Texas contractor licenses: which trades the state licenses and which it leaves to cities

Texas licenses by trade, not by job title. If you run a plumbing, electrical, air conditioning or irrigation company, a state agency expects a license before you work. If you remodel, roof, paint or fix things around the house, the state does not issue the license, and the city where the job sits sets the rules. This page walks through which is which, with the agency, the key numbers and the statute behind each one. It reflects what we read in October 2026. Confirm every item with the agency before you rely on it.

Does Texas license general contractors?

No. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) publishes a list of the programs it runs. It includes air conditioning and refrigeration contractors, electricians, mold assessors and remediators, water well drillers, elevator safety and residential solar retailers. It does not include general contractors, roofers, painters or remodelers. The same is true of the plumbing board, which licenses plumbers only.

That leaves city and county offices to decide whether a remodeler, roofer or handyman registers, passes a test or pulls a permit. Our pages on Houston and Austin show how two big cities handle it. The national overview in our contractor license guide explains the usual steps.

Which Texas trades need a state license?

Electrical: a statewide license, with a long exemption list

Under Occupations Code section 1305.151, a person or business may not perform or offer to perform electrical work unless they hold a license issued or recognized under the chapter. TDLR's license types run from apprentice electrician through journeyman, master and maintenance electrician, plus electrical contractor for businesses.

Section 1305.003 lists the work the chapter does not cover. Two items matter to small service companies. An owner who lives in a dwelling can do unregulated work on it, unless a city ordinance regulates that work. And landscape irrigation installers may install irrigation controls, and landscapers may install low-voltage outdoor lighting and holiday lighting, as long as they do not touch the power source. A licensed AC contractor may also make the electrical connections for the equipment it installs, including the disconnect.

Performing electrical work without a license, or employing someone who is not properly licensed, is a Class C misdemeanor under section 1305.303. Cities can inspect and enforce their own codes, but under section 1305.201 they may not charge a licensed electrician a permit, registration or administrative fee for working in the city. They may still collect a building permit fee.

Air conditioning and heating: Class A and Class B

TDLR says anyone who installs, repairs or maintains air conditioning, refrigeration or heating systems must be licensed, and a company needs a licensed contractor at each permanent location. Section 1302.251 adds that one license can be assigned to only one permanent office of one company.

TDLR's contractor page, read in October 2026, sets out the route. The application fee is $115 and the license lasts one year. Applicants show 48 months of supervised work in the last 72 months, or a technician certification held for 12 months plus 36 months of supervised work in the last 48. Class A covers any size unit. Class B covers cooling up to 25 tons and heating up to 1.5 million BTU per hour. Class A needs commercial general liability of $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate, and Class B needs $100,000 per occurrence with $200,000 in total.

The license is valid across the state, and section 1302.251(b) says a holder does not need a municipal license in any city. TDLR's out-of-state page mentions South Carolina and Georgia and says it decides case by case which Texas requirements you still need to meet. Our Texas HVAC startup page covers the rest.

Plumbing: the responsible master plumber rule

Section 1301.351 says a person who advertises or offers to perform plumbing must secure the services of a responsible master plumber. Everyone else who does plumbing needs a license, registration or endorsement and must work under a licensed person's supervision. Licenses and registrations last one year. Texas cities with more than 5,000 residents must regulate plumbing by ordinance and require a permit, though section 1301.551 excludes repairing leaks and replacing faucets, ballcocks, water control valves, garbage disposals and water closets from the permit rule.

A city that requires a permit must check that the responsible master plumber has a certificate of insurance on file with the board, with at least $300,000 of commercial general liability coverage for claims in a one-year period (section 1301.552). See our plumber licensing guide for the national picture.

Irrigation: TCEQ, not the plumbing board

Under section 1903.251, selling, designing, installing, maintaining, repairing or inspecting an irrigation system needs a license from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. TCEQ lists a $111 fee, a six-hour exam with a 70 percent minimum on each section, and no required education or work experience. A technician license lets you connect a system and service it, but only under a licensed irrigator's direct supervision.

Installing a system without a license is a Class C misdemeanor under section 1903.256. Exemptions in section 1903.002 include homeowners working on their own homes and anyone licensed by the plumbing board. Exempt people still have to meet the same installation standards.

Pest control and lawn spraying

The Department of Agriculture is the sole licensing authority for structural pest control (section 1951.201). A business needs a license for each place of business, including branch offices, and must employ a certified commercial applicator at all times (section 1951.301).

Lawn companies fall under a separate track. The Department says applicators who put any pesticide on lawns, trees, ornamentals or weeds for hire must be licensed, either in the agricultural 3A Landscape Maintenance category or through the Structural Pest Control Service in the lawn and ornamental category. Applicators who apply only fertilizer do not need a license. Under 3A, each vehicle used by an employee of the business must carry a Department decal. Exams are given through Metro Institute, which took over in May 2025. See the pest control license guide and the Texas lawn care startup page.

Mold and solar have their own rules

Mold assessment and remediation both require a license (section 1958.101). A person does not need one for remediation on an area under 25 contiguous square feet, and an owner can clean up mold on property they own or lease, unless the area is 25 square feet or more or they do it for the public.

Residential solar sales came under TDLR in 2025. Contract and cancellation rules started September 1, 2025, and registration of retailers and salespeople began September 1, 2026. TDLR lists a $350 registration fee, one-year terms and general liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence with $2 million overall for retailers. Licensed electrical contractors are exempt from registering but must follow most of the other rules. These are sales rules, so they matter if your website or phone line pitches solar.

What you still need if your trade has no state license

Mowing, cleaning, pressure washing, remodeling and handyman jobs do not need a state license, but they do carry other duties. The Comptroller treats lawn care, house cleaning, building and sidewalk pressure washing and pool maintenance as taxable, so you need a sales tax permit and separate lines on invoices. A solo lawn worker with no helpers and $5,000 or less of lawn receipts over four quarters is excused. Details are in our Texas startup page and the sales tax by state table. Check the city's building department before any job that changes plumbing, wiring or structure.

Treat this as general information and not legal advice. Texas rules and fees change, so confirm with TDLR, the plumbing board, TCEQ and the Department of Agriculture before you apply or advertise.

Frequently asked questions