Texas · Remodeling licensing · official-source guide

Texas remodeling license requirements.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses no remodeler, general contractor, or home improvement contractor. Texas does not license residential remodeling at state level. What binds you instead is city registration or permits, the state trade licenses for electrical, plumbing, and air conditioning work, and the contract disclosure rules under Business and Commerce Code Chapter 601.

State-level license

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Verified against agency sources on 2026-10-05. Rules and fees change; confirm with the named authority before relying on this guide.

Who regulates residential remodeling in Texas

Texas has no state license for a residential remodeler. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation publishes the full list of occupations it licenses, and the regulated industries on that list include Electricians, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors, Mold Assessors and Remediators, Industrialized Housing and Buildings, and Residential Solar Retailers. There is no entry for remodeler, general contractor, or home improvement contractor. The City of Austin states the same thing in writing on its contractor registration page: in Texas, anyone can be a General Contractor, including homeowners, and a state license is not required. That does not leave a remodeler unregulated. It moves the regulation to three other places. The first is the trade licenses. The moment your crew touches wiring, a gas line, drains, or a condensing unit, a state license is required for that specific work, held by a licensed individual or company. The second is the city. Building permits, inspections, and in some cities a contractor registration are handled municipally, and the rules differ between Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and Fort Worth. The third is consumer protection law, which governs the contract you sign and the cancellation rights you have to disclose. For a remodeler going to market, the practical consequence is that you cannot advertise a state remodeling license, because none exists to advertise. What you can advertise is the trade licenses you actually hold, the city registrations you carry, and your insurance. Those are verifiable, and a homeowner can check them in under a minute.

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There is no state home improvement contractor registration

Texas once had an agency aimed at residential construction and no longer does. The Sunset Advisory Commission records that during the 81st Regular Legislative Session in 2009, House Bill 2295 failed to pass. The Texas Residential Construction Commission was abolished, the Act expired on September 1, 2009, and all records and property transferred to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The Sunset Commission lists the agency as inactive with no next review date. Nothing replaced it with a statewide registry of remodelers. So when a homeowner asks for your state registration number, the honest answer is that Texas does not issue one for remodeling work. The Department of Licensing and Regulation list of licensed programs is the document that proves it, and it is worth bookmarking rather than arguing about. This shapes how a remodeler competes. In states with a contractor board, a license number is a shortcut to credibility and the board does part of your marketing for you by screening competitors. Texas does not. Anyone can print cards and call themselves a remodeling contractor tomorrow. The screening a homeowner would otherwise get from a licensing board has to come from somewhere else, which in practice means your city registration where one exists, your trade licenses, your certificate of insurance, your permit history with the local building department, and your reviews. It also means the strongest trust signals on a Texas remodeling website are the ones you can document. Name the cities where you are registered. Name the trade licenses held in house and the ones you subcontract. Show that you pull permits.

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San Antonio runs an actual home improvement contractor registration

San Antonio is the Texas metro that registers remodelers directly. The city Development Services Department issues a Home Improvement Contractor registration, and its own application defines the scope as nonstructural repair, replacement, remodeling, alteration, conversion, or modernization to any existing building or any portion of an existing building. The application lets you check the types of work covered, including roofing, pools and spas, fences, and minor repairs, or all of them. The requirements are concrete. The applicant submits official criminal history record information maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the background check must be dated within 30 days of application submittal. You provide a Certificate of Liability Insurance from an insurance company authorized to do business in Texas, valid on the application date, with proof of coverage for at least one year. The insurance minimums are at least $300,000 per occurrence combined for property damage and bodily injury, at least $600,000 aggregate, and at least $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations. The certificate holder must be listed as City of San Antonio, 1901 South Alamo, San Antonio, TX 78204, and the business name and address on the certificate must match the registration application. New registration and renewal cost $172.50 plus surcharges and processing. The registration term is two years from the initial date of issuance. If anyone other than the registration holder will pull permits under the number, they must be added as a delegate through the permitting portal, and delegates cannot file the initial registration or the renewal. The application cites Chapter 10-115 of the City Code of Ordinances.

