South Carolina Plumbing Exams

The South Carolina Plumbing License Exam covers many topics including: Vents & Venting; Administrative Procedures; Fixtures; Drainage Systems and more.  Whether you live in Columbia, Charleston, Hilton Head or another city or county, the resources below will help you get started:

Need of a License:  A commercial and residential plumber needs a license to work in South Carolina.  A commercial contractor's license is required for projects valued at over $5,000.

Who Grants a License: The plumbing trade is regulated by the South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board.

Procedures for Getting a License:   A candidate must take an exam to obtain either a commercial (mechanical) plumbing license or a residential plumbing license.   

Qualifications to take the Exam and receive a Commercial Contractor's License:  To sit for the exam, the candidate for the mechanical commercial contractor's license must be able to document 2 years of experience within the last 5 years in the field of plumbing. 

Qualifications to take the Exam and receive a Residential Home Building License:  A license for residential home building is required of residential plumbers.  The qualifications to sit for the exam may be obtained by contacting the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission

Test Content:  The commercial/mechanical and residential plumber exams have the following specifications:

Commercial/Mechanical -  The exam has two parts, the Business Management and Law section and the trade knowledge section.  The Business Management and Law section is composed of 50 questions and the candidate is give 2 hours to complete the test. The trade knowledge part of the test has 80 questions and the candidate is given 4 hours to complete the test.  A candidate must get at least 35 answers correct to pass the Business Management and Law section and at least 56 questions correct in the trade knowledge section.

Residential - The test is in two parts, the Business Management and Law section and the trade knowledge section.  The Business Management and Law section is composed of 50 questions and the candidate is given 120 minutes to complete the first section.  The trade knowledge section is composed of 65 questions and the section must be completed in 180 minutes.  A score of at least 68% is needed to pass the business/law section and a score of at least 67% is needed to pass the trade knowledge section.

How to Apply for the Test:  Candidates for the plumbing exam may find the registration form and other information in the following Candidate Information Bulletins:

Commericial/Mechanical

Residential

Fees:  There are fees to take the test.

Who Administers the test:  PSI   

License renewal:  Licenses must be renewed every two years.  There is no continuing education requirement.

Applicable Code:  South Carolina has adopted the International Plumbing Code developed by the International Code Council.

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For more information on licensing and exam preparation, go to Tests.com's

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