How to Choose a Roofing Contractor in Columbia, SC: The South Carolina Hiring Guide

Most homeowners hire a roofer only once or twice in the time they own a house, and often in a hurry: after a storm, after a leak shows up on a ceiling, or when a home inspector flags the roof during a sale. The roofer has done this many times; you haven't. This guide covers what South Carolina law actually requires of a roofer, how to check it yourself in a few minutes, what a fair contract and payment schedule look like, and where to go if something goes wrong.

It is written for homeowners in Columbia and the Midlands (Richland, Lexington and the surrounding counties), but the state law parts apply anywhere in South Carolina. Every legal point was checked against its primary source, listed at the end. Where the law is unclear or varies by local office, the guide says so and tells you who to call.

The short version

If you only have five minutes, do these things before you sign anything:

1. Look the roofer up on the Residential Builders Commission lookup. A residential roofer doing a job over $500 must be registered with the Commission, or hold a residential builder license. The registration belongs to a person, so search for the owner's name as well as the company name.
2. Get a certificate of insurance at signing, not after the job starts, and call the insurance agent listed on it to confirm the policy is active. South Carolina does not require roofers to carry liability insurance, and workers' compensation is only required once a business has four or more employees, so you cannot assume either.
3. Get three written bids that describe the same job: tear-off or overlay, how rotten decking is priced, flashing, ventilation, the named warranty, the permit and cleanup. Price is only comparable once scope is.
4. Read the cancellation language. If the sale happened at your home, the federal Cooling-Off Rule gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel most sales of $25 or more. If insurance is paying, state law gives you five business days after a written coverage denial to cancel, and the roofer cannot demand payment until that window closes.
5. Do not pay far ahead of the work. South Carolina has no cap on roofing deposits. Tie payments to completed work, pay by check or card rather than cash, and collect lien releases before the final payment.
6. Walk away from anyone who offers to cover, waive or discount your deductible, including a discount for putting their sign in your yard. In South Carolina that is a misdemeanor for the contractor. And a roofer may not negotiate your insurance claim for you.

How South Carolina regulates roofers

The most common mistake in roofing advice about South Carolina is the word "licensed." Residential roofers here are registered, not licensed by examination, and the difference matters when you are deciding how much weight to put on the credential.

Registered, not tested

State law lists roofers as one of the residential specialty contractor trades regulated by the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission, part of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR). Under S.C. Code §40-59-20(7), a residential specialty contractor is someone who contracts with a builder, general contractor or individual property owner for work that "requires special skills," when the job exceeds $500. That threshold rose from $200 to $500 in May 2022, so older articles that quote $200 are out of date.

Only three specialty trades (plumbing, electrical, and heating and air) must pass an exam to be licensed. For roofers, LLR's own FAQ for specialty registrants answers the question "Is there an exam or any type of testing required to become registered?" with "None at this time." What registration does require is more modest:

• a credit report and disclosure of any outstanding judgments from the past five years (§40-59-250);
• at least one year of work experience for each classification and three written letters of reference (LLR registrant FAQ);
• a $100 registration fee, renewed every two years by June 30 of odd-numbered years;
• a surety bond, but only for work over $5,000 (more on that below).

So a registration tells you the person is known to the state, has some experience on paper and can be disciplined by the Commission. It does not tell you they passed a roofing test. That is a reason not to stop at the lookup, not a reason to skip it.

What the roofer classification covers

The Commission's regulation defines the roofer classification as "the installation, alteration and repair of materials common to the residential building industry that form a water tight, weather resistant surface for roofs and decks, including all accessories, flashing, valleys, gravel stops and roof insulation panels above the roof deck" (Reg. 106-1(f)). Two limits follow from the statute and are worth knowing:

• A registrant may not work outside the classification, and may not get around that by subcontracting the work to someone else (§40-59-20(7)). A registrant may hold no more than three classifications (§40-59-240(A)).
• Structural work is outside a roofer's registration. LLR's FAQ says a specialty registrant cannot do structural work "unless you are under the supervision of a licensed builder or general contractor." If your job involves replacing rafters, changing the roof framing or adding onto the house, the contractor needs a residential builder license or a builder supervising the work.

Rooftop solar has its own rule: under Reg. 106-1(m), mounting panels on a roof may be done only by a licensed residential builder, a registered specialty contractor with a roofer classification, or a commercial general contractor with a roofing classification.

