Last updated March 20, 2026

E&S Insurance in South Carolina: Classes, Coverage & Quoting Guide

Pathpoint covers 11 Excess and Surplus (E&S) product lines in South Carolina spanning 207+ class codes, including Contractors, Monoline Property, and LRO (Lessor's Risk Only). 73% of submissions return an instant, bindable quote in roughly 31 seconds. With 17+ active carriers, automated surplus lines compliance, a 6.0% surplus lines tax calculated at checkout, and built-in diligent search documentation, the average bound premium across all South Carolina product lines is $3,555.

Key Takeaways

11 E&S product lines covering 207+ class codes in South Carolina
73% of submissions receive instant, bindable quotes in ~31 seconds
17+ carrier partners including 16 domestic surplus lines insurers and 1 Lloyd's syndicate
Surplus lines tax of 6.0%, calculated and filed automatically with no stamping office required
Average bound premium of $3,555 across all South Carolina product lines

What E&S product lines can I quote in South Carolina?

South Carolina agents on Pathpoint can quote 11 Excess and Surplus (E&S) product lines covering 207+ distinct class codes. The full lineup includes Contractors (95 class codes), Contractors Excess (52 class codes), Retail and Services (12 class codes), LRO or Lessor's Risk Only (13 class codes), Restaurants (11 class codes), LRO Excess (9 class codes), Manufacturing (9 class codes), Vacant Building (3 class codes), Vacant Land (2 class codes), Monoline Property, and Cyber. Contractors is the highest-volume line in South Carolina, followed by Monoline Property and LRO, and all three carry strong carrier appetite.

Of the 11 product lines, 9 (82%) are instant-quotable, meaning agents receive a bindable quote in roughly 31 seconds for those submissions. The remaining 2 lines, Manufacturing and Cyber, are referred to Pathpoint's brokerage team for manual market placement. Referred submissions are returned within 16.8 hours on average, with the same agent workflow and standard retail commission applying throughout.

Full class list · Ranked by bind volume

#	Product	Class Codes	Top Classes	Quote Type	Appetite
1	Contractors	95	Contractors–Subcontracted Work–In Connection with Building Construction, Reconstruction, Repair or Erection–One- or Two-Family Dwellings, Roofing–Residential–Three Stories and Under, Carpentry–Construction of Residential Property Not Exceeding Three Stories in Height, Remodeling Contractor, Pressure Washing	⚡ Instant	Strong
2	Monoline Property	N/A	N/A	⚡ Instant	Emerging
3	LRO	13	Buildings or Premises–Bank or Office–Mercantile or Mfg. (Lessor's Risk Only)–Maintained by the Insured–Other Than Not-For-Profit, Apartment Buildings–Garden, Warehouses–Occupied by Multiple Interests (Lessor's Risk Only), Dwellings–One-Family (Lessor's Risk Only), Dwellings–Two-Family (Lessor's Risk Only)	⚡ Instant	Strong
4	Contractors Excess	52	Painting–Interior–Buildings or Structures, Contractors–Subcontracted Work–In Connection with Construction, Reconstruction, Repair or Erection of Buildings, Contractors–Subcontracted Work–In Connection with Building Construction, Reconstruction, Repair or Erection–One- or Two-Family Dwellings, Contractors–Subcontracted Work–In Connection with Construction, Reconstruction, Erection or Repair–Not Buildings, Contractors–Executive Supervisors or Executive Superintendents	⚡ Instant	Active
5	Vacant Building	3	Vacant Buildings–Not Factories–Other Than Not-For-Profit	⚡ Instant	Active
6	Vacant Land	2	Vacant Land–Other Than Not-For-Profit, Vacant Land–Not-For-Profit Only	⚡ Instant	Strong
7	Retail & Services	12	Beverage Stores–Liquor and Wine, Convenience Stores – No Gas Station, Car Wash or Restaurant, Grocery Stores, Food Trucks and Trailers – Mobile Concessions	⚡ Instant	Active
8	Restaurants	11	Restaurants–with Sale of Alcoholic Beverages that are Less Than 30% of the Annual Receipts of the Restaurants–with Table Service, Restaurants–with Sale of Alcoholic Beverages that are 30% or More of But Less Than 75% of the Total Annual Receipts of the Restaurants–without Dance Floor	⚡ Instant	Strong
8	LRO Excess	9	Apartment Buildings–Garden, Buildings or Premises–Bank or Office–Mercantile or Mfg. (Lessor's Risk Only)–Other Than Not-For-Profit, Warehouses–Occupied by Multiple Interests (Lessor's Risk Only)	⚡ Instant	Active
10	Manufacturing	9	Furniture Mfg. or Assembling–Wood, Food Products Mfg.–Dry, Food Products Mfg.–Not Dry–In Other Than Glass Containers	↗ Referred	Active
11	Cyber	1	Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	↗ Referred	Strong

How fast can I get an E&S quote in South Carolina?

