Texas Contractor License: Requirements, Cost and Exams

Who must hold the license

Who must hold the license, and why Texas works differently than the multi company states

In many NASCLA states, a qualifying agent can qualify more than one company for the state's general contractor license, with the state's approval, including Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Texas has no state GC license for that model to attach to. The two trade level analogues that exist, the electrical Master Electrician designation and the plumbing RMP designation, are both capped at one company at a time by rule, with only a narrow majority ownership exception on the electrical side. A Texas trade qualifier arrangement is a fundamentally different, one company at a time system, and should not be described using the same multi company language that applies in those other states.

The city layer, why "Texas has no license" is not the whole answer for a general contractor

Because there is no state GC license, cities fill the gap, and every city is different. Houston requires city registration for trade contractors, confirmed on the city's own permitting portal, Houston Permitting Center, checked September 29, 2026, which shows electrical contractors registering through the Electrical Inspections section and plumbing and ACR contractors needing to be both state licensed and city registered. Whether a Houston general contractor specifically needs no city registration at all, with permits issued job by job and licensed trade subcontractors covering the regulated work, is not stated on an official Houston page reviewed for this page; it should be confirmed with the city directly. Dallas requires annual contractor registration through the Sustainable Development and Construction Department's Building Inspection Division; the figures previously reported, roughly a 120 dollar annual fee plus proof of general liability insurance, a Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit, and a Dallas business address, have not been confirmed on the primary Dallas City Hall fee schedule and should be confirmed with the city before relying on them. Austin's rules are more nuanced: Austin's contractor registration page, checked September 29, 2026, shows that a General Contractor in Austin needs no state license at all, since anyone including a homeowner can register as a General Contractor, and that registration is a one time step through the city's Build and Connect portal with a Letter of Authorization, updated only if the name, address, or authorized agent changes. Trade Contractor registration, covering Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing, is the track that requires the state license and must be renewed annually. San Antonio's contractor registration page has moved to a new consolidated city domain. The figures previously reported, Residential Building Contractor registration at 170 dollars for a 2 year term requiring an FBI background check within 30 days plus either ICC certification or 5 years of clean registration, and Home Improvement Contractor registration at 150 dollars requiring liability insurance, have not been confirmed on the new domain and should be confirmed with the city directly. Fort Worth, confirmed on the City of Fort Worth's own page, checked September 29, 2026, requires any firm or individual pulling a building, mechanical, plumbing, or electrical permit to register with the city, with narrow exceptions for single family homeowners working on their own residence and commercial owners installing their own banners. The Building Contractor category needs only an application and a valid driver's license, no state trade license, while Mechanical Contractor needs a TDLR ACR license with proper endorsements, Electrical Contractor needs a TDLR electrical contractor or sign contractor license, and Plumbing Contractor needs a TSBPE Master Plumber license or a Texas Board of Irrigators license. Annual fees are 168.75 dollars for Building, Plumbing, Irrigators, Sign, Moving, and Wrecking or Demolition contractor categories; Parkway or Utility contractor is 562.50 dollars per year and additionally requires a bond, 25000 dollars for commercial or utility work or 10000 dollars for residential work with power of attorney, plus 10 million dollars of umbrella coverage for utility work; a Change of Master or Registered Official costs 60 dollars. The state will not answer what a general contractor needs in a given Texas city; the city will, and that should be checked directly for whichever city or cities apply.

License classes

Classifications and monetary tiers

None exist, because Texas has no state general contractor license to classify or cap by size or dollar amount. Texas should not be compared to states such as Tennessee or Georgia that use tiered license structures; no such tiers exist here.