Residential builders can also roof

A residential builder is licensed by examination and posts a bond of at least $15,000 or proof of financial responsibility (§40-59-220(C)). A builder license is required when the cost of a residential job exceeds $5,000, and a licensed builder may do any of the specialty trades, roofing included, without a separate registration. So a legitimate roofer on your job may show up in the lookup either as a registered roofer or as a licensed residential builder. Both are proper.

The bond, and what it is not

When a registered specialty contractor takes on a job for an individual property owner where labor and materials together exceed $5,000, the contractor must have a surety bond on file with the Commission (§40-59-240(D)). LLR's FAQ puts the amount at $5,000, issued in the registrant's own name. A bond is not insurance: it does not pay for a worker's injury or for damage to your house. It is a limited fund that can respond to certain claims against the contractor. On a typical full replacement the bond is small relative to the price of the job, which is one more reason to manage payments carefully.

The registration belongs to a person

LLR's FAQ is direct about this: "We register the individual, not the company." A company name can appear on the registration only if the registrant owns at least 51% of it; otherwise the business needs a separate Certificate of Authorization (§40-59-410). In practice this means the name on the truck may not be the name in the lookup. Ask whose registration covers your job and search that person's name.

Working without registration

Doing registered work without a registration is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500 to $10,000, at least 30 days in jail, or both (§40-59-30(A)). Just as important for you, an unregistered contractor "may not file a mechanics' lien or bring an action at law or in equity to enforce the provisions of a contract" (§40-59-30(B)). Someone working unregistered has already chosen to ignore one rule.

How to look up a roofer in South Carolina

Checking a registration takes a few minutes and costs nothing. Do it before you sign, and do it for the person whose name will be on the permit.

1. Open the Residential Builders Commission lookup on LLR's site. It covers both residential builders and specialty registrants. (LLR's general license lookup reaches every board, and commercial general contractors are in the Contractor's Licensing Board lookup.)
2. Search by the individual's last name first, then by the business name. Remember that the registration belongs to a person.
3. Confirm that the name matches the person or company on your contract, that the status is active, and that the roofer classification (or a residential builder license) is listed.
4. Note the registration or license number and ask for it to be written on the contract. South Carolina does not require roofers to print it there, but a contractor who is proud of the number will not mind.
5. If you can't find the contractor, or the details don't line up, call the Residential Builders Commission at (803) 896-4696 or email Contact.RBC@llr.sc.gov before you go further.

Check the business, too

State registration is only one layer. A few others are worth a quick check:

• City business license. The City of Columbia requires a business license from "every person engaged or intending to engage in any business ... within the City limits," and its FAQ says a contractor's name has to match their LLR license. State law lets a construction business license be issued per project (§6-1-400(B)), and residential specialty contractors are not exempt from local business license ordinances (§40-59-240(C)).
• County rules vary. Lexington County does not issue business licenses for unincorporated areas (it uses zoning permits instead), though towns inside the county may. Richland County issues business licenses for unincorporated areas; ask the county how its rules apply to contractors. If you live in a town, check with the town hall.
• Out-of-state companies. A corporation formed in another state may not transact business in South Carolina until it obtains a certificate of authority from the Secretary of State (§33-15-101). You can search the Secretary of State business filings.

Insurance: what the certificate should show

Many roofing articles say South Carolina law requires roofers to carry general liability insurance. It does not. A search of the Residential Builders Commission statute and regulations finds no liability-insurance requirement for roofer registrants. Workers' compensation is required by law only for employers with four or more regular employees in the state; a business with fewer, or with a prior-year payroll under $3,000, is exempt (§42-1-360(2)).

So insurance is something you have to ask about, not something you can assume. The National Roofing Contractors Association gives the same advice to consumers: "Insist on seeing copies of the contractor's liability insurance coverage and workers' compensation certificates."

Why the timing matters

If a worker is hurt on your roof and the roofer has no workers' compensation coverage, the question of who pays can land at your door, and sorting it out gets complicated. South Carolina's workers' comp statute gives a clear protection to people who collect proof of coverage up front. Under §42-1-415, once a contractor has represented to a "project owner" that it has workers' compensation insurance "at the time the contractor ... was engaged," the owner is relieved of liability under the workers' comp title, and the documentation must be collected "at the time the contractor or subcontractor is engaged to perform work." A contractor who knowingly falsifies coverage faces license consequences under the same section.

