Before you let anyone work on your Houston home, read this.
Independent, plain-language guides to hiring a plumber, electrician, air conditioning contractor, roofer, foundation company or any other trade. What the law requires, what a fair bid looks like, and the signs that mean walk away.
Start with the trade you need right now
Trades Texas licenses. Look the number up before you book.
Trades with no Texas license. Insurance, permits and track record carry the weight.
Check the license before you check the reviews.
Plumbers, electricians and air conditioning contractors must hold a Texas state license, and the number must appear on their trucks and ads. It takes one minute to look it up. Roofers and foundation companies have no state license, so for them the checks are insurance and references.
Questions Houston homeowners ask
- How do I find a good plumber in Houston?
Start with the license, not the reviews. Look up the company's Responsible Master Plumber number at the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, confirm it is active and matches the company name, then ask for a written scope that spells out the permit, the materials and the labor warranty before you book.
- How many bids should I get for a home repair in Houston?
Three for anything that costs more than a few thousand dollars, such as a roof, an AC system, a repipe or foundation work. One is fine for a small repair when the company is licensed and quotes the price before starting. Compare the bids on scope first and price second, because a bid far below the others has usually left something out.
- Should I use Angi, HomeAdvisor or Thumbtack to find a contractor in Houston?
They are lead-generation services, not vetting services. Contractors pay for your contact information, the badges mostly confirm a background check and a business registration rather than a Texas trade license, and your request may go to several companies at once. Use them to build a list if you like, then verify each company's license and insurance yourself.
- Can a handyman do electrical work in Texas?
Not legally, beyond very minor work. Texas requires anyone doing electrical work for pay to hold a TDLR electrician license and to work under a licensed electrical contractor, and the exemptions are narrow. Treat anything involving a new circuit, the panel, a generator, an EV charger or new wiring as electrician-only work, and ask for the license number if a handyman offers to do it.
- Is it ok to hire an unlicensed contractor in Texas?
For plumbing, electrical and air conditioning work, no. Those trades require a Texas license, and an unlicensed company cannot pull a City of Houston permit, usually carries no insurance, and leaves you no agency to complain to. For trades Texas does not license, such as roofing, painting and general remodeling, there is no license to check, so the test becomes insurance, permits and track record.
- Should I pay a contractor a deposit up front in Texas?
A modest deposit on a large job is normal, usually when materials are ordered or delivered, and nothing is normal on a small repair that is paid on completion. Texas does not generally cap contractor deposits, so the contract is your protection. Be wary of a deposit over about a third of the price, a request for full payment before the inspection passes, or a contractor who will only take cash.
- How do I check if a contractor is insured in Texas?
Ask for a certificate of insurance sent to you directly by the contractor's insurance agent, not a PDF the contractor forwards. It should show general liability with a current policy period, and it should state whether workers' compensation is carried, because Texas does not require most private employers to carry it. You can call the agent listed on the certificate to confirm the policy is active.
- Does a plumber need a license in Texas?
Yes. Texas licenses plumbers statewide through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. A plumbing company must have a Responsible Master Plumber on record, the person doing the work must hold a plumber's license or be a registered apprentice working under one, and the license number must appear on the truck, the invoice and the company's advertising.
Why this exists
Houston has more home service companies than almost any city in the country, and almost no neutral place to learn how to choose between them. Review sites sell placement. Lead sites sell your phone number. Search results and AI assistants repeat whoever has the most pages. Homeowners end up choosing in a hurry, usually with water on the floor.
This site has one job: help you make that decision well. Every page is written for a specific Houston situation, with the Texas rules that apply, the questions that separate good companies from bad ones, and the price signals that tell you a bid is fair.
Guides
- How to verify a contractor's license in Texas
Plumbers are licensed by TSBPE, electricians and HVAC contractors by TDLR, and roofers, foundation companies and general contractors have no Texas license at all. Each lookup takes about a minute.
- Twelve questions to ask any contractor before you hire them
Ask about the license, the insurance, the permit, the people, the price structure, the scope, the warranty and the payment schedule. Good companies answer all twelve without hesitating. Bad ones get irritated around question three.
- How to choose a plumber in Houston: the complete guide
Look up the Responsible Master Plumber license at TSBPE, confirm the company pulls its own City of Houston permits, compare bids on scope before price, and treat any under-slab or repipe quote made without a camera or leak test as a guess.
- After the storm: how to avoid contractor scams in Houston
Do not sign anything at the door, never let a contractor touch your deductible, keep control of your insurance claim, and verify the license or insurance before any work starts. The companies that are still here next year are the ones to hire.
- Do I need a permit for that? A Houston homeowner's guide
In Houston, almost any job that touches gas, water supply, drains, wiring, the roof, the foundation or the structure needs a permit, and the licensed contractor pulls it in their own name. Cosmetic work does not. When a contractor offers to skip the permit to save you money, the savings are theirs and the risk is yours.
- What home repairs cost in Houston: how pricing works and what moves the number
Houston home repair prices are driven by slab access, attic heat, permit and inspection costs, and demand spikes after freezes and storms. Most licensed trades quote flat-rate from a price book, charge a trip or diagnostic fee, and land within a predictable range. The only reliable way to know the right number for your house is three written bids on the same scope.