Sourcesdocsonline.sanantonio.gov

Houston regulates the job through the permit, not the remodeler

Houston does not register remodelers as a trade. It controls the work through the Residential Remodel Permit, code HPWCODE1135, administered by Houston Public Works. The permit description covers residential construction including new homes, residential accessory structures, remodel or conversion of existing buildings, and additions to existing buildings. The statutory authority listed is the 2021 City of Houston Residential Code and Chapter 10 of the Houston Code of Ordinances. The mechanics matter to anyone bidding work there. Plan review is required and inspection is required. The permit carries an administrative fee of $33.56 on top of the fee from the city fee schedule. It is valid for six months and renewal is not required. Processing time is listed as one to fifteen business days. The permit must be kept on site until final approval is granted. Plan review expects real drawings, not a sketch. Houston asks for a floor plan of the existing building showing the affected area in detail, wall section details so the reviewer can tell bearing walls from non load bearing walls, and plans indicating the materials used. Demolishing a load bearing wall triggers additional requirements covering the direction of ceiling joists and the location of the header and beam. Plans must show prescriptive compliance with the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code or include a REScheck or IC3 compliance report. Depending on scope, the city may require architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sprinkler, fire alarm, and fire suppression drawings, and approval from groups including Planning, Utilities, Stormwater, Traffic, Forestry, Fire Marshall, Health, and Flood Plain. Houston also notes that trade inspections must be scheduled by the appropriate registered licensed contractor, not by the remodeler acting for them.

Sourceshoustonpermittingcenter.org

Dallas registers the trade license holders, not the remodeler

Dallas takes a third approach. Its Development Services Department contractor registration form covers the licensed trades rather than remodeling generally. The form, used at 320 E Jefferson Blvd, lists registration types including mechanical, irrigation, plumbing, and water treatment categories, and is filed as either a new registration or a renewal. The process is deliberately in person for the first filing. For an original registration the license holder must appear in person at 320 E. Jefferson Blvd., Room 210, and furnish the original completed form, the license holder current pocket license, and approved photo identification. Renewals may be processed in person by the license holder at any Building Inspection office or online through the Dallas contractor webpage, and the same documents are required for each renewal. A renewal not done in person must be notarized. One detail on that form drives a lot of avoidable job delays. Certificates of Registration expire when the state license expires. So a Dallas registration is not an independent clock you can forget about. It dies with the TDLR or TSBPE license behind it, which means a lapsed state renewal silently kills your Dallas registration and with it your ability to sign permits. The form also asks for a responsible license holder with a home address and driver license number, and for the personnel that license holder authorizes to sign permits on their behalf, with the authorized signers listed first. For a remodeling company, that is the piece to get right early. If the only authorized signer is a master who leaves, nobody can sign permits until the paperwork is redone. Dallas also publishes a homeowner exemption from registration as a contractor.

Sourcesdallascityhall.com

Austin registers both general contractors and trade contractors

Austin requires registration even though the state does not license remodelers. Before beginning any construction associated with a building permit and trade permits, trade contractors, general contractors, and homeowners acting as contractors must register as a Contractor with Building and Trade Contractor Services. Once registered, the contractor can be assigned to the applicable permit and can begin construction and inspections. Austin is blunt about the state picture. Its page states that in Texas anyone can be a General Contractor, including homeowners, and a state license is not required. What the city requires instead is an Austin Build and Connect portal account and a completed registration before the general contractor can be assigned to the building permit. The responsibilities assigned to the general contractor on the permit are specific. The general contractor requests and activates the building permit, makes payments for it, performs work as approved by the building permit application, schedules all related inspections including the final building permit inspection, obtains the Certificate of Occupancy or a Certificate of Completion where applicable, and manages the child trade permits. A trade contractor assigned to a mechanical, electrical, or plumbing permit requests and activates that permit, pays for it, performs the work, schedules the final trade inspections, and updates the city registration whenever the state license is updated. Trade contractor registration is done in person. The contractor must be present and bring a valid state issued identification card and the trade contractor license or master license. All contractors must submit a Letter of Authorization for changes to contact information, company ownership, agents, or license and insurance status. In person service also covers license registration renewals and insurance updates for existing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and irrigation registrations.

