How do I check a contractor's license in Texas?

Texas is one of the largest states with no statewide general contractor license. Construction work performed by a "general contractor" or "remodeler" is not licensed at the state level — anyone can advertise as a general contractor in Texas. This shifts the verification burden heavily onto entity registration, trade-specific licensing, and court records.

What IS licensed at the state level in Texas:

- HVAC: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor (ACR) license required. - Plumbing: Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE). Master Plumber, Journeyman, Tradesman, Apprentice. - Electrical: TDLR Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician. - Irrigation: TDLR Irrigation Contractor. - Industrial Refrigeration: TDLR. - Boiler installation: TDLR Boiler Inspector. - Asbestos abatement, lead abatement: TDLR. - Mold remediation: TDLR Mold Remediation Contractor. - Tow operators, talent agencies, weather modification: TDLR (unrelated to construction, but illustrates the breadth of TDLR's scope).

What is NOT licensed at the state level in Texas:

- General contracting. - Roofing (with exceptions — Roofing Contractors Association of Texas runs a voluntary certification; some storm-affected counties require local registration; under SB 651 effective 2021, certain insurance-claim representations require licensing). - Drywall, painting, framing, finish carpentry. - Concrete work.

How to verify a Texas contractor:

1. Trade licenses at TDLR (tdlr.texas.gov) for HVAC, electrical, irrigation, and any other state-licensed trade.

2. Plumbing license at TSBPE (tsbpe.texas.gov) — separate from TDLR.

3. Secretary of State entity check at mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us or sos.state.tx.us. Confirm the LLC, corporation, or assumed name (DBA) registration. Texas has very fast LLC formation; phoenix patterns are common.

4. Court records at the county level. Major Texas counties have free online dockets: - Harris County (Houston): hcdistrictclerk.com - Dallas County: courtsportal.dallascounty.org - Travis County (Austin): courts.traviscountytx.gov - Bexar County (San Antonio): search.bexar.org - Tarrant County (Fort Worth): odyssey.tarrantcounty.com - These are where mechanics' liens, breach of contract judgments, and bankruptcy filings appear.

5. Storm-county roofer registration. Counties affected by major storms may have local registration requirements for roofers — Harris County, Fort Bend, Galveston, and others.

6. OSHA enforcement. Federal OSHA enforces in Texas (Texas does not have a state OSHA plan for private-sector construction).

7. Texas Department of Insurance for roofers performing insurance-claim work. Roofers who negotiate or settle insurance claims must be licensed as public insurance adjusters under TDI.

8. BBB and other complaint records.

Texas-specific contractor risks:

- Storm chasers. Texas is hail country (DFW, Houston, Austin, San Antonio all experience seasonal hail). Out-of-state crews descend after every event. The Texas AG runs an active storm-fraud enforcement program. - Phoenix LLCs. Texas LLC formation is fast and cheap. Operators can dissolve and re-form rapidly. Always check formation date and historical entities at the same address. - No bond requirement. Texas does not require contractor bonds at the state level, so bond claims are unavailable. Recovery is via civil court only, against an LLC that may have no assets.

Groundcheck (earthmove.io/trust) handles Texas by combining TDLR trade license check, TSBPE plumbing check, Texas SoS entity check, multi-county Texas court records, OSHA, BBB, and phoenix-pattern cross-reference. For Texas in particular, the entity and court-record signals outweigh the trade-license signal — there is no statewide GC license to lose.