Do you need a state license in Texas?
Texas does not issue a statewide general contractor license. Any license you need comes from the city or county where the job is, so the rules can change from one town to the next.
Cities run permits for general contractors. In Austin, trade contractors such as electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors must hold a state license and register with the city before they work. Ask the city where you build what it requires of you.
How to get set up in Texas, step by step
- Hire TDLR licensed contractors for any air conditioning, refrigeration or electrical part of a job.
- Ask the city or county where you work which building permits your job needs, since cities can still collect building permit fees.
What it costs in Texas
There is no state license fee for general contractor work in Texas. Ask the city or county where you work about any local fees.
Good to know in Texas
- The Texas Residential Construction Commission was abolished on September 1, 2009.
- Trade work still needs state licenses. Air conditioning and refrigeration contractors are licensed by TDLR, and electricians are a TDLR program too.
- If your job includes HVAC or electrical work, use licensed trade contractors for that part.
Once you are cleared to work
The license lets you take the work. Getting the work is the next job.
- Register the business. If you work under a name other than your own, register it where your state asks (often the Secretary of State, sometimes the county), and keep the name the same on your license, your truck and your invoices.
- Claim your Google Business Profile. It is the listing people see when they search for a contractor near them. Fill in your service area, hours and real photos of your work.
- Put up a website that shows the license. Customers look for it before they call. Koira builds a contractor website for you and keeps it current.
- See where you stand. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where this comes from
Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below, checked October 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with your city or county before you file.