Sourcesaustintexas.gov

Electrical work inside a remodel needs a licensed contractor

A remodeler cannot wire the kitchen they are rebuilding unless the electrical work runs through a licensed electrical contractor. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses electricians, and the Electrical Contractor license is a business license that must have a master electrician assigned to it. An Electrical Contractor can only have a master electrician assigned, and the business either is licensed in Texas as a master electrician or employs someone who is. The application fee for an Electrical or Electrical Sign Contractor license is $110 and is non refundable. Proof of financial responsibility comes through general liability insurance that must be carried at all times, with minimums of at least $300,000 per occurrence combined for property damage and bodily injury, at least $600,000 aggregate for property damage and bodily injury, and at least $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations. Proof may be submitted on an industry standard certificate of insurance form with a 30 day cancellation notice, from an admitted company or an eligible surplus lines carrier as defined in the Texas Insurance Code, or another insurer rated B plus or higher by A.M. Best. TDLR has adopted the National Electric Code 2023 Edition as it existed on August 25, 2022, effective September 1, 2023. Electrical work is defined broadly as any labor or material used in installing, maintaining, or extending an electrical wiring system and its appurtenances, apparatus, or equipment, in, on, outside, or attached to a building, residence, structure, property, or premises. Inspections stay local. TDLR does not perform the inspections required for local permitting and code requirements. Cities, counties, and regions with jurisdiction inspect the work. A city may require an electrician to register in addition to the state license, but may not charge a fee for that registration.

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HVAC work inside a remodel needs an ACR contractor license

Replacing or moving a system during a remodel is air conditioning and refrigeration contracting, and Texas licenses it. TDLR issues the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license in two classes with endorsements. A Class A Environmental Air Conditioning endorsement covers a system, product, or equipment of any size or capacity. A Class B Environmental Air Conditioning endorsement is capped at not more than 25 tons cooling capacity or 1.5 million British thermal units per hour output heating capacity. Parallel Class A and Class B endorsements exist for Commercial Refrigeration and Process Cooling or Heating. The application fee is $115 and is non refundable. Insurance is required by class. A Class A licensee carries at least $300,000 per occurrence combined for property damage and bodily injury, at least $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations, and at least $600,000 aggregate. A Class B licensee carries at least $100,000 per occurrence. The ACR rules also cap deductibles, at no higher than $1,000 for Class A and no higher than $500 for Class B. Experience is the long pole. Qualifying by experience alone requires at least 48 months, or four years, of practical experience in the preceding 72 months, verified by someone qualified to do so and never by the applicant. Every 2,000 hours of on the job training in an apprenticeship program counts as 12 months. Education can substitute: a four year degree in air conditioning, refrigeration, or mechanical engineering or technology counts as 24 months, a two year degree or program counts as 12 months, and a one year certification program counts as six months. A criminal history evaluation letter request costs $10.

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Plumbing work inside a remodel needs a Responsible Master Plumber

Moving a sink, relocating a tub, or running new drain lines is plumbing, and the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners licenses it. Contracts for plumbing work must be secured under a Responsible Master Plumber. The RMP is responsible for general supervision and management of plumbing work performed under contracts secured under that license, whether the people doing the work are employees or subcontractors. The board spells out what general supervision and management includes. The RMP maintains at least $300,000 of general commercial liability insurance. The RMP obtains all necessary permits and requests all inspections required by the applicable plumbing or building codes. The RMP ensures that every individual performing plumbing work holds a current license or registration, and that a licensee is present providing direct supervision at any job site where one or more registrants are engaged in plumbing. The RMP also ensures that all service vehicles display the company name and the RMP license number. An RMP may act as the RMP of record for only one company at a time. The fees are published. The initial application fee for the RMP designation is $225 and the renewal fee is $300. Late renewal costs $150 if the license has been expired less than 90 days and $300 if expired more than 90 days. If you apply for the designation during your renewal period, which opens 90 days before expiration, you pay only the $300 renewal fee and not the $225 initial fee. Relinquishing the designation requires a signed and notarized request form and a $10 fee, waived if submitted with a regular license renewal. Applying online requires uploading the Certificate of Insurance before paying.