The qualifier rule

The plumbing company qualifier, and the rule that differs from the multi company states

A plumbing company that contracts for plumbing work needs a Responsible Master Plumber, an RMP, a Master Plumber who takes on general supervision and management of the plumbing work secured under the company's contracts, secures permits, confirms every worker on the job is properly licensed, and provides direct job site supervision. TSBPE's page on the Responsible Master Plumber, checked September 29, 2026, states: "A RMP may act as the RMP of record for only one company at a time." Per Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners rule 361.6, the application fee schedule is: Electrical Contractor 110 dollars; ACR contractor 115 dollars; Responsible Master Plumber license 300 dollars; no fee for a general contractor license, since none exists. Other RMP fees are 300 dollars to renew, 150 dollars for a late renewal under 90 days past expiration, 300 dollars for a late renewal over 90 days past, and 10 dollars to relinquish the designation, waived if filed with a regular renewal. An RMP must carry 300000 dollars of commercial liability insurance for all claims arising in a one year period, a figure also set out in statute, Texas Occupations Code section 1301.3576, in addition to the TSBPE page.

The procedure for an RMP leaving a company is: written notice to the company being left, requesting removal of the RMP's name and license number from vehicles, advertising, invoices, and contracts, with an effective date; optional notice to TSBPE's Enforcement Department, which does not eliminate the RMP's liability for incidents before the departure date; and a second written notice, not a phone call, to every city where the RMP pulled permits or performed work, also effective dated. A specific number of days for how fast a company must name a replacement RMP is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page. Confirm the current requirement directly with TSBPE at 512 936 5200 before relying on a specific number of days.

Exams

NASCLA acceptance

Texas accepts no NASCLA card in either direction. NASCLA's own commercial exam participating agency list, checked September 29, 2026, does not include Texas among its roughly 18 participating states, and there is no Texas state GC license for NASCLA's commercial exam to feed into. TDLR does not accept a NASCLA electrical exam waiver either; NASCLA's electrical exam participating agency list runs to about 19 agencies, and neither Texas nor TDLR is among them. A candidate who already holds a NASCLA card from another state gets no shortcut from it in Texas.

Testing and exams (from the candidate bulletins)

Two vendors run every exam that matters in Texas, and they do not overlap. PSI Services LLC runs every TDLR electrical exam and every TDLR air conditioning and refrigeration exam under contract to TDLR. Pearson VUE runs every TSBPE plumbing exam under contract to TSBPE. There is no state general contractor exam of any kind because there is no state GC license, so none of the detail below applies to a general contractor as such, only to the trades. The bulletin detail below is drawn from bulletins last reviewed on July 14, 2026, and has not been checked again against the current PSI or Pearson VUE bulletins, except where this page notes a specific dated change, most importantly the NEC and mechanical code edition updates. Confirm current exam details with PSI or Pearson VUE directly before relying on them.

TDLR Master Electrician exam, PSI

Schedule online through the PSI TDLR exam portal once TDLR emails or mails an eligibility notice, or call PSI at 833 333 4741 (weekdays 6:30 am to 9 pm Central, weekends 8 am to 4:30 pm Central). Mail in registration is also accepted with the form at the back of the bulletin; allow 7 business days before calling to schedule. The written exam is two separately scored portions, and a candidate must pass each on its own: an NEC Knowledge portion of 75 items including 5 non scored, 150 minutes, 70 percent correct to pass, and a Calculations portion of 33 items including 3 non scored, 170 minutes, 70 percent correct to pass. Time left over on one portion does not carry into the other. The exam is open book. Candidates bring their own soft bound National Electrical Code book, now the 2026 edition following the September 1, 2026 transition described above. PSI supplies an electronic notepad at the station. The code book may already be highlighted, underlined, or contain notes from before the exam, and may carry only permanent index tabs manufactured or sold by the NEC book's own publisher; writing, highlighting, underlining, or adding tabs during the exam session itself is not allowed, and loose leaf, spiral bound, or ring bound NEC copies and the NEC Handbook are never allowed in the room. A candidate whose book does not comply can test without it, remove the non compliant tabs on the spot, or forfeit the fee and reschedule with a compliant book at their own expense. Only a silent, battery powered, non programmable calculator with no alphabet keys and no paper tape is allowed, which matters most on the Calculations portion.