The practical rule: get the certificate of insurance at signing and keep it with your contract. Separately, ask your own homeowners insurance agent how your policy treats injuries to contractors' workers. The statute that makes an owner liable for a contractor's workers (§42-1-400) is written around work that is part of the owner's own trade or business; how it applies to a homeowner reroofing their own house is a question for a lawyer, not a guide.

What to look for on the certificate

• The named insured matches the company or person on your contract, and the registrant in the LLR lookup.
• General liability coverage with policy dates that cover your whole job, not one that expires next week.
• Workers' compensation coverage, or a clear explanation of why the business is exempt (for example, fewer than four employees). If the roofer says their crew are subcontractors, ask whether those subcontractors carry their own coverage; under §42-1-410 a contractor can be liable for its subcontractors' workers.
• The issuing agent's name and phone number. Call and confirm the policy is active. A certificate is a snapshot on the day it was printed.
• You as certificate holder. Ask for a certificate issued to you at your address rather than a generic copy. It is a reasonable request and most agents turn it around quickly.

None of this requires a particular coverage amount by law, so this guide does not suggest one. If you want a benchmark, ask your homeowners agent what limits would make them comfortable.

Permits, codes and inspections

South Carolina uses a statewide building code. Since January 1, 2023, the code in force for houses has been the 2021 South Carolina Residential Code, which is the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. The state has adopted the 2024 edition with a local implementation date of January 1, 2027, so a few details may change for jobs permitted after that date.

Whether your reroof needs a permit

This is where honest guides have to say "it depends, call." The City of Columbia's Development Center says "all regulated work performed in the City of Columbia must have a permit," and it has a separate roofing permit application with checkboxes for "tear off shingles and reroof" and "reroof (shingle install only)." But no city page we found spells out, in plain terms, whether every like-for-like shingle replacement is regulated work. Richland County has a roofing permit application too, but its site could not be read for this guide, and Lexington County's permit portal asks for a license number without saying which roof jobs need a permit.

So before the job starts, ask the roofer which office they will pull the permit from, and if you want to confirm it yourself:

• City of Columbia: Development Center, (803) 545-3222, BuildingInspections@columbiasc.gov.
• Unincorporated Richland or Lexington County, or a town: call that county's or town's building inspections office and ask whether a residential reroof at your address needs a permit.

Be wary of widely repeated claims online that "Richland County requires a roofing permit when you change decking, material or insulation." That wording comes from Richland County, Ohio.

Who pulls the permit

State law requires a building official to refuse a permit for work that needs a license or registration "unless the applicant has furnished evidence that he is either licensed or registered ... or exempt" (§40-59-280). The City of Columbia's residential permit application asks for the applicant's SCLLR license number, license type and classification, plus an executed contract.

A homeowner can pull a permit personally under the owner-builder exemption, but only by signing the application personally and receiving a state disclosure statement. That statement warns: "You may not hire an unlicensed person as your residential builder or specialty contractor. It is your responsibility to make sure that people employed by you have licenses" (§40-59-260(C)). If a roofer asks you to pull the permit in your own name, treat it as a warning sign. Often it means the roofer can't pull one.

What the code says about a reroof

You don't need to read the code, but a few provisions explain differences you'll see between bids:

• Tear-off. "Roof replacement shall include the removal of existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof deck" (R908.3). A recover, or overlay, over an existing roof is allowed only in limited cases, and not where the roof already has two or more layers, or where the existing covering "is water soaked or has deteriorated to the point that [it] is not adequate as a base" (R908.3.1.1).
• Old flashing. Existing flashings, edgings, vents and similar parts "shall be replaced where rusted, damaged or deteriorated" (R908.5).
• Kickout flashing. Where a roof eave meets a sidewall, a flashing must divert water away from the wall (R903.2.1).
• Drip edge, a South Carolina difference. The national code requires drip edge on shingle roofs. South Carolina amended that rule: drip edge is required "where required by the manufacturer." Most manufacturers' installation instructions show it, so ask your roofer to include it and name it on the bid.
• Ventilation. Attic ventilation has a minimum ratio in the code (R806.2). The roof ventilation guide explains it, and the roofing calculators will do the arithmetic.

The inspection

If a permit is issued, the building department will inspect under its own procedures. Ask the roofer, before signing, which inspections the office requires for your job, whether you should be home, and that the final payment wait until the final inspection passes. Keep a copy of the permit and the passed inspection with your contract; the Residential Builders Commission complaint form asks for the permit application if you ever need to file one, and a future buyer's inspector may ask when the roof was replaced.

