Insurance in South Carolina

South Carolina does not impose a uniform statewide general-liability insurance minimum on every trade license, but project owners and the Residential Builders Commission (RBC) typically require proof of coverage before work begins. Workers' compensation is mandatory once an employer regularly employs four or more workers under S.C. Code Ann. 42-1-360. Minimum coverages a new trades shop should expect to carry: - General liability. $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate is the typical commercial job requirement and is what most general contractors demand on commercial job sites. Covers bodily injury and property damage arising from your work. - Workers' compensation. Required once you regularly employ four or more workers (S.C. Code Ann. 42-1-360). Carriers price the policy based on payroll and trade class code. The SC Workers' Compensation Commission administers the system. - Commercial auto. Your personal auto policy almost certainly excludes business use. Hired and non-owned auto coverage protects against claims arising from employee-owned vehicles used on company business. - Tools and equipment (inland marine). Homeowners and auto policies exclude business tools beyond small dollar limits. Inland marine is the contractor-specific tool coverage. - Umbrella. A $1M or $2M umbrella is cheap relative to what it protects on a job with property damage exposure. Shop the market. Trade association programs (ABC Carolinas, AGC, PHCC, MCA, IEC) sometimes have group insurance programs that beat street-rate premiums for specialty trades. Independent agents who write construction can quote multiple carriers and compare class codes. Never let coverage lapse during an active job. A one-day gap on a multi-month project is enough to void a claim if something happens during the gap. The CLB requires insurance certificates on file and licenses can be suspended if coverage lapses.