What the NEC Knowledge portion covers, by the outline's own section names: Definitions Theory and Plans (code definitions, electrical theory, plan reading); Electrical Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems (load knowledge, fault current, service equipment, temporary wiring, grounding and bonding, transformers); Electrical Feeders (feeder grounded conductors and grounding and bonding, feeder overcurrent protection); Branch Circuit Conductors (GFCI and AFCI protection, branch circuit overcurrent protection, conductors, grounding and bonding conductors); Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials (raceways and cable trays, boxes and enclosures, cabinets and panels, cables and cords, underground wiring); Electrical Equipment and Devices, 8 of the 70 scored items (receptacles and switches, luminaires, air conditioning refrigeration and heating equipment, appliances, workspace clearance); Motors and Generators, 7 items; Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means, 3 items; Special Occupancies Equipment and Conditions, 8 items (special occupancies, pools and fountains, RVs and mobile homes and marinas, data processing and communications equipment, emergency systems); and Renewable Energy Technologies, 4 items (photovoltaics, electric vehicle chargers). The bulletin's table does not give a clean per topic item count for the first five categories; only the last five categories above carry a confirmed number, and those five sum to 30 of the 70 scored items, so the remaining 40 are spread across the first five categories without a confirmed breakdown here. The Calculations portion mirrors the same category names with the arithmetic version of each (load calculations, feeder load calculations, branch circuit calculations, and so on) and states plainly, in both portions, that unless a question specifically says otherwise, every conductor should be treated as copper.

PSI test sites inside Texas: Abilene, Amarillo, Arlington, two Austin locations, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Dallas or Richardson, El Paso, Fort Worth, Harlingen, four Houston locations, Lubbock, McAllen, Midland, two San Antonio locations, Tyler, and Waco, meaning a Texas candidate is rarely far from a center. The bulletin does not mention a remote or online proctoring option, only in person testing at these PSI centers; it does offer an accommodation request form that covers out of state testing requests, but does not name which out of state sites that leads to. A candidate may retest as many times as needed within the eligibility period TDLR sets after approving the candidate; the bulletin does not state how long that period runs, and there is no separate cooling off period between attempts stated, just a new scheduled slot and a new fee. The Master Electrician exam fee is 78 dollars for both portions together, and the bulletin states the retake fee is also 78 dollars if a candidate fails one portion or both.

TDLR Journeyman Electrician exam, PSI

Same vendor, same scheduling channels, same 833 333 4741 phone line, same open book NEC rules, same tabbing and calculator rules, and now the same 2026 NEC edition, as the Master Electrician exam above. The written exam is again two separately scored portions: an NEC Knowledge portion of 59 items including 3 non scored, 130 minutes, 70 percent correct to pass, and a Calculations portion of 26 items including 2 non scored, 110 minutes, 70 percent correct to pass. The content outline covers the identical category names as the Master exam (Definitions Theory and Plans; Electrical Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems; Electrical Feeders; Branch Circuit Conductors; Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials; Electrical Equipment and Devices, 10 of the 56 scored items; Motors and Generators, 5 items; Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means, 1 item; Special Occupancies Equipment and Conditions, 6 items; Renewable Energy Technologies, 2 items), just scaled down and asked at journeyman rather than master depth; as with the Master exam, the first five categories' exact item split is not available with confidence here. The exam fee is 78 dollars for both portions together, with a 78 dollar retake fee, identical to the Master exam. Test sites, retake rules, and the lack of any stated remote proctoring option are the same as described above.

TDLR Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR) contractor exams, PSI

