Before a roofing sub works on one of your houses, confirm five things: an ACTIVE state registration with a roofer classification, current insurance, proof of workers' comp collected that day, a scope that fits the registration, and a written subcontract. The first check takes a few minutes on the Residential Builders Commission lookup.
This checklist is written for production builders, custom builders and general contractors hiring for houses in South Carolina. The rules behind each step are covered in more depth on our new construction roofing page for builders.
1. Look up the registration, not the logo
A roofer hired by a licensed residential builder or general contractor is a residential specialty contractor once the work exceeds $500 (S.C. Code §40-59-20(7)). The state registers a person. LLR's specialty registrant FAQ says: "We register the individual, not the company."
- Ask for the registration number and the name of the registrant. Search it on the RBC lookup.
- Confirm the status reads ACTIVE. The lookup's own notes say PENDING and LAPSED registrants can't do work over $500.00.
- Confirm roofing is one of the classifications listed.
- Note the renewal cycle. Specialty registrations lapse on June 30 of odd years if not renewed, so the next deadline is June 30, 2027 (LLR FAQ).
- Search the Residential Builders Commission board orders under the person's name and any trade name.
Our guide to checking a roofer's license shows each screen and every status code.
2. Collect insurance proof the day you engage the sub
The Residential Builders chapter sets no general liability insurance requirement for registered roofers. If your contracts or your carrier need it, make it a condition. Ask the sub's agent to issue the certificate to you, then phone the agency yourself to confirm it's in force.
Workers' comp needs its own check. The Workers' Compensation Commission's Verify Coverage page searches by employer and accident date. Questions go to its coverage staff at (803) 737-6203 on weekdays.
Timing matters. Under §42-1-415(B), a higher-tier contractor can be reimbursed from the Uninsured Employers' Fund only if it collected the coverage documents "at the time the contractor or subcontractor is engaged to perform work." A certificate gathered after an injury doesn't count.
3. Understand the statutory employer rule
In South Carolina, a contractor that subcontracts work is liable for compensation to the sub's injured workers, as if it had employed them directly (§42-1-410). The rule reaches down to a sub's own subs (§42-1-420).
Small subs may be exempt from the workers' comp law. That covers employers with fewer than four regular employees in the state, or under $3,000 in payroll the prior year (§42-1-360(2)). Ask an exempt sub how its crew is covered. See our full post on the statutory employer rule for roofing subs.
4. Match the scope to the registration
A specialty contractor may not take on work outside its registration, "including employing, hiring, and contracting or subcontracting with others" to do it (§40-59-20(7)). LLR's FAQ defines roofing as the weather-resistant surface and its accessories: flashing, valleys, gravel stops and roof insulation panels above the deck.
- Framing and trusses. Structural work needs a licensed builder's or general contractor's supervision, per the FAQ.
- Sheathing. The roofer definition doesn't mention the deck. Ask the Commission at (803) 896-4696 how panel replacement is classified before you assign it.
- Second-tier subs. A registered roofer may subcontract only within the trades on its registration (FAQ).
- Bond. §40-59-240(D) requires a surety bond when a specialty job for an individual property owner exceeds $5,000. The FAQ words it more broadly, so ask the Commission whether it applies to your subcontract.
5. Check the local business license
A state registration is not a local license. Specialty contractors "are not exempt from complying with county and municipal business license ordinances" (§40-59-240(C)). In Cayce, for example, all contractors and sub-contractors must have a current business license before working on job sites (Cayce Building Services FAQ).
6. Put the subcontract in writing
A written subcontract protects both sides. An unregistered contractor can't file a mechanics' lien or sue to enforce a contract made in violation of the chapter (§40-59-30(B)). That is one more reason to run the lookup before you sign.
What a roofing subcontract should name
| Item | What to write down |
|---|---|
| Parties and credentials | Legal names, the registrant's name and registration number |
| Plan set and lots | The plan revision, addresses or lot numbers, and roof plan |
| Material spec | Shingle or panel line, color, underlayment, flashing and ventilation products |
| Installation standard | Manufacturer installation instructions and the code edition set by the permit date (§6-9-130) |
| Scope edges | Who handles sheathing defects, framing corrections, gutters and cleanup |
| Inspections | Who requests each inspection and who pays a failed re-inspection |
| Insurance | Certificates required, and notice if coverage lapses |
| Homeowner paperwork | Product warranty documents and photos delivered to the builder |
A sub that represented it had workers' comp must notify you by certified mail within five days of a lapse, or face fraud penalties (§42-1-415(C)). Writing that duty into the subcontract keeps it in front of both parties.
Cola City Roofing bids roof packages for builders across the Midlands. Ask for our registration number and certificate of insurance and run the same checks on us. You can request a bid here.
