Texas Contractor Licensing

Trade-by-trade licensing requirements for Texas, sourced directly from the state regulatory board and maintained by Gabriel Giner, editor. We currently publish 18 published trade guides, with direct links to each underlying board, statute, or exam-provider resource.

Choose your trade

General Contractor
Texas General Contractor — No State License (Local Registration Only)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Electrician
Texas Master Electrician License
Verified 2026-09-04
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Plumber
Texas Master Plumber License
Verified 2026-09-04
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HVAC Technician
Texas Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License (Class A or Class B)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Roofing Contractor
Texas Roofing Contractor — No State License (Local Requirements Apply)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Painting Contractor
Texas — No State Painting License (Local Compliance + EPA RRP)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Landscaping Contractor
Texas Landscaping — No State Trade License (TCEQ Irrigation + TDA Pesticide Credentials)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Masonry Contractor
Texas Masonry Contractor Requirements — Local Registration and Permits
Verified 2026-09-04
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Concrete Contractor
Texas Concrete Contractor — Local Licensing Framework
Verified 2026-09-08
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Carpentry Contractor
Texas Carpentry Contractor Requirements — Local Registration and Permits
Verified 2026-09-04
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Solar Installer
Texas — No State Solar License (TDLR Electrician + local permits)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Low-Voltage Technician
Texas Low-Voltage Work: DPS Private Security, State Fire Marshal, and TDLR Requirements
Verified 2026-09-04
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Fire Sprinkler Contractor
Texas Sprinkler Certificate of Registration — General (SFMO / TDI)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Home Inspector
Professional Real Estate Inspector (Texas also issues two lower tiers: Real Estate Inspector and Apprentice Inspector)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Pool Contractor
No state swimming pool/spa contractor license (Texas issues none; pool construction is governed by local building permits and, for public pools, DSHS design standards)
Verified 2026-07-10
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Handyman
No Texas state handyman or general-contractor license
Verified 2026-09-04
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Pest Control
Structural Pest Control Business License (Texas Pest Control License, TPCL)
Verified 2026-09-04
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Septic Contractor
Texas OSSF Installer I / Installer II
Verified 2026-09-30
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Published guides: 18
Exam-backed: 9
Bond-backed: 0
Local / municipal: 10
Avg initial fee: $172

Local requirements and practical guides

Houston General Contractors: Licensing, Trade Registration, and Permits
Understand Houston’s general-contractor rules, separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing registrations, and the building-permit application route.
Dallas Contractor Registration: DallasNow, Business Records, and Permits
Register a general contractor in DallasNow, distinguish registration from permits and housing-program approval, and understand the city’s fee guidance.
Austin Contractor Registration: AB+C Accounts, Authorization, and Activation
Prepare Austin’s AB+C account and authorization, register a general or trade contractor, activate approved permits, and keep registration details current.
Texas Electrical Apprentice License: Applying, Supervision, and Renewal
Apply for a Texas electrical apprentice license, understand supervision, keep experience records, and meet the annual renewal and education requirements.
Texas Journeyman Electrician License: Hours, Exam, and Application
Separate Texas’s 7,000-hour exam eligibility from its 8,000-hour license requirement, document supervised experience, and plan the application and renewal.
Texas Electrical Contractor Business License: Master of Record and Insurance
License a Texas electrical contracting business: master electrician of record, insurance evidence, application fee, annual renewal, and qualifier changes.
Texas Landscape Irrigator License: Application, Exam, and Project Plans
Compare Texas irrigator and technician authority, prepare the TCEQ application, understand the exam and plan requirements, and maintain the license.
Do Subcontractors Need a License? California, Tennessee, and Texas Examples
Learn why a prime contractor’s license may not cover a subcontractor, using California’s triggers, Tennessee’s trade thresholds, and Texas electrical rules.
When Your Qualifying Agent Leaves: California and Texas Electrical Rules
Compare California qualifier replacement with Texas electrical master-of-record changes, including deadlines, forms, records, and license-status checks.
EPA Section 608 Certification vs. an HVAC Contractor License
Understand what EPA Section 608 certification covers, choose a certification type, find approved testing, replace a lost card, and separate state HVAC licensing.

How licensing works in Texas

Texas is not a one-size-fits-all licensing market. Across the 18 guides currently live on this state hub, 9 require a formal trade examination and 0 require a surety bond before the credential can issue. 10 of the published entries rely on city, county, or municipal registration rather than a single statewide credential, so contractors need to confirm the local building department or business-license office before bidding work.

The point of this state page is to give you a fast read on the regulatory model before you dive into a specific trade. Start with the trades grid below if you already know your specialty. If you are comparing jurisdictions, use the cost calculator for first-year cost and the reciprocity matrix for license portability.

