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General contractor · Local (city/county) licenses

Do you need a general contractor license in Texas?

State law and licensing-board sources · Last reviewed October 10, 2026

Journeyman level Licensed by cities or counties, not the state What's a journeyman?

Texas has no statewide general contractor license. The state agency that registered home builders, the Texas Residential Construction Commission, was abolished when its law expired on September 1, 2009. Today, the rules for general contractors come from cities, and some, like Dallas and San Antonio, make contractors register. The trades inside a building project are a different story: electricians, plumbers and air conditioning contractors all need state licenses. [1][2][3][4][5]

New to the trade?

Starting from zero in Texas

Texas has no state general contractor license, so there is no state apprentice card for general building work. To start, apply for a job with a builder, or for a registered carpentry apprenticeship such as the one run by ABC South Texas, where a member contractor hires and sponsors you. If your job includes electrical, plumbing or air conditioning work, you need that trade's state apprentice license or registration first. [1][14][15][16][17]

  • High school diploma or GED

    No state rule, because Texas doesn't license general building work. Programs set their own rules: ABC South Texas lists age 18 or older, work authorization and jobsite readiness for the apprentices its member employers enroll, and says a high school diploma or GED is "strongly preferred." Confirm any education rule with the program or employer. [1][14]

  • Minimum age

    No state minimum for general building work. ABC South Texas lists age 18 or older for apprentices. [1][14]

  • State cards for trade work

    Electrical work needs a TDLR apprentice electrician license ($20, age 16). Assisting a plumber needs TSBPE apprentice registration ($15, age 16, fingerprints). Working as an air conditioning and refrigeration technician needs TDLR technician registration ($20, age 16). [15][16][17][18]

  • Application windows

    ABC South Texas's 2026-2027 enrollment for its six pathways, including carpentry, ran March 12 to August 12, 2026, with classes starting September 8, 2026. Your employer typically sponsors you and completes the enrollment. [14]

  • Pay while you learn

    ABC South Texas says its apprentices are employees from day one, with starting wages of $15 to $25 an hour (another part of the same page says about $15 to $20). ABC Central Texas lists its carpentry apprenticeship at 4 years. [14][19]

  • Still in high school?

    Texas high schools can offer the state's Carpentry and Construction Management and Inspection programs of study in career and technical education (CTE) Both list pre-apprenticeship among their work-based learning ideas. Because there's no state general contractor license, there are no license hours for CTE to count toward. Dual credit courses, which can be technical, earn you high school and college credit at the same time. [1][20][21][22][23]

Where to apply in TexasHow to get an apprenticeshipHelper jobs

Texas contractor license at a glance

State general contractor license
None. Texas's home builder registration agency was abolished in 2009. [1][3]
Who regulates general contractors
Cities, through contractor registration and building permits. Rules differ from city to city. [4][5]
Electrical work
State license from TDLR (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation), done through a licensed electrical contractor [6]
Air conditioning and heating
State license from TDLR [7]
Plumbing
State license from the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners [8]
Example: Dallas
General contractors must register with the city before they can get permits. The city code sets a $120 fee for a one-year registration. [9]
Example: San Antonio
Residential builders and home improvement contractors register with Development Services, with insurance and an FBI background check. [5]
On this page
  1. At a glance
  2. Starting from zero
  3. The license pathway
  4. Texas has no state general contractor license
  5. The trades Texas does license
  6. City rules: Dallas
  7. City rules: San Antonio
  8. Other Texas cities
  9. How people get into general contracting in Texas
  10. Steps to get licensed
  11. Where to get the hours
  12. Licensed in another state?
  13. Questions people ask

The license pathway in Texas

  1. 1

    City contractor registration

    Texas has no state general contractor license, so there's no state ladder to climb. Some cities make you register as a contractor. Dallas registers general contractors, and San Antonio registers residential builders and home improvement contractors. Check with the building department in each city where you'll work. [1][4][5]

Texas has no state general contractor license

Unlike Georgia or Arizona, Texas doesn't license general contractors at the state level. The closest thing it had was the Texas Residential Construction Commission, created in 2003 to register home builders and remodelers. The Legislature didn't renew it in 2009. In the words of the state's Sunset Advisory Commission, the commission "was abolished and the Act expired on September 1, 2009."

Even that agency registered builders rather than licensing them. The Sunset Commission's 2009 report said it was "not designed to ensure that only qualified persons can enter the field."

Today's list of industries regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation includes electricians and air conditioning contractors, but not general contractors or home builders. [1][2][3]

The trades Texas does license

Texas leaves general contracting to the cities, but it licenses the major building trades statewide. If you plan to do this work yourself, or want to understand who you'll hire:

[6][7][8]

City rules: Dallas

Dallas requires contractor registration under Chapter 52 of the Dallas City Code. It's unlawful to build, alter, repair or demolish a building or structure in the city without "a valid registration with the city to perform such work," and an unregistered contractor can't get a permit. The list covers residential and commercial general contractors, plus roofing, fence, foundation, demolition, pool, concrete and paving, landscape and sign contractors. If you work on the home you live in yourself, you file a homeowner's registration instead.