Contracts and your right to cancel

South Carolina has no general law that requires a residential roofer to use a written contract. Written-contract requirements come only from two narrower rules covered below: insurance-funded roof jobs and door-to-door sales. Get one anyway. The Federal Trade Commission's guide to hiring a contractor lists what a good home-improvement contract includes, and it translates well to roofing:

• the contractor's name, address, phone and license or registration number;
• an estimated start and completion date;
• the payment schedule, including for subcontractors and suppliers;
• the contractor's obligation to get all necessary permits;
• how change orders are handled, meaning a written authorization for any change or addition to the work;
• a detailed list of materials, including each product's brand, line and color;
• any allowances;
• the warranties covering materials and workmanship, with who honors each one, how long it lasts and its limitations;
• what the contractor will and won't do, such as cleanup and hauling away debris (the FTC suggests asking for a "broom clause");
• any promises made in conversation;
• a written statement of your right to cancel within three business days if you signed at home or away from the seller's place of business.

For a roof specifically, add: tear-off or overlay, how many layers are coming off, how rotten decking will be found and priced, which flashings are being replaced, the ventilation plan, the named manufacturer warranty tier and who registers it, and who is responsible if it rains while the roof is open. The roofing estimates guide goes through these line by line.

Three cancellation rules, three different triggers

South Carolinians have more than one right to cancel, and people routinely mix them up. They have different triggers and different clocks.

The federal three-day rule

The FTC rule applies to a "door-to-door sale": one where the seller personally solicits the sale and you agree somewhere other than the seller's place of business, with a price of $25 or more at your home. It explicitly includes sales made "in response to or following an invitation by the buyer," so calling a roofer out to your house doesn't take you out of it. The contract or receipt must tell you: "You, the buyer, may cancel this transaction at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction."

There is an emergency exception, but it is narrow. You must have initiated the contact, and you must give the seller "a separate dated and signed personal statement in the buyer's handwriting describing the situation requiring immediate remedy and expressly acknowledging and waiving the right to cancel." A pre-printed waiver slipped into a stack of papers doesn't meet that description. The rule's separate exception for repairs you request refers to repairs of personal property; a roof is part of the house, so on a plain reading that exception does not reach roof work.

South Carolina's three-day rule is narrower than people think

South Carolina's own "home solicitation sale" right (§37-2-501) covers only a consumer credit sale: one where you pay in installments or with a finance charge, or by credit card or through a lender connected to the seller. If you pay cash or by check, the state rule does not apply, and the federal rule is what protects you. When it does apply, you may cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing; your written notice is effective when mailed; the seller must refund your payments within 10 days; and a seller whose sale is cancelled "is not entitled to compensation for any services he performed pursuant to it." You can waive the right only for a genuine emergency, in a separate dated and signed statement that is not a printed form, and only after the seller has made "a substantial beginning of performance." There is no provision that extends the period after a storm. If you're considering financing a roof, this is the rule that applies to a financed sale made at home.

The five-day right after an insurance denial

This one is specific to roofing and specific to South Carolina. Under §40-59-25(A), if you sign a written contract for goods or services related to a roof system, to be paid from insurance proceeds, and you later receive written notice from your insurer that all or part of the claim is not a covered loss, you may cancel the contract "prior to midnight on the fifth business day after the insured has received the written notice of the denial of coverage." The "roof system" includes the covering, sheathing, weatherproofing, framing, ventilation and insulation.

The contract must carry this notice in bold, 10-point type and come with a detachable "Notice of Cancellation" form, both given to you before you sign. And under subsection (C), the contractor "shall not require any payments from an insured until the five-day cancellation period has expired," except for emergency services you acknowledge in writing. The right applies to licensed residential builders, registered specialty contractors and unlicensed people doing residential work. The glossary entry on insurance denial cancellation has a short summary.

Payments, deposits and liens

There is no South Carolina statute that caps how large a deposit a roofer may ask for on a residential job. (A bill that would have required contractors to hold client funds in escrow, H.4748, was referred to a House committee in January 2026 and has not been enacted.) The one exception is the insurance-paid roof job described above: no payment may be required until the five-day window after a written denial has run.

Since the law sets no cap, the payment schedule is yours to negotiate. The FTC's advice is sensible: "Try to limit your down payment." "Try to make payments during the project contingent upon completion of defined amounts of work." "Don't pay cash." A reasonable structure ties each payment to something you can see: materials delivered to your driveway, tear-off and dry-in completed, installation finished, and the final check after the final inspection passes and you've walked the job.