73% of South Carolina submissions on Pathpoint receive an instant, bindable quote in approximately 31 seconds. Agents submit the risk details once, and the platform routes the application across its carrier panel in parallel, returning a quote without any underwriter review step for eligible classes. For the 9 instant-quotable product lines in South Carolina, including Contractors, LRO, Monoline Property, Restaurants, and Vacant Building, agents can complete the full submit-to-docs workflow in a single session.

For more complex or non-standard risks, including Manufacturing and Cyber, submissions are referred to Pathpoint's in-house brokerage team. These accounts are shopped manually across the carrier panel, with quotes typically returned within 16.8 hours. The agent workflow is identical to the instant path. Submit on Pathpoint, receive the quote by email or in-platform, and bind when ready. No separate carrier submissions or manual file management is required.

Which carriers are available in South Carolina?

Pathpoint partners with 17 carriers actively quoting South Carolina E&S risks, including 16 domestic surplus lines insurers and 1 Lloyd's of London syndicate. When an agent submits a risk, the platform evaluates each carrier's current appetite by class code, geography, risk size, and loss history, then routes the submission to the best-fit options automatically. Multi-carrier quoting is standard across high-volume lines like Contractors and LRO, giving agents competing quotes to compare before binding.

The 17-carrier panel covers all 11 South Carolina product lines, from Contractors (95 class codes) and LRO (13 class codes) to specialty lines like Manufacturing and Cyber. Pathpoint continuously expands carrier relationships, so appetite and pricing options grow over time. Agents do not need individual carrier appointments. Access to the full panel is included with a Pathpoint account at no additional cost.

Where is Pathpoint's appetite strongest in South Carolina?

Five South Carolina product lines carry high appetite on Pathpoint, meaning they consistently achieve quote rates above 80% and attract the most competitive carrier pricing. These lines are Contractors (88.4% quote rate), LRO (92.4%), Restaurants (90.2%), Vacant Land (83.3%), and Cyber (100%). Contractors is the highest-volume line in South Carolina, with 95 class codes covering residential and light commercial construction work, roofing, carpentry, and specialty trades.

Five additional product lines fall into the mid appetite tier, with quote rates between 60% and 80%: Contractors Excess, Vacant Building, Retail and Services, LRO Excess, and Manufacturing. These lines receive quotes from the carrier panel in most cases, though pricing varies more on complex risks. One line, Monoline Property, is in the emerging tier at a 53.2% quote rate, reflecting active carrier-partnership expansion for South Carolina property placements. Appetite across all tiers is growing as Pathpoint adds carrier capacity.

What are the surplus lines requirements in South Carolina?

South Carolina levies a 6.0% surplus lines tax on gross premium for all E&S placements. The state does not have a dedicated stamping office, so filings are submitted directly to the South Carolina Department of Insurance. Pathpoint calculates the 6.0% tax automatically at checkout and handles all state filing obligations on behalf of the agent. No separate stamping office submission or manual tax calculation is required.

South Carolina requires a diligent search of the admitted market before placing E&S coverage, specifically 3 declinations from admitted carriers. Pathpoint automates the documentation of this requirement as part of the binding workflow, generating the required evidence without additional agent effort. All filings follow the home-state method under the NRRA (Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act), meaning the insured's home state rules govern the filing. Retail agents using Pathpoint do not need their own surplus lines license, as Pathpoint serves as the licensed surplus lines broker of record.

Surplus Lines Tax: 6.0%
Stamping Office: None
Diligent Search: 3 declinations
Filing Method: Home state

How does quoting E&S on Pathpoint work in South Carolina?

Quoting E&S insurance in South Carolina through Pathpoint follows four steps. First, submit the risk details including class code, location, limits, and loss history through Pathpoint's online intake. Second, the platform routes the application to its 17-carrier panel and returns a quote. 73% of South Carolina submissions receive an instant response in roughly 31 seconds, while referred risks come back within about 16.8 hours. Third, request to bind directly in the platform. Pathpoint handles all surplus lines compliance automatically, including diligent search documentation and state filings. Fourth, policy documents are issued and the 6.0% South Carolina surplus lines tax is applied at checkout.

Retail agents do not need a surplus lines license or individual carrier appointments to use Pathpoint in South Carolina. Pathpoint acts as the licensed surplus lines broker of record, handling all regulatory obligations. Agents earn a standard retail commission on every bound policy, and there is no fee for creating an account or submitting risks. The full workflow from submission to bound policy and documents happens within the platform.