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What Texas makes you display in advertising and on vehicles

Texas does not regulate how a remodeler advertises remodeling, because no remodeling license exists. It regulates the trades hard, and those rules reach your trucks, your invoices, and your ads. Electrical is the clearest. A licensed contractor must display its name and license number on both sides of each vehicle owned or operated by the business and used in the conduct of electrical work. The lettering must be a contrasting color, at least two inches in height, and permanently affixed in conspicuous places on both sides. The business contracting license number is the one that goes on the vehicle. Paperwork is covered too: all proposals, invoices, and written contracts proposed by the contractor must carry the contractor name, address, phone number, and license number. All invoices and written contracts must also carry the statement that the contractor is regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, with the agency address, phone numbers, and complaints web address. The air conditioning rules go further on advertising. All advertising by licensees and contracting companies designed to solicit air conditioning or refrigeration business must include the license number. The rules list the narrow exceptions: nationally placed television advertising that says license numbers are available on request, telephone book listings containing only name, address, and telephone number, manufacturer and distributor trade ads endorsing a contractor, telephone solicitations where the solicitor states the company is state licensed and gives the number on request, promotional items of nominal value such as caps and tee shirts, letterheads and printed office forms, and signs at the contractor permanent business location. Vehicles must show the license number and company name in letters not less than two inches high on both sides. Plumbing service vehicles must display the company name and the RMP license number.

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Contracts and the three day right of rescission

Texas gives homeowners a statutory right to cancel certain remodeling contracts, and the obligation to disclose that right falls on you. The Texas Attorney General explains the rule under Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 601. It applies whenever a merchant solicits sales somewhere other than their place of business, the buyer agrees to buy while at a place other than the merchant place of business, and the purchase is more than $25 worth of goods or services, or more than $100 worth of real estate. If the transaction is covered, the buyer has the right to cancel within three business days. Beyond the right itself, the merchant is required by law to give notice of it. That means providing a contract or receipt stating the date of the sale, the name and address of the merchant, and a statement of the right to cancel including an address for sending the cancellation notice. The contract or receipt and the cancellation notice must be in the same language principally used in the sales presentation. If the sale was discussed in Spanish, the contract must be in Spanish. Cancellation runs through a form titled notice of cancellation, signed, dated, and mailed before midnight of the third business day after the sale. After cancellation the seller has ten business days to refund the money, cancel and return any negotiable instruments, and return trade in items, and must say within ten days whether it will retrieve or abandon the goods. In a sale affecting real property, the seller must restore the property to its original condition if improvements were made, unless the buyer requests otherwise. Missing the disclosures can void the sale even after three days.

Sourcestexasattorneygeneral.gov

Sales tax on residential repair and remodeling

Tax treatment is one of the few places where Texas regulates remodeling by name, and getting it wrong is expensive. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts states that labor to repair, remodel, or restore residential real property is not taxable. Residential real property means family dwellings, including apartment complexes, nursing homes, condominiums, and retirement homes. It excludes hotels and residential properties rented for periods of less than 30 days. The property does not have to be the owner residence. The total amount charged for remodeling, repairing, or restoring nonresidential real property is taxable. The Comptroller lists hospitals, office buildings, refineries, warehouses, parking garages, retail shops, restaurants, and manufacturing facilities as nonresidential examples. Multiple use property, used for both residential and commercial purposes, has its own guidelines and the Comptroller asks you to call for them. When you repair or remodel residential property you are a contractor, and the contract form decides who pays what. Under a lump sum contract, one price for the entire job, you pay tax on all your supplies, materials, equipment, and taxable services when you buy them, and you do not charge your customer tax. Under a separated contract, where you charge separately for materials and labor, you give your suppliers resale certificates instead of paying tax on materials you incorporate into the customer real property, and on certain separately identified services, which the Comptroller lists as surveying, landscaping, final cleanup, and security systems incorporated into the realty. You then collect state sales tax plus any local tax from the customer on the amount charged for those materials and services, and your charge for the materials must be at least what you paid. The construction labor charge is not taxable either way.

