Guide
South Carolina siding contractor rules: what to check before you sign
South Carolina regulates siding installers through the Residential Builders Commission. These are the parts of the law a homeowner should know, each linked to the statute.
S.C. Code Title 40, Chapter 59
Registration and licensing
Siding installers register
"Vinyl and aluminum siding installers" are residential specialty contractors that must hold a specialty contractor registration once a job is above a small amount set in the law. Carpenters are registered the same way (§ 40-59-20(7)).
Bigger jobs, builder's license
Someone who takes on construction, repair or improvement of a house above a higher amount set in the law is a residential builder and needs a license (§ 40-59-20(6)).
No additions without a builder
A specialty contractor may not build additions without supervision by a licensed residential builder or other appropriately licensed person (§ 40-59-20(7)).
Bonds on larger jobs
When a specialty contractor's job for an individual owner exceeds an amount set in the law, the contractor must carry a surety bond approved by the commission (§ 40-59-240(D)).
No registration, no lien
A contractor required to be licensed or registered that is not cannot file a mechanic's lien or go to court to enforce the contract (§ 40-59-30(B)).
Local licenses too
State registration does not exempt a contractor from county and city business license rules (§ 40-59-240(C)).
How to check a contractor
Ask for the contractor's South Carolina registration or license number and look it up with the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR licensee lookup). The registration should match the company name on your contract.
Greenville County requires a specialty contractor to show a copy of its state registration card when it applies for a permit (county permit FAQ), so a contractor who says no permit is needed for a full re-side deserves a second question.
Ask for proof of liability insurance and, if the company has employees, workers' compensation coverage. The disclaimer at the bottom of every page puts that check on the homeowner, and it is worth doing.
S.C. Code Title 37, Chapter 2, Part 5
Sales made at your home, on credit
When it applies
A "home solicitation sale" is a consumer credit sale that the seller personally solicits and you agree to at your home. Deals made entirely by phone or mail, or after earlier negotiation at the seller's place of business, are not included (§ 37-2-501).
Three business days to cancel
You may cancel such a sale until midnight of the third business day after you sign, by written notice to the seller's address in the agreement (§ 37-2-502).
The notice you should get
The seller must give you a signed, dated agreement with a statement of your right to cancel, under the caption "Buyer's right to cancel" or the federal equivalent (§ 37-2-503).
Money back
After you cancel, the seller must return your payments within ten days (§ 37-2-504).
Before you sign
A homeowner's checklist
- The registration or license number, looked up with LLR, matching the name on the contract
- A written contract with the scope, products, price, payment schedule and dates
- Who pulls the permit, and that it is pulled before work starts
- Proof of liability insurance (and workers' compensation if the company has employees)
- HOA approval in hand if your neighborhood has covenants
- On a credit sale signed at home, the written notice of your right to cancel
Siding cracked, loose or worn out?
Talk with a siding contractor who works in Greer
One call connects you with an independent siding contractor serving Greer, Taylors, Duncan, Lyman and Travelers Rest. Have the walls looked at, then ask for a written price for the repair or the new siding.
Cracked panels, soft boards or siding that has had its day? Talk it through with a local contractor.
Your call goes to an independent siding contractor serving the Greer area that takes on repairs as well as full replacements.
Call (864) 734-9197Calls may be recorded. See the referral disclosure and the privacy policy.