can tell you whether a specific business needs coverage, and most states let you look up an employer's policy online.

Contractor licensing and insurance

We found no statewide general liability minimum tied to a general contractor license. Cities and counties can set their own licensing and insurance rules, so check where the project is.

Indemnity and additional insured clauses

South Carolina's anti-indemnity statute (S.C. Code Ann. § 32-2-10) voids construction contract clauses that make a contractor indemnify another party for that party's sole negligence. Clauses that cover shared fault are generally allowed.

What to check on a contractor COI for a South Carolina project

1. Workers' comp. A contractor below South Carolina's threshold can legally go without it, but your project requirements can still require it. Decide what you'll accept, and get an exemption or a policy in writing. For an out-of-state contractor, confirm South Carolina is listed on the workers' comp policy.
2. General liability. South Carolina doesn't set a statewide floor for a general contractor license, so your project requirements set the bar. Compare each limit on the COI with what the contract asks for.
3. Additional insured. The endorsement is a separate promise from the indemnity clause, so check both. Ask for the endorsement itself, not just a box ticked on the certificate.
4. Dates. Every policy should run through the end of the job. A COI only shows coverage on the day it was issued, so check again at each renewal.

Forsured checks every contractor COI against your project requirements, then keeps checking for the life of the project. Send us one project's requirements and a contractor COI or two for a free COI risk check.