Hiring a dock contractor in South Carolina

A private dock on Hilton Head sits over tidelands under a state permit, and the Town says that in most cases the contractor you hire submits the Town building permit application. Check the contractor's standing with the state and the Town before you sign anything.

The state license

South Carolina's contractor law, Title 40, Chapter 11, says no one may perform or offer to perform general contracting work costing more than $10,000 without a license issued under that chapter. The threshold rose from $5,000 to $10,000 in 2023.

The law sorts general contractor licenses into classifications. The Marine subclassification covers "all water activities to construct seawalls, bulkheads, docks, piers, wharves, and other water structures," including pile driving, boat slips, and boardwalks. It also lets the holder do related work such as fill grading and foundations, including piling.

South Carolina also regulates residential builders under a separate chapter, Title 40, Chapter 59. Ask SC LLR, the state licensing agency, which license applies to your project.

License groups cap the job size

A general contractor's license also carries a group number, and each group caps the size of a single job:

Check that the contractor's group covers your contract amount, including the lift and any bulkhead work in the same contract.

Why it matters to you

Under the same chapter, an entity without a required license may not go to court to enforce the contract. The law also requires a contractor to do business under the exact name on its license, so the name on your contract should match the name on the state record.

You can look up a contractor's license through SC LLR's online lookup. Search the exact business name from the proposal.

Town of Hilton Head Island registration

The Town requires all contractors doing business within the Town to register with its Community Development Department, using the Town's registration form and a copy of the state registration card. Anyone doing business within the Town also needs a Town business license. Ask for both.

The Town notes that in most cases the contractor submits the building permit application for you. Confirm in writing who files each permit: the Town permit, the SCDES critical area permit, and any electrical permit.

Questions to ask before you sign

• Who prepares the permit drawings? SCDES requires them from a land surveyor, professional engineer, or landscape architect who holds a South Carolina license. Ask who that person is and whether their fee is in the quote.
• What does the price include? Ask for separate lines for the walkway, pierhead, ramp and float, lift, electrical work, permit drawings, and the SCDES application fee of $250 ($150 when the walkway is under 100 feet).
• How did you choose the pile type and depth? Marsh bottoms in Beaufort County are soft, and pile design is a site-by-site call.
• What hardware goes on the dock? Ask whether fasteners and connectors are rated for salt exposure.
• Can I see proof of insurance? Ask for a current certificate of insurance before work starts, and call the insurer listed on it if you want to confirm it.
• What happens if the permit comes back with changes? Agree in advance how a redesign is priced.
• What warranty comes with the work? If a contractor offers a warranty on workmanship or materials, get the terms in writing as part of the contract.

Comparing quotes

Quotes only compare when they describe the same dock. Give each contractor the same information: your survey, the creek width, low-tide photos, and what you want at the end of the walkway. Then line up the quotes item by item.

• Scope. Check that each quote covers the same walkway length, pierhead size, float, and lift. A cheaper quote with a shorter walkway may not reach the first navigable creek, which R.30-12 requires.
• Permit work. Check who pays for the drawings and the SCDES fee, and who runs the newspaper notice SCDES requires of the applicant.
• Schedule. State law directs SCDES to act on a minor-development permit within thirty days of filing (S.C. Code § 48-39-150(C)). The Town publishes a plan review target of 20 business days for its own permit. Treat any firm start date in a quote as an estimate until both permits are in hand.
• Deadlines. A state permit requires the work to be finished within five years of issue, and a Town permit expires if work doesn't start within six months. Ask how the contractor's schedule fits inside both.

Doing it yourself

The Town of Hilton Head Island lets owners do work on their own home. An owner who goes this route files an Unlicensed Residential Builder's Disclosure Statement with Beaufort County and cannot sell or rent the home for two years after the work is finished. The state critical area permit and its drawing requirements still apply.

For the full permit sequence, read the dock permit guide. To have your project sent to an independent local contractor, send a request.