Sourcescomptroller.texas.gov

Workers compensation and the insurance you still carry

Texas is unusual on workers compensation, and remodelers should know the rule precisely rather than from rumor. The Texas Division of Workers Compensation states that in Texas private employers can choose whether to provide workers compensation insurance coverage. Employers that choose not to provide it are known as non subscribers, and employers that end coverage become non subscribers on the date the policy ends. Choosing not to carry it is not free of obligations. Employers without coverage must notify workers by posting a notice of no coverage in the workplace in English, in Spanish, and in any other language as needed, placing the notice where employees see it regularly, and giving written notice of no coverage to new employees. They must also file notices with the Division: notice of no coverage between February 1 and April 30 of each calendar year, after hiring the first employee, and after terminating a Texas workers compensation policy. Employers with five or more employees must report work related injuries, illnesses, and deaths involving more than one day of lost time, due within one month and seven days from the date of death, knowledge of the illness, or the start of lost time. Filing runs through the Division online tool for non subscribers, Employer E File. Liability insurance is a different matter and is frequently mandatory. San Antonio will not issue a Home Improvement Contractor registration without a Certificate of Liability Insurance at the stated minimums. The electrical contractor and air conditioning contractor licenses both require general liability coverage at all times as proof of financial responsibility. The Responsible Master Plumber designation requires at least $300,000 of general commercial liability insurance. Self insurance for workers compensation exists but is limited to large employers.

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Penalties for doing licensed trade work without the license

Because Texas does not license remodeling, there is no penalty for calling yourself a remodeler. The penalties attach to the licensed trades you touch on the way through a remodel, and they are real. On the air conditioning side, a person commits an offense if the person knowingly engages in air conditioning and refrigeration contracting without holding a license issued under Chapter 1302 of the Occupations Code, or purchases a refrigerant or equipment containing a refrigerant in violation of the refrigerant sections. An offense under that section is a Class C misdemeanor. Enforcement is not only state level. A municipal or county official may issue a citation to an air conditioning and refrigeration contracting company that engages in contracting without complying with the licensing section, and the department or a municipal air conditioning or refrigeration inspector within the jurisdiction where the violation occurs may issue a citation to a person who violates the refrigerant purchase sections. Separately, altering a license in any way is prohibited and is grounds for a sanction or penalty, and other rule violations are grounds for administrative penalties and license sanctions. There is a narrow and useful exception for remodelers. The ACR rules state that unlicensed general contractors may bid or contract for a job that includes air conditioning or refrigeration if the job does not consist solely of work requiring a license under the Act. So a remodeler can sell a whole house renovation that includes a system change out, provided the licensed work is performed under the proper license. The rules also allow a licensee to subcontract licensed work to unlicensed persons only where the licensee actively provides licensed work in person or through bona fide employees, and that work amounts to more than accepting the contract, scheduling, and supervising.