Main boards and agencies

No statewide general contractor licensing agency
No Texas state agency issues a general contractor license. Local governments administer building permits and any local contractor-registration requirements, while TDLR and TSBPE administer separate state credentials for regulated specialty trades.
Open agency site
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
TDLR licenses electricians and electrical contractors statewide and administers the Electrical Safety and Licensing Act. It does not issue a standalone solar contractor license.
Open agency site
Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners
TSBPE administers the Texas Plumbing License Law, licenses individual plumbers and Responsible Master Plumbers, registers apprentices, and handles plumbing-related complaints and enforcement.
Open agency site
Texas Department of Insurance / Local Building Authority
There is no statewide Texas roofing credential. TDI explains the insurance-claim and deductible restrictions; the authority having jurisdiction administers local registration and building permits.
Open agency site
Texas — Local Building and Permit Authorities
Texas does not issue a statewide carpentry or general-contractor license. Contractor registration and project permits are determined locally. For example, Austin requires a contractor to register before construction associated with a building or trade permit; Houston states that neither the city nor the state professionally licenses general contractors, while its building code authority still administers construction permits and inspections.
Open agency site
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (irrigation) and Texas Department of Agriculture (pesticide)
TCEQ licenses landscape irrigators, irrigation technicians, and irrigation inspectors. TDA licenses agricultural pesticide applicators. Texas does not license ordinary landscape installation contractors at the state level; local project requirements and tax rules still apply.
Open agency site
Texas local building and permit authorities
Texas directs businesses to local county and city governments for applicable local permits. The project jurisdiction administers local construction permits, inspections, and any contractor-registration process.
Open agency site
Texas Department of Insurance — State Fire Marshal's Office
The State Fire Marshal’s Office registers fire sprinkler companies, licenses Responsible Managing Employees, administers the applicable testing program, and enforces the fire sprinkler laws and rules statewide.
Open agency site
Texas Department of Public Safety — Private Security Bureau
DPS Private Security licenses and regulates covered alarm and electronic-access-control companies and individuals. SFMO separately regulates fire-alarm companies and licensees. TDLR administers the electrician-licensing law and publishes its statutory exemptions.
Open agency site
Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service (SPCS)
State agency that licenses structural pest control businesses (the Texas Pest Control License, TPCL) and individual applicators (certified applicators, technicians, and apprentices), administers the licensing exams, and enforces the Structural Pest Control Act. The former independent Texas Structural Pest Control Board was consolidated into TDA in 2007.
Open agency site
Texas local permitting authorities and trade-specific state agencies
Texas has no statewide handyman program. TDLR, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, TCEQ, DSHS, and other agencies regulate specific work; cities and counties can control local registration and permits.
Open agency site
Texas Department of State Health Services (public pool standards) / local building authorities (AHJ); no agency licenses pool contractors
Texas issues no state-level swimming pool/spa construction license, and no agency registers or licenses pool builders. DSHS sets minimum design and construction standards and performs plan review for public pools and spas under Health & Safety Code 341.064/341.0645 and 25 TAC Chapter 265, Subchapter L. Residential pool construction is controlled by the local building department (authority having jurisdiction) through building permits and by Health & Safety Code Chapter 757 (pool-yard enclosure and fence safety). TDLR licenses the electricians and TSBPE licenses the plumbers who perform those sub-scopes; TDLR's list of regulated programs includes none for pool contractors.
Open agency site
Texas Real Estate Commission
State agency that licenses and regulates real estate (home) inspectors in Texas, sets the Standards of Practice, approves qualifying and continuing education, administers the licensing exam program, and enforces the Real Estate Inspectors statute (Occupations Code Ch. 1102).
Open agency site
Office of the Texas Governor — Business Permit Office
Use this official state or local authority to confirm the concrete route, scope, and current filing requirements for the project.
Open agency site
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Administers individual OSSF installer licenses. Its OSSF program also identifies permitting authorities and separate maintenance and evaluation roles.
Open agency site

Compare Texas against other states

Every trade above also has a national comparison hub showing how Texas's exam, bond, fee, and experience requirements stack up against the other 50 jurisdictions.

States bordering Texas

Licensing rules change at the state line. Contractors bidding work across the border should review the neighboring hub before assuming Texas's requirements carry over.

Best starting points in Texas

Budget

Estimate first-year cost

Compare filing fees, bond premiums, insurance assumptions, and renewal cost before you apply.

Mobility

Check reciprocity pathways

See whether this state accepts NASCLA or uses bilateral reciprocity for the trade you hold now.

Research

Search related guides

Jump directly to linked state and trade pages if you are comparing multiple jurisdictions side by side.