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.

• How to get three bids and actually compare them

  Three bids only help if every bidder prices the same scope. Write the scope down before the first contractor arrives, hand each one the same sheet, and compare the bids line by line on materials, permit, warranty, exclusions and payment schedule, not on the total.

• Contracts, deposits and mechanic's liens: what Texas homeowners should know

  In Texas, a contractor can only place a mechanic's lien on your homestead if you signed a written contract before the work began, both spouses signed if you are married, and the contract was filed with the county clerk. Subcontractors can still send notices and claim unpaid amounts, so collect lien waivers at every payment.

• What to do when a contractor does bad work in Houston

  Document the problem, send a written demand that gives the contractor a set time to fix it, then escalate in order: the state licensing agency for that trade, the Texas Attorney General, and justice court for claims up to $20,000. Texas consumer law requires 60 days' written notice before you sue, so the demand letter is not optional.

• How to read contractor reviews without getting fooled

  Read the three-star and two-star reviews first, check how the company replies, and look at when the reviews were posted. A trustworthy Houston contractor usually sits around 4.5 to 4.8 with a steady flow of detailed reviews and calm replies to the bad ones. A flat 5.0 with hundreds of short reviews posted in bursts is a warning, not a credential.

• Home warranty companies: what they cover and why Houston homeowners complain

  A home warranty is a service contract, not insurance. It pays a contractor of its choosing to repair covered systems after you pay a service fee, subject to exclusions for pre-existing conditions, code upgrades and improper installation, and a per-item cap. Texas regulates these companies through TDLR as residential service companies, and that is where complaints go.

• Slab leaks in Houston: signs, causes, and who to call

  A slab leak is a leaking water or drain pipe under the concrete foundation. In Houston the usual cause is clay soil moving the slab, and the usual signs are a warm floor spot, a jump in the water bill, the sound of running water with everything off, or new foundation movement. A licensed plumber confirms it with a pressure test and electronic leak detection before anyone quotes a repair.

• How to protect your pipes in a Houston freeze

  Houston houses are built for heat, so the pipes that burst in a freeze are the ones in the attic, in exterior walls, at hose bibbs and in outdoor tankless heaters. Before a hard freeze, insulate or wrap those lines, drip the faucets farthest from the meter, open the cabinets under sinks, and know where your main shutoff is. If a pipe bursts, shut the main off first and then call a licensed plumber.

• Hurricane and flood prep: what to do before, during and after

  Before hurricane season, have the roof and trees inspected, photograph every room and the exterior, and confirm whether you have flood coverage, because a standard Texas homeowner policy does not cover rising water. After a storm, deal with safety and power first, then water and drying within 48 hours, then the insurer, then licensed contractors, and never sign with anyone at the door.

• Houston foundation problems: what is normal, what is not, and when to call an engineer

  Houston foundations move because the clay underneath swells when wet and shrinks when dry, so hairline cracks and doors that stick in August are normal. Cracks that widen, doors that stay stuck, stair-step cracks in brick and separation at the roofline are not. Before you call a repair company, hire an independent licensed professional engineer who does not sell piers, and after any lift, have a plumber test the drain lines.

• Humidity, mold and your AC: the Houston triangle

  In Houston, indoor humidity and mold are usually an air conditioning problem. An oversized AC cools the air fast and shuts off before it pulls the moisture out, leaky ducts pull hot wet attic air into the house, and the result is a cool house at 65 percent humidity where mold grows. The fix starts with a technician who measures airflow, charge and duct leakage, not one who quotes a bigger unit.

• Sewer line problems in Houston: cast iron, tree roots and what a camera inspection tells you

  Houston sewer lines fail for three main reasons: cast iron drains in houses built before about 1975 that rust from the inside, bellies where the clay soil has let the pipe sag under the slab, and tree roots that find any joint. Repeated backups, gurgling, slow drains in more than one fixture or a sewage smell are reasons for a camera inspection, and no one should quote a repair under the slab without one.

• Replacing a water heater in Houston: tank vs tankless, permits, and what to expect

  Replacing a water heater in Houston requires a City of Houston plumbing permit and inspection, and the permit is how the city checks the venting, the pan and drain line, the expansion tank and the gas connection. A standard tank lasts about 8 to 12 years here, a tankless 15 to 20 with annual descaling, and a bid that does not list the model, capacity, venting, permit, pan, haul-away and warranty is not a complete bid.