GC Laws — South Carolina contractor-law checklist preview (free)
Sources reviewed 2026-09-30. Public summaries remain free on gclaws.com.

[ ] Licensing
      - A person or entity must hold the appropriate Chapter 40-11 license before performing or offering covered work above $10,000. The current threshold was enacted effective May 19, 2023.

[ ] Mechanic's liens
      - Section 29-5-90 requires both filing the sworn statement in the county recording office and service on the owner within 90 days after the claimant’s last labor or furnishing; special alternatives apply if the owner cannot be found.
      - Section 29-5-120 requires both an enforcement suit and notice of pendency within six months after the claimant’s last labor or furnishing.

[ ] Retainage
      - Section 11-35-3030(4) caps state construction installment retainage at 3.5%. Each prime/subcontract division is treated separately; certified completed divisions’ retained funds are released forthwith to the prime and within 10 days after prime receipt to the responsible subcontractor.
      - Section 29-6-40 permits reasonable retainage; §29-6-60 excludes residential homebuilders, 16-or-fewer-unit residential improvements and private owners of improvements not financed by a nonowner. Do not apply the state-procurement cap indiscriminately to private contracts.

[ ] Prompt payment
      - For compliant performance, §29-6-30 requires payment of the undisputed owner pay request within 21 days after receipt and corresponding downstream payment within seven days after receipt.
      - Section 29-6-40 preserves specified withholding grounds and reasonable retainage. Section 29-6-50 imposes 1% monthly/proportional interest from the due date only if notice of that section accompanied the pay request; permitted private-contract changes must satisfy its express waiver conditions.

[ ] Prevailing wage
      - Although §6-1-130(B) restricts political-subdivision minimum-wage mandates, subsection (C) expressly preserves a subdivision’s authority to establish wage rates in contracts to which it is a party. Review the actual public contract for wage requirements.

[ ] Davis-Bacon (federal)
      - Under 40 U.S.C. section 3142, covered contracts require payment to laborers and mechanics employed directly on the site of the work at least weekly, at rates no lower than the applicable prevailing wage determination. The required compensation includes the basic hourly rate and required fringe benefits, which may be provided through qualifying benefits or cash as the statute permits.
      - Qualifying apprentices may receive a lower registered-program rate only when the applicable registration and program conditions are met. The Department of Labor’s apprenticeship rules govern those exceptions.
      - The Department of Labor determines the prevailing rates for the work classifications and locality. Contractors and subcontractors must use the wage determination applicable to their covered contract.
      - Federal assistance alone does not establish coverage: many, but not all, construction-assistance statutes include Davis-Bacon requirements. Identify the funding program and its governing Related Act.
      - SAM.gov publishes Davis-Bacon wage determinations. Search by the wage-determination number or the Davis-Bacon public-buildings-or-works category, and match the decision to the contract, locality, and work classification.

This preview lists the topics and rules covered in the full state pack. The paid pack adds the complete source URLs, citations, review dates, and the three editable tools.
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