Which license each job needs in San Antonio
| Work | State license | City of San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | TDLR electrical contractor, License Search | Register the state license with the City |
| Heating and air conditioning | TDLR air conditioning and refrigeration contractor | Register the state license with the City |
| Plumbing, water heaters, gas | Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, public search | Register (plumbing category, which includes irrigation) |
| Lawn sprinklers | TCEQ licensed irrigator, license search | Register (plumbing category) |
| Remodels, roofing, siding (non-structural) | No state license | Home Improvement Contractor registration |
| Additions, new homes (structural) | No state license | Residential Home Builder registration |
| Demolition, house moving, tree work | No state license | Their own City categories |
The City's Getting Started page says trade contractors "must be licensed by the State of Texas and must also register with the City", and that registration is needed before any building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit is issued. Some categories also need a bond or insurance kept current; the City asks contractors to upload a new certificate to their BuildSA registration record when coverage changes, but its page gives no amounts.
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Ask for the state license number for any electrical, A/C or plumbing work, and the name of the license holder.
- Electrician or A/C: search TDLR License Search and check the expiry.
- Plumber: search the plumbing board and check the company matches the quote.
- Everyone: check the City registration in Development Services' Contractor Connect search, linked from the Contractor page, or call 311 (210-207-1111).
- Look up the house in BuildSA, as the San Antonio building permit search guide shows.
Doing the work yourself
From the City's Getting Started page (read 26 October 2026):
| Work | Can the homeowner do it? |
|---|---|
| Roof repair or replacement | Yes, with a permit; or hire a registered Home Improvement Contractor |
| Plumbing | Only on an existing homestead, doing the work personally, with the homeowner affidavit |
| Electrical, heating and air conditioning | No: use licensed trade contractors, even for minor work |
| Accessory structure over 300 sq. ft. | Yes, with a permit |
What our San Antonio pages add
The City's tools answer "is this firm registered" and "what is permitted at this address". Our San Antonio page shows what gets permitted across the city, October 2024 to September 2026:
| Kind of work | Permits (Oct 2024–Sep 2026) | Oct 2025–Sep 2026 | Who licenses it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | 29,644 | 15,356 | Plumbing board |
| HVAC | 19,298 | 9,630 | TDLR |
| Electrical | 15,456 | 7,750 | TDLR |
| Remodels and repairs | 15,019 | 8,189 | City registration only |
| Roofing | 11,516 | 4,625 | City registration only |
| New homes | 7,895 | 3,640 | City registration only |
| Solar | 2,055 | 620 | City registration; wiring under a TDLR electrical license |
About half the permits (64,398 of 129,531) were for the three state-licensed trades. The permit statistics page has months and years, and permits by ZIP code the areas. Local permit rules: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, remodel and new home permits. Statewide rules and penalties: How to check a contractor's license in Texas.
What this lookup does not tell you
The City's published permit file names no contractor and has no status or final inspection date, so we cannot show which firm pulled a permit or whether the work passed. Unincorporated Bexar County and the small cities inside San Antonio (Alamo Heights, Leon Valley and others) run their own permit offices. A registration is paperwork and insurance, not a test of skill.
How we know this
Registration and homeowner rules are quoted from the City of San Antonio Development Services Getting Started and Contractor pages, read 26 October 2026; the state license searches are TDLR's, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners' and TCEQ's. Counts are the City's permit file, read 18 October 2026: permits issued October 2024 to September 2026.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Does San Antonio require contractors to register?
Yes. Development Services says "All City and State licensed contractors must be registered with Development Services before permits are issued", and registration must be kept current. Residential general contractors register as a Home Improvement Contractor (non-structural work) or a Residential Home Builder (structural work).
- How do I check a San Antonio electrician or A/C contractor?
On TDLR's License Search (tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch), by license number or name; San Antonio requires electrical and mechanical contractors to register that state license with the City. Then check the City registration in Development Services' Contractor Connect search.
- How do I check a San Antonio plumber?
On the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners' public license search. The City groups plumbing (including irrigation) among the trades that register with Development Services.
- Can a homeowner pull a permit in San Antonio?
For some work. The City says a homeowner can pull a roofing permit and do the work, and can get a plumbing permit only on an existing homestead with a signed homeowner affidavit. For electrical and heating or air conditioning work it says to use licensed trade contractors, even for minor work.
- Does Texas license general contractors or roofers?
No. TDLR licenses electricians and air conditioning contractors and the plumbing board licenses plumbers; there is no state general contractor or roofing license. In San Antonio the City registration is the only credential for a remodeler or roofer.
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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- Arlington, VA contractor license lookup: DPOR class and specialty, the County permit search, and what the permits show
- Getting Started with Development Services — City of San Antonio (2026-10-26)
- Contractor — City of San Antonio Development Services (2026-10-26)
- Plumbing Homeowner Affidavit (PDF) — City of San Antonio (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)