Choose a pro by trade
Each page covers the Texas license rules for that trade, the city permits that apply in Houston, the questions to ask, and the signs of a company you should not hire.
Trades Texas licenses. Look the number up before you book.
- PlumberVerify the company's Responsible Master Plumber license at TSBPE, confirm the number on the truck matches, and get the scope and warranty in writing before anyone starts.
- ElectricianVerify the electrical contractor license and the master electrician behind it at TDLR, insist on a City of Houston permit for panel, circuit and generator work, and never accept a bid without the scope in writing.
- Air conditioningVerify the TDLR Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license, require a load calculation before anyone quotes a replacement system, and get the equipment model numbers and permit in writing.
- Home inspectorVerify the inspector holds a TREC Professional Inspector license, ask whether they will walk the roof and attic and check the slab and drainage, and add a sewer camera scope on any Houston house built before the 1980s.
- Mold remediationFor mold covering more than 25 contiguous square feet in Texas, hire a TDLR-licensed mold assessor to write the protocol and a separate TDLR-licensed remediation contractor to do the work, and do not pay the final invoice until you have the Certificate of Mold Damage Remediation.
- Irrigation and sprinklersIn Texas a sprinkler system must be designed and installed under a TCEQ Licensed Irrigator, the backflow preventer must be tested by a TCEQ-licensed tester, and a new system in Houston needs a city permit, so ask for the license number and the permit before anyone digs.
- Septic systemsA septic system in the Houston area must be installed by a TCEQ-licensed On-Site Sewage Facility installer under a permit from the county authority, and an aerobic system needs a licensed maintenance provider, so verify the license at TCEQ and the permit with the county before work starts.
- Pest controlVerify the company's Texas Department of Agriculture structural pest control license and the applicator's license for the category of work, and for termites get the written treatment disclosure with a diagram before you pay.
- Water treatment and softenersIn Texas, residential water treatment equipment must be installed by a TCEQ-licensed Water Treatment Specialist, and the plumbing tie-in may also need a licensed plumber, so ask for both license numbers and a water test of your own tap before anyone sells you a system.
- Solar installerA solar system in Houston must be wired by a TDLR-licensed electrical contractor under a City of Houston permit and connected through CenterPoint's interconnection process, so verify the electrical license, get the cash price separately from any loan, and never sign at the door.
Trades with no Texas license. Insurance, permits and track record carry the weight.
- RooferTexas issues no roofing license, so the checks are a certificate of insurance sent by the insurer, a City of Houston permit, a manufacturer certification, and a company with a Houston address that existed before the last storm.
- Foundation repairTexas issues no license for foundation repair, so start with an independent licensed engineer's evaluation, then get bids against that report rather than against each company's own diagnosis.
- General contractorTexas has no general contractor license, so vet the licensed plumber, electrician and HVAC contractor the remodeler will use, confirm the City of Houston permit is in the contractor's name, and sign a written contract before any work starts because Texas lien law on a homestead depends on it.
- Tree serviceTexas has no tree service license, so ask for a certificate of insurance for general liability and workers' compensation sent directly from the insurer, prefer a company with an ISA Certified Arborist on staff, and never let anyone prune an oak between February and June.
- Pool builderTexas has no pool builder license, so the checks are a City of Houston pool permit in the builder's name, a TDLR-licensed electrician and a TSBPE-licensed plumber for the connections, insurance sent by the insurer, and a draw schedule where you never pay for a phase before it is built.
- Drainage and guttersTexas has no drainage or gutter license, so insist on a written plan that shows where the water goes, confirm the design does not push water onto a neighbor, and check with the Houston Permitting Center before anything connects to the street or the storm sewer.
- HandymanTexas has no handyman license, and a handyman is not allowed to do plumbing, electrical or HVAC work that Texas requires a license for, so use one for carpentry, drywall, doors, fences and painting, and call the licensed trade when water, gas, wires or refrigerant are involved.