• Pay by check or card, made out to the business name on the contract, never to an individual's name or in cash.
• Hold the final payment until the inspection passes, the punch list is done, the yard is cleaned up and you have lien releases.
• Know what the warranty needs. Some manufacturer warranties don't take effect until the roofer has been paid in full. GAF's Golden Pledge warranty, for example, says it "will not take effect unless all eligibility requirements have been satisfied, this warranty is registered to you, and your roofing contractor has been paid in full." Put in the contract who registers the warranty and by when.

How mechanic's liens work in South Carolina

A mechanic's lien is a claim against your property by someone who supplied labor or materials for it and wasn't paid. Under Title 29, Chapter 5, the roofer you hired can file one, and so can "every laborer, mechanic, subcontractor, or person furnishing material for the improvement of real estate when the improvement has been authorized by the owner" (§29-5-20(A)). That second group is why homeowners worry about "paying twice": you pay the roofer in full, the roofer doesn't pay the shingle supplier, and the supplier looks to your house.

The statute sets deadlines and a ceiling:

• 90 days to file. A lien is dissolved unless the claimant serves it on the owner and files it with the register of deeds or clerk of court within 90 days after they last furnished labor or materials (§29-5-90).
• Six months to sue. The lien also dissolves unless a suit to enforce it is started, and notice filed, within six months after the claimant last furnished labor or materials (§29-5-120(A)).
• A cap at what you owe. For subcontractors and suppliers, "in no event shall the total aggregate amount of liens on the improvement exceed the amount due by the owner" (§29-5-20(B)), and §29-5-40 caps the total at "the amount due by the owner on the contract price." If the amount due isn't enough to pay everyone, the owner must prorate it among valid claims (§29-5-60(A)).
• No lien for the unregistered. A residential contractor who was required to be registered or licensed and wasn't cannot file a mechanic's lien at all (§40-59-30(B)).

How courts treat payments you make before and after a supplier's notice is a question of case law this guide doesn't try to answer. The safe practice is simple: don't pay ahead of the work, and get releases before the final check.

Notices you might receive

A contractor with a direct contract with you may file a notice of project commencement within 15 days of starting work, with a $15 filing fee (§29-5-23). Filing it is optional. When it is filed, suppliers and sub-subcontractors further down the chain must send a notice of furnishing by certified or registered mail to protect their full lien rights. If a supplier writes to tell you it is furnishing materials to your job, keep the letter: it tells you who to get a release from.

Lien waivers and releases

South Carolina has no official statutory lien waiver form, so the document will be whatever the parties draft. The FTC's advice is to ask "the contractor, and every subcontractor and supplier, for a lien release or lien waiver" before the final payment. A useful release names your property, the contract, the amount paid and the date through which payment is released, and is signed by the business that supplied the work or materials. If a lien is filed anyway, the statute lets an owner bond it off by posting a bond of one and one-third times the claim (§29-5-110), and a claimant who is paid must discharge the lien on the record (§29-5-430).

Storm chasers and deductible offers

After hail or a wind event in the Midlands, doors get knocked on. Some of the people knocking are local roofers doing honest canvassing; some are storm chasers who follow weather from state to state. South Carolina passed a roofing-specific statute in 2013, §40-59-25, aimed at the tactics that come with them. Knowing what it prohibits makes it much easier to tell the two apart.

Deductible offers are illegal

Your deductible is your share of an insured loss. A roofer who offers to absorb it is, in effect, asking you to let them bill your insurer for more than the job really costs. South Carolina bans the offer outright: "A builder or contractor shall not advertise or promise to pay or rebate all or any portion of any insurance deductible as an inducement to the sale of goods or services" (§40-59-25(E)(1)). A violation is a misdemeanor and grounds for suspending or revoking a license.

The ban is written broadly. "Promise to pay or rebate" includes "any allowance or offering any discount against the fees to be charged," including a discount "in return for displaying a sign or other advertisement at the insured's premises," and "any form of compensation, gift, prize, bonus, coupon, credit, referral fee" (§40-59-25(E)(3)). So "we'll take something off the price if we can put our sign in your yard" on an insurance job is the same prohibited offer in a different form. The glossary entry on deductible rebating summarizes it.