Registration isn't a license. The code says the city "makes no statement of the technical competency of those so registered." It sets a $120 registration fee, and a registration expires one year after it's issued. You need an established place of business, and residential contractors who remodel or add on to single-family homes or duplexes also need a city home repair license.

The code booklet we read is current through March 27, 2024, and the general contractor application form we could open is a 2017 revision. Confirm the current form, fee and insurance rules with Dallas Development Services at (214) 948-4480 before you apply. [4][9][10]

City rules: San Antonio

San Antonio's Development Services Department registers residential building and home improvement contractors. To register, you need:

Through its Contractor Connect program, the city lists registered contractors in three tiers. "Registered Contractor Plus" adds training and a clean complaint record. "Premier Contractor" also requires a Residential International Code Council (ICC) certification or another certification the building official approves. See Information Bulletin 236, revised November 10, 2025. [5]

Other Texas cities

Because there's no state license, each city sets its own rules, and registrations like Dallas's and San Antonio's are issued by the city. Before you bid a job, call the building or development services department where the project is. [1][4][5]

How people get into general contracting in Texas

With no state experience requirement, most people learn the work on crews and then run their own jobs. Structured ways in:

[11][12][13]

Steps to get licensed in Texas

  1. Confirm you don't need a state license for your work

    General building work needs no state license in Texas. But if you'll do electrical, plumbing, or air conditioning and heating work yourself, you need the state license for that trade. [1][6][7][8]

  2. Check each city where you'll work

    Contact the building or development services department in each city. Dallas, for example, requires general contractors to register, and San Antonio registers residential builders and home improvement contractors. [4][5]

  3. Register and meet the city's conditions

    Expect forms and a fee. San Antonio's residential registration also requires general liability insurance, a code of ethics form and an FBI background check. [5][9]

  4. Hire licensed trade contractors

    Use licensed electricians, plumbers and air conditioning contractors for that work. Electrical work must be performed through a licensed electrical contractor. [6][7][8]

Where to get the hours

Programs that train general contractors in or for Texas, from their own official pages. Listed by type, not ranked.

Licensed in another state?

We didn't find a reciprocity agreement published by the licensing office for this license. Ask the office how it treats an out-of-state license or experience before you apply.

Open the reciprocity map · How reciprocity works

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TX Listed here (agreement or endorsement)

Questions people ask

Do you need a license to be a general contractor in Texas?

Not from the state. Texas has had no state builder registration since the Texas Residential Construction Commission was abolished in 2009. Cities can require registration, and the electrical, plumbing, and air conditioning and heating trades need state licenses. [1][6][7][8]

Does Dallas require general contractors to register?

Yes. Under Chapter 52 of the city code, residential and commercial general contractors (and roofing, fence, foundation, demolition, pool and several other contractors) must register before they can get permits. The code sets a $120 fee for a one-year registration. Confirm the current fee and form with the city. [9]

What does San Antonio require?

Residential building and home improvement contractors register with Development Services. You need an application and fee, a code of ethics form, liability insurance and an FBI background check. [5]

Can a Texas general contractor do electrical or plumbing work?

Only with the state license for that trade. Electrical work requires a TDLR license and must go through a licensed electrical contractor. Plumbing is licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. [6][8]

Sources (23)
  1. Texas Residential Construction Commission, Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  2. Sunset Final Report: Texas Residential Construction Commission (July 2009), Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  3. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: Regulated Industries menu, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  4. Application for Contractor Registration (rev. 10-16-2017), City of Dallas, Building Inspection Division. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  5. Information Bulletin 236: Contractor Connect Program (revised November 10, 2025), City of San Antonio Development Services Department. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  6. Electricians Homepage, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  7. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors Homepage, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  8. Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  9. Chapter 52, Administrative Procedures for the Construction Codes (booklet current through March 27, 2024), Subchapter 11, City of Dallas. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  10. Contractor Registration form (Development Services Department, 3/28/2025), City of Dallas Development Services Department. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  11. Apprenticeship Program, Texas Workforce Commission. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  12. Apprenticeship Finder, U.S. Department of Labor (Apprenticeship.gov). Accessed October 10, 2026.
  13. CITF Training (Carpenters International Training Fund), United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Accessed October 10, 2026.
  14. Construction Apprenticeship in Texas: ABC South Texas 2026-2027 Program Guide, Associated Builders and Contractors, South Texas Chapter. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  15. Apply for a New Electrical Apprentice License, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  16. Apprentice Registration, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  17. Apply for a New Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technician Registration, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  18. Occupations Code Chapter 1305, Electricians, Texas Legislature. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  19. Registered Apprenticeship, Associated Builders and Contractors, Central Texas Chapter. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  20. CTE Programs of Study, Texas Education Agency. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  21. Statewide Program of Study: Carpentry (revised November 2025), Texas Education Agency. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  22. Statewide Program of Study: Construction Management and Inspection (revised November 2025), Texas Education Agency. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  23. Dual Credit, Texas Education Agency. Accessed October 11, 2026.