Sourcestdlr.texas.gov

How a homeowner verifies the contractor they hired

This is the question a Texas remodeler should answer on their own website, because the answer favors anyone who is actually licensed and registered. There is no state remodeler registry to check, so verification happens license by license and city by city. For every license TDLR issues, the agency runs a public lookup. The TDLR License Data Search covers active licenses only and lets a homeowner inquire by license type or by license number. The license type dropdown includes Air Conditioning Contractors and A/C Technicians, so a homeowner can confirm the HVAC company on a remodel in seconds. The same search covers the electrician license types TDLR issues. The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners runs a separate Public License Search from its own site for plumbing licenses and registrations. City registrations are verified through the city. San Antonio ties the Home Improvement Contractor registration to a registration number and requires delegates authorized to pull permits under that number to be added through the permitting portal, with a valid government issued photo identification shown when applying for a permit. Dallas issues a Certificate of Registration to the responsible license holder and lists the personnel that holder authorizes to sign permits. Austin assigns a registered general contractor to the building permit and a registered trade contractor to each trade permit, which means the permit record itself shows who is accountable. The practical verification test for a homeowner is simpler than any of this. Ask whose license the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC permits will be pulled under, then look up those license numbers. A remodeler who answers that fast, with numbers, has already separated itself from most of its competition.

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Recovery funds, and what a Texas homeowner has instead

Several states run a recovery fund that pays homeowners harmed by a licensed contractor, financed by license fees. Texas does not run one for residential remodeling, and the reason is historical. The Sunset Advisory Commission records that House Bill 2295 failed to pass in the 81st Regular Legislative Session, the Texas Residential Construction Commission was abolished, its Act expired on September 1, 2009, and its records and property went to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The commission is listed as inactive with no next review date. The Department of Licensing and Regulation list of licensed programs contains no residential construction or home improvement program that could carry such a fund. What a homeowner has instead is a set of smaller, more specific protections. Required liability insurance is the first. San Antonio will not register a Home Improvement Contractor without a Certificate of Liability Insurance at or above $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate, and $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations, and the city must be named as certificate holder. Electrical and air conditioning contractors must carry general liability coverage at all times as proof of financial responsibility. A Responsible Master Plumber must maintain at least $300,000 of general commercial liability insurance. The second protection is the cancellation right under Business and Commerce Code Chapter 601 for sales solicited away from the merchant place of business. The third is the complaint route into the licensing agencies, which TDLR requires electrical contractors to print on every invoice and written contract. The fourth is the city permit and inspection record, which is public and shows whether the work was ever inspected. For a remodeler, naming these protections on your own site is a credibility move, not a risk.

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What we could not confirm

These are common details other guides publish about Texas, but we could not verify them from the agency source. Confirm them directly before relying on them.

  • Exact text of Texas Property Code Chapter 27 (Residential Construction Liability Act) notice and 60 day period: statutes.capitol.texas.gov now serves a JavaScript only portal that returns 200 with no statutory text, so the chapter could not be read from a primary source and no RCLA figures are published here.
  • Exact text of Texas Property Code Section 41.007 on homestead improvement contract form and its rescission period: same JavaScript only statutes portal, not fetchable.
  • Exact text of Texas Property Code Section 53.255 residential construction mechanic's lien disclosure statement: same JavaScript only statutes portal, not fetchable.
  • Full text of 16 Texas Administrative Code Chapters 73 and 75: the Secretary of State TAC viewer at texreg.sos.state.tx.us now redirects to an Appian portal that returns no rule text to a direct fetch. Rule content here came from TDLR's own hosted law booklet and compliance guide instead.
  • Fort Worth contractor registration or remodeling permit requirements: no primary city page was fetched and verified, so no Fort Worth requirement is stated.
  • Class B air conditioning contractor aggregate insurance figure: the current TDLR application lists $200,000 aggregate while TDLR's hosted ACR law booklet lists $100,000 aggregate. Only the $100,000 per occurrence figure, which both agree on, is published.
  • Renewal term, renewal fee, and continuing education hours for the TDLR electrical contractor and air conditioning contractor licenses: not confirmed from a fetched primary page.
  • Whether any Texas statute creates a recovery or guaranty fund for residential remodeling customers: the absence is inferred from the Sunset record of the Texas Residential Construction Commission and the TDLR program list, not from a statute read directly.
  • Houston contractor registration requirements beyond the Residential Remodel Permit itself, and the base permit fee from the city fee schedule.
  • Reciprocity for the TDLR air conditioning contractor license: the application references a letter of good standing from South Carolina or Georgia, but the full reciprocity terms were not fetched from the TDLR reciprocity page.