Your deductible is a real cost that you pay. If the size of it is a problem, look at the policy before the next storm. Insurers must tell you at issuance and renewal whether your policy carries a separate deductible for hurricane, named storm or wind damage and show how it works on a $100,000 example (§38-75-755 and Reg. 69-56). Under Reg. 69-56, a named-storm deductible can be triggered only by a hurricane, tropical storm or tropical depression named by the National Weather Service or National Hurricane Center; "any winter storm or weather event named or identified by the news media cannot be relied upon."

A roofer may not negotiate your claim

Under §40-59-25(D)(1), "A builder or contractor shall not represent or negotiate, or offer or advertise to represent or negotiate, on behalf of an owner or possessor of residential real estate on any insurance claim in connection with the repair or replacement of roof systems." What a roofer can do is give you an inspection, photos and an estimate, and you may use that evaluation in your own dealings with the insurer (§40-59-25(D)(2)). "I'll handle your insurance company for you" is a promise a residential roofer is not allowed to make.

Public adjusters: new law as of May 19, 2026

If you want someone to negotiate a claim on your behalf, that person is a public adjuster, and the law governing them changed this year. Act No. 209 of 2026 (S.196), approved May 19, 2026, repealed the old adjuster chapters of Title 38 and replaced them with new Chapters 91 (adjusters) and 92 (public adjusters). The online Code on scstatehouse.gov had not caught up when this guide was written, so older pages and articles still show the repealed text, including the old section that made it a felony to act as both contractor and public adjuster on a claim. The main points of the new law:

• No one may act or hold themselves out as a public adjuster, or solicit or negotiate a public adjusting contract, without a public adjuster license (§38-92-20(A)).
• Advertising yourself as a public adjuster without meeting the licensing requirements, or doing licensed work without a license, is a fraudulent insurance act (§38-92-140).
• A public adjuster may not charge more than 10% of any insurance settlement or proceeds, and may not take a fee before the claim settles (§38-92-120(E)).
• You may rescind a public adjuster contract within five business days after signing it (§38-92-130(I)).
• Adjusters working for the insurer may not recommend or solicit work for contractors, or accept compensation from them.

The roofing-specific ban on negotiating claims in §40-59-25(D) is unchanged. If a roofing company says it has "an adjuster on staff" who will handle your claim, ask for that person's public adjuster license number and check it with the SC Department of Insurance.

Assignment of benefits

An assignment of benefits signs your right to collect insurance money over to someone else, often the contractor. The new public adjuster law (§38-92-130(K)) lets a South Carolina property policy restrict assignment to someone with legal authority to represent you or to a later owner of the home, and to "explicitly prohibit assignment of rights and benefits to any other person, including a property repair contractor." It adds that property repair contractors "may not subvert the public adjuster licensing requirements of this chapter through the acquisition of a power of attorney from the named insured." Whether your policy prohibits assignment depends on its wording, so ask your agent. Either way, be very cautious about any roofing paper titled "assignment," "direction to pay" or "power of attorney."

Other storm-season protections

• Price gouging. Once the Governor declares a state of emergency, it is unlawful to sell or offer to sell a commodity, which includes services and materials, "at an unconscionable price" within the declared area (§39-5-145).
• Filing a claim shouldn't cost you the policy. An insurer may not nonrenew a homeowners policy because you filed a claim for damage from an act of God (§38-75-790).
• Know how your policy pays for roofs. The SC Department of Insurance's post-disaster claims guide notes that "even if you bought an RCV policy ... the policy may pay ACV on your roof." That changes the math on a storm claim, and it is worth checking before you sign a contract that assumes full replacement cost.

For the claim process itself, see the roof insurance claims guide and the storm damage roofing guide.

How to compare three bids fairly

Getting three bids is standard advice, but three bids that describe three different jobs tell you very little. Before you compare prices, line up the scope. The NRCA's consumer bulletin puts it well: "Insist on a written proposal and examine it for complete descriptions of the work and specifications," and "Keep a healthy skepticism about the lowest bid."

Once the scope lines up, differences in price usually come from the product line, the warranty tier, how much decking and flashing each roofer expects to replace, and overhead. A bid that is far below the others is not automatically a bad bid, but ask what it leaves out. For typical cost drivers in the Midlands, see the roof replacement cost guide, and for the difference between shingle lines and metal, the roofing materials guide.

