Short answers first. Each one links to the guide or trade page that explains the rest.
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.
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.
What home repairs cost in Houston: how pricing works and what moves the number
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses electricians and electrical contractors. The company needs an Electrical Contractor license with a Master Electrician of record, and the person in your home must be a licensed journeyman or master electrician, or an apprentice working under direct supervision.
Yes. Any company that installs, repairs or services air conditioning and heating equipment for pay needs an Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license, called a TACL, from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and technicians who handle refrigerant need EPA Section 608 certification. The TACL number must be on the truck and the paperwork.
No. Texas has no state license for roofing contractors. Voluntary programs exist through the Roofing Contractors Association of Texas and through shingle manufacturers, but the law does not require them, so your protections are a certificate of insurance from the roofer's agent, a City of Houston permit in the roofer's name, and a company with a Houston track record that predates the last storm.
No. Texas does not license general contractors or remodelers at the state level, and City of Houston contractor registration for permitting is not a competency test. Verify the licensed trades working under the general contractor instead, meaning the plumber, the electrician and the HVAC company, and check the general contractor's insurance, references and years under the same name.
No. Texas has no general handyman license, so a handyman can legally do carpentry, painting, drywall, tile and similar work without one. A handyman cannot do plumbing, electrical or air conditioning work for pay, because those trades require a Texas license regardless of the size of the job, so ask for a trade license number if a handyman offers to replace a water heater or add an outlet.
Yes. The City of Houston requires a plumbing permit and inspection for a water heater replacement, and a licensed plumbing company pulls it in its own name. A company that offers to skip the permit, or asks you to pull it as the homeowner, is telling you something about its license.
Yes. Panel replacements and service upgrades require a City of Houston electrical permit and inspection, and the utility will not energize a new service until the inspection passes. A licensed electrical contractor pulls the permit and coordinates the disconnect and reconnect with the utility.
Nothing automatic, but it tends to surface later. Unpermitted work can be flagged by a buyer's inspector, must be disclosed on the Texas seller's disclosure notice if you know about it, can complicate an insurance claim, and may have to be opened up for inspection if the city becomes aware of it. You can usually apply for a permit after the fact through the Houston Permitting Center, and a licensed contractor can bring the work up to code.
Plumbers are looked up on the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners site at tsbpe.texas.gov, electricians, HVAC contractors and mold professionals through the TDLR license search at tdlr.texas.gov, and home inspectors through the Texas Real Estate Commission. Search by the license number from the truck or invoice and confirm three things: the license is active, the name matches the company you are dealing with, and the license class covers the work.
Most Houston plumbing companies charge a trip or diagnostic fee in the range of roughly $50 to $150, often credited toward the repair, and then price the work flat-rate from a book rather than by the hour. Simple repairs typically land in the low hundreds and after-hours calls cost more. Ask for the fee and the flat price before the truck rolls, and get three bids on anything large.
A typical installed tank water heater replacement in Houston runs roughly $1,800 to $4,000 including the permit, and a tankless conversion typically runs $4,000 to $8,000 or more because of gas line and venting changes. The price moves with capacity, the location in the house and code items like expansion tanks and drain pans, so get three written bids that name the model number.
What home repairs cost in Houston: how pricing works and what moves the number
A typical full system replacement in Houston, meaning the condenser, coil and air handler or furnace, runs roughly $8,000 to $18,000 installed, with high-efficiency and variable-speed equipment above that. The number depends on tonnage, efficiency, ductwork condition and whether the line set is replaced, so compare three bids that list exact model numbers and include the City of Houston permit.
What home repairs cost in Houston: how pricing works and what moves the number
A typical asphalt shingle re-roof on a Houston single-family home runs roughly $10,000 to $25,000 depending on the size, the pitch, decking replacement and the shingle line, and metal or tile costs considerably more. Get three bids that spell out the underlayment, flashing, ventilation, a decking allowance per sheet, disposal and the permit, and do not let the bid be shaped around your insurance deductible.
Foundation repair in Houston is usually priced per pier, typically a few hundred to over a thousand dollars each depending on the pier type and depth, so a common repair of 10 to 20 piers lands roughly in the $5,000 to $20,000 range before plumbing tests and restoration. Get an independent licensed engineer's report first, then three bids against that same pier plan.
What home repairs cost in Houston: how pricing works and what moves the number
A yard sewer line replacement in Houston typically runs roughly $4,000 to $15,000 depending on length, depth and whether the line can be trenched or has to be bored, and under-slab replacements that require tunneling often cost more. Insist on a camera inspection with a recording before anyone bids, and get three bids against the same footage and method.