Same PSI scheduling channels and phone line as electrical. The Class A and Class B ACR contractor licenses are tested through named endorsement exams rather than one single "ACR contractor exam." Each figure below is the count of scored items and the minutes allotted to them, by the bulletin's own labels; a separate batch of non scored items is administered on top with its own added minutes, so the total items a candidate actually sees and the total minutes actually sat run higher than the scored figures alone. Environmental Air Class A is 120 scored items in 230 minutes plus 5 non scored items given 10 more minutes, 70 percent to pass, fee 74 dollars. Environmental Air Class B is 100 scored items in 170 minutes plus 5 non scored items given 10 more minutes, 70 percent to pass, fee 60 dollars. Commercial Refrigeration Class A is 120 scored items in 230 minutes plus 5 non scored items given 10 more minutes, 70 percent to pass, fee 74 dollars. Commercial Refrigeration Class B is 100 scored items in 170 minutes plus 5 non scored items given 10 more minutes, 70 percent to pass, fee 60 dollars. The standalone Certified Technician exam is 60 scored items in 112 minutes plus 4 non scored items given 8 more minutes, 70 percent to pass, fee 60 dollars. The exams are open book. The reference list splits into three parts: a Texas Business and Law list (Texas Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors License Law, Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302; the matching license rules in Texas Administrative Code Chapter 75; OSHA 29 CFR Part 1904 on recording and reporting occupational injuries), a Code list (Uniform Mechanical Code, International Mechanical Code, and International Fuel Gas Code, now the 2024 editions following the September 1, 2026 transition described above), and a Technical list (Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Althouse and Turnquist and others, Goodheart Willcox, 22nd edition, 2025, sold at the PSI Online Store; the ADI Duct Size Calculator from the Air Distribution Institute). Three more references, Manual D Residential Duct Systems (2014), Manual J Residential Load Calculation (8th edition, version 2.50, 2016), and Manual S Residential Equipment Selection (2014), all from the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, apply only to the Environmental Air Class A and Class B exams. Unlike electrical, ACR references do not have to be the publisher's own bound copy; they may be purchased, or downloaded and spiral bound or 3 hole punched into a binder. They may be highlighted, underlined, or noted before the exam and tabbed with permanent index tabs (a paper insert inside a permanent plastic tab is allowed); no writing or marking during the exam, no temporary, post it, or homemade tabs, and no loose paper. The consequences for a non compliant reference binder mirror electrical: test without it, strip the non compliant tabs, or forfeit the fee and reschedule.

The content outline's top level topic names, common to every ACR exam level, are Air Distribution, Basic Refrigeration Components, Combustion Air, Controls, Equipment Requirements and Design, HVAC or HVACR Systems, Piping, Refrigeration Principles, Safety, Service, Testing, Texas Laws and Rules, and Ventilation, with the Certified Technician exam narrowing to Basic Refrigeration Components, Combustion Air, Controls, Piping, Refrigeration Principles, Safety, and a combined Testing, Diagnostics, and Service block that alone carries 27 of its 60 scored items. Beyond that Certified Technician total and the exam level totals already given above, the exact item count assigned to each topic inside Class A and Class B is not available with confidence here; the numbers are present in the bulletin, but the table did not carry over cleanly enough to quote a specific claim like "duct sizing is worth 6 items on the Class A exam" with confidence. Anyone who needs the precise blueprint should consult the bulletin directly. Test sites inside Texas are the same PSI list as electrical, with one Houston location named "Houston South" on Bissonnet Street replacing one of the electrical exam's Houston addresses; no remote or online proctoring option is mentioned. Retake rules are the same "test as many times as needed within the eligibility period, new fee each time" policy as electrical, with no separate waiting period stated in this bulletin.

TSBPE Journeyman and Master Plumber exams, Pearson VUE

This is the one program of the four that is closed book, a real practical difference from PSI's two open book programs. Candidates must first apply through the TSBPE Online Licensing System or by paper form mailed to TSBPE, and every applicant for every plumbing exam must submit fingerprints for review, typically a one time step. Once TSBPE approves eligibility, Pearson VUE emails an Authorization to Test, and only then can a candidate schedule. Schedule online through Pearson VUE's TSBPE exam page or by calling 888 304 3589, at least 24 hours before a written or computer based exam and at least 10 days before a practical exam; walk in testing is never available. Practical exams for Journeyman and Tradesman Plumber Limited are only given at TSBPE's own Austin or Waco locations, not at general Pearson VUE centers. Cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours ahead to avoid forfeiting the fee.