A note on sales tax lines

The South Carolina Department of Revenue treats a construction contractor as "the user or consumer of everything he buys," and roofing materials are building materials under its rules. In other words, a roofer ordinarily pays sales or use tax when buying the materials, and that cost is built into the price. If a roofing bid shows a separate "sales tax" line on top of a labor-and-materials price, it is reasonable to ask how it was calculated and why it appears. It may have an explanation (a business acting as a retailer that sells and installs is treated differently), so treat it as a question, not an accusation.

Manufacturer credentials, BBB and reviews

What manufacturer credentials mean

The large shingle manufacturers run contractor programs, and a credential in those programs usually affects which warranty the roofer can offer you. The basic manufacturer warranty that comes with the shingles doesn't depend on who installs them. The enhanced system warranties, which can add longer non-prorated coverage, tear-off and disposal costs, and in some cases coverage for installation errors, are available only through contractors the manufacturer has credentialed. As of September 2026, the manufacturers' own warranty pages describe the programs this way:

Three points keep this in perspective. First, a credential tells you the roofer met a manufacturer's program requirements; it isn't a state license and it isn't a guarantee of workmanship on your house. Second, a roofer can only offer a tier they currently hold, and contractors move between tiers. Third, the enhanced warranty applies only if the job uses the required accessories and is registered.

So verify rather than trust a logo. Look the roofer up on the manufacturer's own contractor locator on the manufacturer's website, and ask that the contract name the exact warranty, list the qualifying accessories by product and say who registers it and by when. After the job, ask for the registration confirmation. The roofing warranties guide explains prorated and non-prorated coverage and what voids a warranty.

The Better Business Bureau

A BBB profile is most useful for its complaint history: what customers complained about, whether the business responded, and whether the same problem keeps recurring. Read the complaints, not just the grade. A BBB profile is not a registration check; the LLR lookup is.

Online reviews and references

• Read the middling and negative reviews, and how the owner responded. A calm, specific response to a complaint tells you more than a wall of five-star reviews.
• Ask for two or three references from jobs finished a year or more ago, in your part of town, and call them. Ask whether the crew protected the yard, whether the final price matched the contract, and whether the roofer came back when asked.

Commercial and property owners

If you own a commercial building, a church, or apartment buildings, different rules may apply. Commercial work falls under the South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board (CLB) in Title 40, Chapter 11, not the Residential Builders Commission.

• License threshold. A CLB license is required for general contracting work where "the total cost of construction is greater than ten thousand dollars" (§40-11-30). The threshold was $5,000 until May 19, 2023, so older articles are out of date.
• Classifications. The "General Contractors-Building" classification includes roofing work. There is also a specialty "Roofing" subclassification that covers roofs and roof decking on "commercial, industrial, residential, and institutional structures," including single-ply and built-up roofing, metal, coatings, flashings, gutters and downspouts (§40-11-410).
• License groups. A CLB license carries a group that limits the size of job the contractor may take on (§40-11-260(A)). Check that the group covers your project.
• The exact-name rule. "It is unlawful to engage in construction under a name other than the exact name which appears on the license," and engaging in construction explicitly includes marketing, advertising, site signs and submitting contracts (§40-11-370(B)). The name on the proposal and contract should match the CLB lookup exactly. An unlicensed entity may not sue to enforce the contract (§40-11-370(C)).

A few other points for building owners and managers:

• The roofing insurance-denial cancellation right in §40-59-25 is written around residential work and doesn't expressly name CLB-licensed general contractors. On a commercial job, your protections come mostly from your contract, so negotiate it carefully.
• If you pay a nonresident contractor, S.C. Code §12-8-550 requires withholding 2% of payments where the South Carolina portion of the contract exceeds, or could reasonably be expected to exceed, $10,000, unless the contractor is registered with the Secretary of State or the Department of Revenue. Ask your accountant how it applies to you.

For commercial roof systems themselves, see the commercial roofing guide, and for apartment and HOA buildings, the multi-family roofing guide.

Questions to ask before you sign

You don't need to ask all of these, and a good roofer won't be offended by any of them. How the answers come back, specific and in writing or vague and verbal, tells you a lot.

About the company

• Whose registration or license covers this job, and what is the number?
• How long have you operated under this business name, and where is your office?
• Can you send a certificate of insurance, issued to me, showing general liability and workers' compensation (or explaining why you're exempt)?
• Will your own employees do the work, or subcontractors? If subcontractors, are they insured?