What home repairs cost in Houston: how pricing works and what moves the number
Demand multiplies within days of a hurricane, flood or freeze, local companies are booked for weeks, and material and labor prices rise with the demand. Texas law prohibits price gouging on necessities during a declared disaster and the Texas Attorney General takes those reports, but a normal premium for emergency work is legal. If the repair can wait a few weeks, prices and availability usually settle.
The common signs are a water bill that climbs with no change in use, a warm spot on the floor, the sound of running water when everything is off, damp or lifted flooring, a drop in water pressure, and new cracks in the slab or walls. Confirm it with a licensed plumber who runs a pressure test and electronic leak detection before anyone quotes a repair, because a slab leak price given over the phone is a guess.
Yes, plan on it. Polybutylene supply lines, usually grey and installed roughly 1978 to 1995, become brittle and fail without warning, most plumbers will not guarantee repairs on them, and some insurers will not write or renew a policy on a home that still has them. A whole-house repipe to PEX or copper under a City of Houston plumbing permit is the standard fix.
A tank water heater in Houston typically lasts about 8 to 12 years, and a tankless unit often 15 to 20 with annual descaling. Houston's hard water shortens tank life through sediment, so flushing the tank yearly helps. Once a tank passes 10 years, or shows rust in the hot water or moisture around the base, replace it on your schedule rather than after it fails.
Replacing a water heater in Houston: tank vs tankless, permits, and what to expect
Yes. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panels, common in Houston homes built from the 1950s through the 1980s, have a documented history of breakers that fail to trip, and many home inspectors flag them and some insurers decline to cover them. A licensed electrician replaces the panel under a City of Houston electrical permit, and the same advice applies to Zinsco panels.
Yes. A standby generator in the City of Houston needs an electrical permit for the transfer switch and wiring and a plumbing permit for the gas line, each pulled by the respective licensed contractor. The inspections matter because a transfer switch wired wrong can back-feed the grid and injure a utility worker.
Yes. The City of Houston requires a mechanical permit and inspection when a condenser, air handler or furnace is replaced, and for new ductwork, while routine repairs and maintenance do not need one. The licensed HVAC contractor pulls the permit, and its cost should be listed in the bid.
Once a year at minimum, in spring before the heat, and twice a year if the same system heats the house in winter. Houston systems run nine months a year, so a visit that checks the refrigerant charge, cleans the coils, clears the condensate drain and tests the capacitor catches most failures before July. Change the filter every one to three months regardless.
The most common cause is an oversized air conditioner that cools the air quickly and shuts off before it has pulled the moisture out. Other causes are a dirty coil, a low refrigerant charge, leaky attic ductwork pulling in humid air, or a blower speed set too high. Ask a licensed HVAC contractor to check the charge and airflow, and if the unit was sized by guess, to run a Manual J load calculation before any replacement.
Yes, in most cases. The City of Houston requires a building permit for a re-roof, with a final inspection, and the permit should be in the roofing contractor's name rather than yours. Repairs of a few shingles generally do not need one, so ask whether the permit is included in the bid before you sign.
From the ground, look for dented gutters, downspouts, AC fins and window screens, and granules piling up at the downspout outlets. On the roof, hail leaves random round bruises where granules are knocked off and the mat is soft underneath. Before you file a claim, have a roofer you picked yourself, not one who knocked on the door, document the damage with photos, then let your insurer's adjuster inspect; a legitimate roofer will not pressure you to file.
Doors and windows that stick or no longer latch, diagonal cracks at the corners of door and window openings, stair-step cracks in brick, gaps between walls and ceilings or trim, sloping floors, and separation around the garage door are the usual signs. Houston's clay soil moves with wet and dry cycles, so some seasonal movement is normal, and a licensed independent engineer rather than a repair company's salesperson should decide whether repair is needed.
Houston foundation problems: what is normal, what is not, and when to call an engineer
Yes, during dry spells. Houston's clay soil shrinks away from the slab in a drought and swells again when it rains, and that uneven movement is what cracks foundations. A soaker hose placed a foot or two out from the slab, run for a short period a few times a week in dry months, keeps the moisture steady; the goal is even soil moisture around the whole perimeter, not wet soil against the house.
Houston foundation problems: what is normal, what is not, and when to call an engineer
Before a hard freeze, cover outdoor hose bibbs, disconnect hoses, insulate exposed pipes in the attic and garage, open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls, let a faucet drip, and know where your main water shutoff is. Houston homes often run water lines through unheated attics, which is why the February 2021 freeze burst so many. If the power may go out, keeping water moving matters more than keeping the house warm.