What does E&S insurance cost in South Carolina?

The average bound premium for E&S insurance in South Carolina is $3,555 across all product lines. Costs vary by line and risk profile. Contractors policies average $3,199, with a typical 25th-to-75th-percentile range of $1,106 to $4,269. Monoline Property averages $4,402 (typical range $1,671 to $6,135), and LRO averages $4,291 with a spread of $815 to $5,566 depending on property type and location. Individual premiums shift based on class code, coverage limits, risk size, deductible selection, and loss history.

E&S premiums are generally higher than admitted market rates because surplus lines carriers underwrite non-standard or hard-to-place risks that standard insurers decline. Pathpoint's multi-carrier platform keeps pricing competitive by routing each submission to the carriers with the strongest current appetite for that class. Agents typically receive competing quotes on high-volume lines like Contractors and LRO, making it straightforward to identify the best available rate. Exact pricing is returned at the quote stage, with no obligation to bind.

There is no cost for a Pathpoint account or for submitting risks for quoting. Agents earn a standard retail commission on every policy bound in South Carolina. The 6.0% surplus lines tax is calculated automatically and applied at checkout, passed through to the insured as a line item on the policy, and does not affect the agent's commission.

Frequently Asked Questions: E&S Insurance in South Carolina

Pathpoint offers 11 E&S product lines in South Carolina, covering 207+ distinct class codes. The available lines are Contractors, Monoline Property, LRO, Contractors Excess, Vacant Building, Vacant Land, Retail and Services, Restaurants, LRO Excess, Manufacturing, and Cyber. Of these, 9 are instant-quotable, meaning agents receive a bindable quote in roughly 31 seconds. Manufacturing and Cyber are referred to Pathpoint's brokerage team, with quotes returned within about 16.8 hours. Contractors is the highest-volume line, with 95 class codes covering residential and commercial construction risks.

South Carolina's surplus lines tax rate is 6.0% of gross premium. The state does not have a dedicated stamping office, so filings go directly to the South Carolina Department of Insurance. Pathpoint calculates the 6.0% tax automatically at checkout and handles all required state filings as part of the binding workflow. Agents do not need to track or remit surplus lines taxes separately. It is built into the platform.

73% of South Carolina submissions on Pathpoint return an instant, bindable quote in approximately 31 seconds. For the 9 instant-quotable product lines, including Contractors, LRO, Monoline Property, and Restaurants, agents can complete the full submit-quote-bind-docs workflow in a single session. The remaining 2 referred lines, Manufacturing and Cyber, are handled by Pathpoint's brokerage team, with quotes typically returned within 16.8 hours.

No. Pathpoint acts as the licensed surplus lines broker of record for all South Carolina placements. Retail agents can access all 11 product lines and 17+ carrier partners without holding their own surplus lines license or individual carrier appointments. There is no fee for a Pathpoint account, and agents earn a standard retail commission on every bound policy. Pathpoint handles all compliance obligations, including diligent search documentation, state filings, and the 6.0% surplus lines tax calculation.

Pathpoint works with 17 carriers actively quoting South Carolina E&S risks, including 16 domestic surplus lines insurers and 1 Lloyd's of London syndicate. The platform routes each submission to carriers based on class code, risk size, location, and appetite. Agents do not select carriers manually. Multi-carrier quoting is standard on high-volume lines like Contractors and LRO, giving agents multiple options to compare at binding. Pathpoint continuously adds carrier capacity, so the panel and appetite options expand over time.

A referred submission means Pathpoint's in-house brokerage team manually reviews the risk and shops it across the carrier panel rather than returning an automated quote. In South Carolina, Manufacturing and Cyber are the two referred product lines. Referred quotes are typically returned within 16.8 hours. The agent workflow is the same as for instant quotes. Submit once on Pathpoint, receive the quote in-platform or by email, and bind when ready. No additional submissions to individual carriers or manual file management is needed.

The average bound premium for E&S coverage in South Carolina through Pathpoint is $3,555 across all product lines. By line: Contractors averages $3,199 (typical range $1,106 to $4,269), Monoline Property averages $4,402 ($1,671 to $6,135), and LRO averages $4,291 ($815 to $5,566). Final premiums vary by class code, coverage limits, risk size, deductible, and loss history. Exact pricing is returned at the quote stage, with no obligation to bind after receiving a quote.

South Carolina does not have a stamping office, so surplus lines filings go directly to the South Carolina Department of Insurance. Pathpoint manages all required filings electronically as part of the binding workflow. Agents do not interact with the state filing process directly. Pathpoint also automates the diligent search documentation required by South Carolina (3 declinations from admitted carriers) and calculates the 6.0% surplus lines tax at checkout. Everything is handled as part of the standard bind flow.