About the job

• Is this a full tear-off? How many layers are coming off?
• How will you check the decking, and what is the per-sheet price if some needs replacing?
• Which flashings will you replace, and which will you reuse?
• What is your ventilation plan, and does it meet code for my attic?
• Who pulls the permit, and which inspections are required?
• What happens if it rains while the roof is open?
• How will you protect my landscaping, driveway and gutters, and how will you clean up nails?

About the paperwork

• Which manufacturer warranty will this job carry, what accessories does it need, and who registers it?
• What does your workmanship warranty cover, for how long, and is it in writing?
• What is the payment schedule, and what triggers each payment?
• Will you provide lien releases from yourself and your suppliers before final payment?
• How are change orders handled and priced?
• If insurance is paying: does the contract include the §40-59-25 cancellation notice and form?

Red flags at a glance

Printable hiring checklist

Print this or save it to your phone and tick items off as you go.

1. Photograph the damage or the problem area yourself, with dates, before anyone starts work.
2. If insurance may be involved, read your policy's deductible and roof payment terms, and call your agent.
3. Collect at least three written bids for the same scope.
4. Look up each roofer on the RBC lookup (or the CLB lookup for commercial work) and note the registration or license number.
5. Confirm the business name matches across the lookup, the bid, the contract and the certificate of insurance.
6. Get a certificate of insurance issued to you, and call the agent to confirm it is active.
7. Check reviews, the BBB complaint history and two or three references from older jobs.
8. If a manufacturer warranty tier is promised, confirm the credential on the manufacturer's own contractor locator.
9. Compare bids line by line: tear-off, decking unit price, flashing, drip edge, ventilation, shingle line, warranty, permit, cleanup and payments.
10. Read the contract. Confirm it names materials, start and completion dates, the payment schedule, the permit obligation, change-order handling, warranties and cleanup.
11. If you signed at home, confirm the contract includes the three-day cancellation notice. If insurance is paying, confirm the §40-59-25 notice and detachable cancellation form are there.
12. Refuse any deductible offer, sign-placement discount, assignment of benefits or power of attorney.
13. Agree a payment schedule tied to completed work. Pay by check or card to the business.
14. Confirm who pulls the permit, and get a copy.
15. During the job, keep dated photos and a note of any changes, and put every change order in writing.
16. Before the final payment: passed inspection, completed punch list, clean yard, lien releases from the roofer and suppliers.
17. After the final payment: get the warranty registration confirmation, the final invoice and the workmanship warranty in writing. File them with the contract and permit.

Timeline: first call to final inspection

How long each stage takes depends on weather, the permit office, insurance and the roof itself. This is the usual order, with the legal clocks that run along the way.

Where to complain if something goes wrong

Start with the roofer, in writing. Describe the problem, attach photos, say what you want done and give a reasonable deadline. The SC Department of Consumer Affairs also encourages consumers to contact the business first, and many disputes end here. Keep copies of everything. If that doesn't work, you have several places to go.

SC LLR, Residential Builders Commission

The Commission handles complaints against registered roofers and licensed builders, and against people doing regulated work without registration. By statute, the complaint "must be in writing and sworn to by the person filing the complaint" (§40-59-80). Use the RBC complaint form (revised June 2026), which asks for supporting documents such as the permit application, contract, invoices and cancelled checks. The form offers an "Alternative Complaint Resolution" process in which the licensee may fix the problem, typically "within 30 days but no more than 60 days." The Commission can fine up to $2,500 per offense (§40-59-120), and a violation of the storm-chaser statute, §40-59-25, is misconduct for license discipline (§40-59-110). LLR's general complaint page is at llr.sc.gov/fileacomplaint.aspx. For commercial contractors, the Contractor's Licensing Board handles complaints.

SC Department of Consumer Affairs

The Department accepts consumer complaints online or on a paper form mailed to PO Box 5757, Columbia, SC 29250. Its phone number is (800) 922-1594. It is a good route for sales-practice problems such as a missing cancellation notice or a refund that never came.

SC Department of Insurance

If the problem involves someone acting as a public adjuster without a license, or a question about how your insurer handled a claim, contact the SC Department of Insurance.

Your own legal options

The South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act declares "unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce" unlawful (§39-5-20). A person who loses money or property because of one can sue for actual damages; if the violation was willful or knowing, the court may award three times actual damages, plus reasonable attorney's fees and costs (§39-5-140). The deadline is three years after discovery (§39-5-150). Whether a particular roofing dispute qualifies depends on facts and case law, so this is a conversation to have with a lawyer.