Texas remodeling licensing questions

Does Texas issue a state license for residential remodeling?

No. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation publishes the list of occupations it licenses, and there is no remodeler, general contractor, or home improvement contractor entry on it. Austin says the same on its contractor registration page: in Texas anyone can be a general contractor and a state license is not required for that role.

Which Texas city registers remodelers directly?

San Antonio. Its Development Services Department issues a Home Improvement Contractor registration covering nonstructural repair, replacement, remodeling, alteration, conversion, or modernization of an existing building. Registration costs $172.50 plus surcharges and processing, runs two years from the initial issue date, and requires an FBI background check dated within 30 days of submittal.

What liability insurance does San Antonio require for that registration?

At least $300,000 per occurrence combined for property damage and bodily injury, at least $600,000 aggregate, and at least $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations. The policy must come from an insurer authorized in Texas, must show at least one year of coverage, and must name the City of San Antonio as certificate holder.

Is a state remodeling license needed to pull a Houston permit?

No. Houston controls remodeling through the Residential Remodel Permit, code HPWCODE1135, issued by Houston Public Works under the 2021 City of Houston Residential Code and Chapter 10 of the city ordinances. Plan review and inspection are required, the administrative fee is $33.56, and the permit stays valid for six months.

Why did my Dallas contractor registration expire early?

Because it tracks the state license behind it. The Dallas contractor registration form states that Certificates of Registration provided for in the code expire when the state license expires. If the TDLR or plumbing license lapses, the Dallas registration lapses with it, and the authorized signers lose the ability to sign permits until it is restored.

Who must register with the City of Austin before starting work?

Trade contractors, general contractors, and homeowners acting as contractors, all before beginning any construction associated with a building permit or trade permit. Registration happens through Building and Trade Contractor Services and an Austin Build and Connect portal account. Trade contractors must register in person with state identification and their trade or master license.

What does an electrical contractor license cost and require in Texas?

The application fee for an Electrical or Electrical Sign Contractor license is $110 and is non refundable. The business must have a master electrician assigned to it. General liability coverage must be at least $300,000 per occurrence, $600,000 aggregate, and $300,000 aggregate for products and completed operations, carried at all times as proof of financial responsibility.

What separates a Class A from a Class B air conditioning license?

Capacity. A Class A Environmental Air Conditioning endorsement covers equipment of any size. A Class B endorsement is limited to not more than 25 tons cooling capacity or 1.5 million British thermal units per hour heating output. Class A insurance runs $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate; Class B starts at $100,000 per occurrence.

Does Texas require the license number in remodeling advertising?

Not for remodeling itself, since no remodeling license exists. It does for the trades. Air conditioning advertising that solicits business must carry the license number, with narrow exceptions. Electrical contractors must put name, address, phone, and license number on proposals, invoices, and written contracts, plus the TDLR regulated by statement.

What has to go on the side of the truck?

For electrical work, the business name and contracting license number on both sides of each vehicle, in a contrasting color, at least two inches high, permanently affixed. Air conditioning vehicles need the license number and company name in letters not less than two inches high on both sides. Plumbing service vehicles display the company name and RMP license number.

Is remodeling labor on a Texas house subject to sales tax?

No. The Texas Comptroller states that labor to repair, remodel, or restore residential real property is not taxable. Under a lump sum contract you pay tax on materials and supplies when you buy them and charge the customer none. Under a separated contract you use resale certificates and collect tax on the materials.

Must a Texas remodeling company carry workers compensation?

Private employers in Texas choose whether to provide coverage. Those that decline are non subscribers and must post a notice of no coverage in English and Spanish, give written notice to new employees, and file notice with the Division of Workers Compensation between February 1 and April 30 each year and after hiring the first employee.

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