Photograph and video the house now, find and read your insurance policy including the windstorm and flood deductibles, clear gutters and drains, trim trees away from the roof, secure or store outdoor items, test the generator and its transfer switch, and know where the water, gas and electrical shutoffs are. Line up a licensed plumber, electrician and roofer you have already vetted, because after the storm you will not have time to.
No, not on the spot. Take the card, file your own insurance claim, and get written bids from roofers with a Houston address and a certificate of insurance from their agent. Door-knockers after a hail or wind event are often out-of-state crews who will be gone before the warranty matters, and the ones who push a contingency agreement or an assignment of benefits at the door are taking control of your claim before you know the price.
No. Since 2019, Texas law makes it a criminal offense for a contractor to pay, waive, absorb or rebate a homeowner's insurance deductible, and insurers can require proof that you paid it before releasing the final payment on the claim. A roofer who offers to cover your deductible is asking you to take part in insurance fraud.
Put the problem in writing with a deadline, keep every text, photo and payment record, and stop paying for work that is not done. If the contractor still does not return, you can file a complaint with the licensing agency for a licensed trade, report the company to the Texas Attorney General's consumer protection division, and sue in justice court for up to $20,000 without a lawyer. For larger losses, a construction attorney can send a demand under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Contracts, deposits and mechanic's liens: what Texas homeowners should know
Document the defects with photos and a second licensed contractor's written opinion, then give the original contractor written notice and a chance to fix it. The Texas Residential Construction Liability Act requires that written notice at least 60 days before you sue a contractor over a construction defect, and it gives the contractor a right to inspect and make an offer. If the work was permitted, a failed City of Houston inspection is strong evidence, and if the trade is licensed, a complaint to TDLR or TSBPE adds pressure.
On a Texas homestead, only in limited circumstances. A contractor can lien your homestead for improvements only if there was a written contract, signed by both spouses if you are married, executed before the work began and filed with the county clerk, which is rarely the case on a typical repair job. Contractors threaten liens more often than they can file them, but take any lien notice seriously and have a real estate attorney review it, because even an invalid lien has to be removed.
Contracts, deposits and mechanic's liens: what Texas homeowners should know
It depends on the trade. Complaints about plumbers go to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, complaints about electricians, HVAC contractors and mold professionals go to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and complaints about home inspectors go to the Texas Real Estate Commission, each through an online form. For unlicensed trades such as roofing and general contracting, file with the Texas Attorney General's consumer protection division and the Better Business Bureau, and consider justice court for the money.
Yes, on any Houston house built before about 1980 and on any house with large trees near the sewer line. A standard home inspection does not include a camera inspection of the drain lines, cast iron drains from that era rust from the inside, and an under-slab repair can run well over ten thousand dollars. A sewer scope typically costs a few hundred dollars and gives you something to negotiate with, or walk away from, during the option period.
Sewer line problems in Houston: cast iron, tree roots and what a camera inspection tells you
Get one. Texas licenses home inspectors through the Texas Real Estate Commission, and a TREC inspection covers the structure, roof, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and appliances on a standard report form, but it is visual and does not include a sewer camera, an engineer's foundation evaluation, a mold assessment or a termite inspection. In Houston, add a sewer scope and a termite inspection, and get an engineer's report if the inspector notes foundation movement.
Houston foundation problems: what is normal, what is not, and when to call an engineer
Often, but only if the warranty says so and the transfer is done properly. Many Houston foundation companies offer a transferable lifetime warranty, but some require written notice within a set time after closing, a transfer fee or an inspection, and the warranty is only as good as the company still being in business. Ask the seller for the original contract and the engineer's report, and contact the company before closing to confirm what transfers.
Houston foundation problems: what is normal, what is not, and when to call an engineer
Yes. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality licenses on-site sewage facility installers, designers and maintenance providers, and a new or replaced septic system needs a permit from the local authorized agent, which for unincorporated Harris County is Harris County Public Health. Aerobic systems also require an ongoing maintenance contract in most counties, so ask who holds yours.
Yes. In Texas, any company that treats termites or other pests for pay must be licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture's Structural Pest Control Service, and the technician must be a licensed or certified applicator. Houston's subterranean termites make an annual inspection worthwhile, and a termite inspection with a wood-destroying insect report is standard when buying a house.
A mold assessor inspects, samples and writes the remediation protocol; a mold remediator does the cleanup. Texas licenses both through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and requires the assessor and the remediator on the same project to be independent of each other, so a company that offers to test and clean up in one visit is a red flag. Jobs under 25 contiguous square feet of mold are exempt from the licensing rules.