Exam structure and fees, from the handbook's fee table and descriptions: Journeyman Plumber has a written portion of 100 items in 120 minutes (Pearson VUE exam fee 68.50 dollars) and a practical portion of 6 items in 240 minutes (exam fee 40 dollars); the TSBPE application fee to sit the Journeyman exam is 40 dollars, and a 40 dollar initial license fee is due after passing both portions. A different source describes the written portion as 90 items rather than 100; this has not been resolved against the handbook itself and is noted here rather than corrected. Master Plumber is written only, 308 items in 360 minutes plus an optional 30 minute pause the clock break candidates may take at their own discretion (Pearson VUE exam fee 128.50 dollars); the TSBPE application fee is 175 dollars, and the initial license fee after passing is 75 dollars. (Tradesman Plumber Limited, the entry rung below Journeyman, is written 85 items in 120 minutes at 68.50 dollars plus a practical 6 items in 240 minutes at 36 dollars, TSBPE application fee 36 dollars, initial license fee 35 dollars, included here for completeness.) All plumbing exams pass at 70 percent. The handbook recommends bringing water and a snack for the Master or Inspector exam specifically because of its length.

The plumbing content outline is not published as a percentage weighted blueprint the way PSI's electrical and ACR outlines are. Instead the handbook walks through the plumbing code chapter by chapter and describes what to study in each: the Definitions chapter; General Regulations or General Requirements (approved materials and installation methods, protection of piping, bedding and support in trenches, testing and inspection); Plumbing Fixtures; Water Heaters (locations, supply valves, pressure and temperature relief, drain pans); Water Supply and Distribution (cross connection and backflow prevention, approved materials, joint methods); Sanitary Drainage (approved materials, cleanout locations, testing); Vents; Traps; and Fuel Gas or Fuel Piping (the handbook notes that installing liquefied petroleum gas piping specifically requires a separate Railroad Commission license, on top of the plumbing license). The handbook lists two different acceptable study code paths, the 2018 International Plumbing Code with the 2018 International Fuel Gas Code, or the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code, without stating which one TSBPE's actual exam questions are keyed to; that should be confirmed with TSBPE directly if a candidate's preparation depends on it, consistent with the fact that Texas has no single state adopted plumbing code, since code adoption happens locally.

Retaking a failed exam: candidates must wait at least 24 hours before a new reservation can be scheduled, and the handbook separately sets minimum gaps of 30 days after a first failure, 60 days after a second, and 90 days after every failure after that. An initial exam authorization is good for up to 5 attempts at the written portion, and all attempts must happen within one year of the initial TSBPE application authorization; the handbook does not give a separate stated deadline for completing the practical portion after passing the written one, beyond that same one year window. Reference materials, dictionaries, books, and even scratch paper are barred from the room entirely; Pearson VUE issues its own note taking materials at the seat, and nothing may be written on them before the exam starts or removed from the room after. Pearson VUE runs a large number of Texas testing sites well beyond TSBPE's own two practical locations, including Abilene, Amarillo, three Austin sites, Bellaire, Bryan, Corpus Christi, several Dallas area sites including Arlington and Carrollton, El Paso, Harlingen, five Houston sites, Hurst, Lubbock, McAllen, Midland, three San Antonio sites, Sugar Land, Tyler, and Waco; the handbook does not mention a remote or online proctoring option for civilian candidates, though it does note that TSBPE exams are also offered at select Pearson VUE centers on US military installations for service members, dependents, and authorized contractors testing from another state or overseas.

The bulletins behind this section are: PSI Services LLC, "Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Electrician, Candidate Information Bulletin," copyright 2026 by PSI Services LLC, updated 7/9/2026; PSI Services LLC, "Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Candidate Information Bulletin," copyright 2026 by PSI Services LLC, updated 7/9/2026; and Pearson VUE, "Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners Candidate Handbook," August 2025, publication #494400, rev 08/2025. These were last reviewed July 14, 2026, and have not been reopened since; confirm current details directly with PSI or Pearson VUE.

Bond and insurance

Experience and financial requirements

There is no state level net worth, bonding, or general financial requirement for a Texas general contractor, because there is no state GC license. The trade licenses each carry their own experience path, detailed above under electrical, ACR, and plumbing, and their own liability insurance minimums, but a net worth statement requirement, of the kind GC license states like Georgia or Tennessee use, is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page.

