Under new law, pool contractors must have license to operate in South Carolina
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Starting next month, a law will require any pool company or contractor in South Carolina to obtain a specific license to build and install pools in the state.
Beginning on June 30, all contractors in South Carolina who install, service or repair swimming pools must obtain a license as a “General Contractor-Specialty Swimming Pools subclassification.”
Any business or individual not currently licensed with the correct subclassification will not be able to perform construction, service and repair work on residential pools without certification, according to the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
Before this requirement, any contractor could install a pool simply with just a permit and no certification or license.
The South Carolina House ed the bill in May 2023 and it became a law in another bill months later. But the state offered a grace period to contractors because of the fast turnaround. Qualified builders received a temporary license in the meantime.
The South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board issued 162 temporary licenses between Aug. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2023. Currently,109 temporary licenses remain with a June 30 expiration date.
To qualify to legally build pools in the state, applicants must two required exams, have two years of applicable experience, submit an appropriate financial statement or bond, with the South Carolina Secretary of State, pay a fee and confirm they have no outstanding monetary judgments related to construction.
This law and new requirements come after multiple Live 5 News investigations into two pool companies in the Lowcountry — Indigo Pools and Lowcountry Fiberglass Pools — which left customers with unfinished pools and out thousands of dollars.
The owners of Indigo Pools have since been arrested and the owner of Lowcountry Fiberglass Pools is facing 18 financial charges between Charleston, Calhoun and Dorchester Counties.
Customers who lost thousands of dollars to either of the companies say they hope this new state law will protect others from being in the same situation and hold contractors able.
One Lowcountry Indigo Pools customer, Dan Guy, said everything was going well with their installed pool until it wasn’t.
“I don’t want to throw all of the pool companies under the proverbial bus because what’s been happening, they’ve been allowed to move forward with their own personal moral com, but you’re going to have those that are going to try to cut corners,” Guy said.
An inspector discovered the Guy’s pool’s gas line was only four inches underground instead of 18 inches, which could have caused an explosion. The contractor had also installed a used, above-ground pool filter instead of a new, underground pool filter as expected.
“When you get a pool, you want to ensure that that is installed absolutely and totally correctly. When you first get into the pool, you want to make sure that everything’s been done right,” Guy said. “By having these requirements, it will ensure that those critical points in the installation are done by legit individuals that are licensed.”
But some say this is just the start of oversight needed in the pool industry.
“I think there should be requirements at certain milestones in order to proceed with the installation that county inspectors need to sign off on,” Guy said.
Consumers can click here to search for a pool company to make sure it is properly licensed.
Contractors can click here for information on obtaining the required classification.
General Contractor licensees and actively-licensed residential builders can operate and are authorized to perform work without ing the subclassification under the new law.
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