Which license each job needs in Dallas
| Work | State license | City of Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | TDLR electrical contractor and master electrician; License Search | Company registration by the master electrician, two years for $160, with $300,000 liability insurance |
| Heating and air conditioning | TDLR air conditioning and refrigeration contractor | Register the state license |
| Plumbing, water heaters, gas | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners; public search | Register the state license |
| Irrigation | TCEQ licensed irrigator; license search | Register (an irrigation category on the form) |
| Remodels, roofing, fences, foundations, pools, demolition, new homes | No state license | General contractor registration |
The electrical registration form (5/15/2024) has the master electrician register the company in person, with general liability insurance of $300,000 naming the City as certificate holder. The other trades' registration form (dated 3/28/2025) asks the license holder to bring a "current pocket license" in person to 320 E. Jefferson Blvd., Room 210, and says registration certificates "expire when the State license expires"; renewals can be done online through DallasNow. The general contractor form (rev. 10-16-2017) says "A General Contractor includes, but is not limited to" residential, commercial, roofing, fence, foundation, demolition and pool work, with a $120.00 annual fee in that revision. The City's Building Inspection FAQs add that a plumbing or mechanical contractor needs the state license to work on a home "even if the scope of the work doesn't require a permit and inspection".
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Ask whose license the trade permit goes under: in Texas it belongs to a person (the master electrician, the A/C contractor, the responsible master plumber). Get the name and number.
- Electrician or A/C: search TDLR License Search and check the expiry date.
- Plumber: search the plumbing board and check the company on the record matches your quote.
- Remodeler, roofer or pool builder: there is no state license. Ask for the City registration and look up the firm's past permits in DallasNow, as the Dallas building permit search guide shows.
- Get the permit number before work starts and check it in DallasNow.
Doing the work yourself
The City's homeowner exemption lets an owner act as their own contractor "without having to register as a contractor and/or hold a special license", if they do the work themselves with no paid help. Its limits:
| Work | Homeowner on their own homestead |
|---|---|
| General building work | "A license is not required for general building work on your own property" (FAQ) |
| Plumbing and mechanical | Allowed; a permit when the code requires one |
| Electrical | Repairs only, "after passing an approved City of Dallas oral or written exam" |
| New home, addition, pool, permanent detached accessory building | Not on a homeowner's permit |
What our Dallas pages add
The license searches answer "is this person licensed". Our Dallas page shows what the City permits, October 2024 to September 2026:
| Kind of work | Permits (Oct 2024–Sep 2026) | Oct 2025–Sep 2026 | State license |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 36,961 | 19,735 | Plumbing board |
| Electrical | 26,550 | 14,163 | TDLR |
| HVAC | 17,879 | 9,892 | TDLR |
| Remodels and repairs | 5,864 | 2,571 | No state license; City registration |
| Roofing | 5,203 | 2,617 | No state license; City registration |
| New homes | 5,159 | 2,396 | No state license; City registration |
| Pools and spas | 1,533 | 776 | No state license; City registration |
The three state-licensed trades made up 66% of the 123,233 permits; 67% of all permits were for homes. The permit statistics page has the months, and permits by ZIP code the areas. Local permit rules: plumbing, electrical and HVAC permits. Statewide rules and penalties: How to check a contractor's license in Texas.
What this lookup does not tell you
The contractor name is missing on more than half of the City's permits, so we do not rate, rank or profile firms from it, and the open file has no status or final inspection date. Irving, Garland, Plano and the other suburbs run their own permit offices. A registration is paperwork, not a test of skill.
How we know this
Registration and homeowner rules are quoted from the City of Dallas Building Inspection FAQs, its Contractor Registration form (3/28/2025), Electrical Application for Registration (5/15/2024), General Contractor Registration form (rev. 10-16-2017) and homeowner exemption form, read 26 October 2026. Counts are Dallas OpenData Building Permits, read 26 October 2026: permits issued October 2024 to September 2026, denied and withdrawn permits left out.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 26, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Does Dallas require contractors to register?
Yes. Trade contractors register their state license with the City; Dallas's registration form says the registration expires when the state license expires. General contractors (residential, roofing, fence, foundation, demolition, pool and others) register on a separate City form, which listed a $120 annual fee in its 2017 revision.
- How do I check a Dallas electrician or A/C contractor?
On TDLR's License Search (tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch), by license number or name. The City says electrical work must be performed by a licensed electrician, and plumbing and mechanical contractors need a Texas license even when the job needs no permit.
- How do I check a Dallas plumber?
On the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners' public license search. The City's FAQ says a plumbing contractor needs the state license to work on a home even if the job does not need a permit and inspection.
- Can a Dallas homeowner do their own work?
On their own homestead, yes for plumbing and mechanical work, with a permit when the code requires one. Electrical repairs are allowed only after passing a City of Dallas oral or written exam. The homeowner permit does not cover a new home, an addition, a pool or a permanent detached accessory building.
- Does the Dallas permit file show the contractor?
Sometimes. The City's open permit file names a contractor, but the name is missing on more than half of the permits, so our Dallas pages count permits by kind of work and do not rate or rank firms.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
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- Building Inspection FAQs — City of Dallas (2026-10-26)
- Contractor Registration form (3/28/2025) — City of Dallas Building Inspection (2026-10-26)
- Electrical Application for Registration and Renewal (5/15/2024) — City of Dallas Development Services (2026-10-26)
- General Contractor Registration Form (rev. 10-16-2017) — City of Dallas Building Inspection (2026-10-26)
- Homeowner's Exemption from Registration as a Contractor — City of Dallas Building Inspection (2026-10-26)
- License Search — Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (2026-10-26)
- Public License/Registration Search — Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (2026-10-26)
- Licensing search — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (2026-10-26)
- DallasNow (Accela citizen access) — City of Dallas (2026-10-26)