Fees and timeline

Application timelines

A published turnaround guarantee for TDLR or TSBPE new license applications is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page. TDLR's Electrical Contractor application page states only that new applications are submitted by mail, with no processing window given. As an informal estimate only, not a guarantee: other sources describe roughly 4 to 6 weeks for TDLR applications that require experience verification, 7 to 10 business days for online apprentice applications, and criminal history reviews taking 1 to 6 weeks; for TSBPE, roughly 2 to 6 weeks for a general plumbing license application and up to 30 to 45 days for a Plumber's Apprentice registration card to arrive by mail. None of these estimates come from a primary TDLR or TSBPE page. Confirm a specific number of days for Texas trade license processing by calling TDLR at 512 463 6599 or TSBPE at 512 936 5200.

Reciprocity

Reciprocity and exam waivers

Electrical reciprocity exists but is narrow and vendor specific, confirmed on TDLR's electrician out of state page, checked September 29, 2026. For Master Electrician, the reciprocal states are Alabama, Arkansas (master electrician), Iowa (Class A master electrician), Louisiana (state contractor's license), Nebraska, North Carolina (master electrician or unlimited electrical contractor), and Ohio; an applicant must have passed the reciprocal state's exam, held that license at least one year, logged at least 12000 supervised hours, and held a journeyman license at least 2 years (reduced to 1 year for Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, and Ohio), pay a 45 dollar application fee, and provide a letter of good standing from the other state. For Journeyman Electrician, the reciprocal states are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming, requiring a passed exam, one year holding that license, 8000 supervised hours, and a 30 dollar application fee. Outside these named states, there is no exam waiver; the Texas exam is mandatory regardless of out of state experience. Plumbing reciprocity is even narrower. Texas reciprocates only with Louisiana, and only if the applicant holds both a Louisiana Journeyman or Master plumbing license and a Louisiana Journeyman or Master Natural Gas Fitter license, confirmed on a dedicated TSBPE page, checked September 29, 2026, and with Arkansas, requiring 4 years holding an Arkansas plumber license. Reciprocity information for ACR contractors is not stated in the board materials reviewed for this page; treat ACR as exam required for every applicant unless TDLR states otherwise.

Trades

The trades overlay, where Texas licensing actually lives

Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC or air conditioning and refrigeration work are licensed at the state level even though general contracting is not. Electrical and air conditioning and refrigeration (ACR) both run through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, TDLR. Plumbing runs through a separate agency, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, TSBPE. These are two different boards with two different exam vendors, and the two should not be confused with each other.

Electrical, TDLR

Texas issues individual electrician licenses at several levels: Apprentice, Journeyman, Journeyman Industrial, Journeyman Lineman, Master, Maintenance Electrician, Residential Wireman, Residential Appliance Installer, plus a separate sign electrician track. The business level license is the Electrical Contractor license (with parallel Electrical Sign Contractor and Residential Appliance Installation Contractor options). An Electrical Contractor license requires the business to employ a licensed Master Electrician, or the business owner to hold the Master Electrician license personally. TDLR's electrical contractor application page, checked September 29, 2026, states: "A Master Electrician may only be assigned to a single Electrical Contractor, unless the Master Electrician owns more than 50 percent of the electrical contracting business." Insurance minimums are 300000 dollars per occurrence and 600000 dollars aggregate, with a 300000 dollar aggregate sub limit specifically for products and completed operations, plus workers compensation proof, a self insurance certificate, or an election of non coverage statement, all confirmed on the same page. The initial application fee is 110 dollars, non refundable, and new applications go in by mail only, not online, to TDLR's PO Box 12157 in Austin. The renewal fee is also 110 dollars, with late renewal fees of 165 to 220 dollars depending on how long the license has been expired, confirmed on TDLR's electrical contractor renewal page. The exam vendor is PSI Services LLC under contract to TDLR. Per TDLR's electrical contractor renewal guidance, the renewal schedule is: Electrical Contractor renewal 110 dollars every year; RMP renewal 300 dollars; plumbing licenses renew annually with initial expiration assigned 6 to 18 months after passing the exam.

The Master Electrician exam is not a single test, it is two separately scored portions that must each be passed at 70 percent: an NEC Knowledge portion of 75 items including 5 non scored, allowed 150 minutes, and a Calculations portion of 33 items including 3 non scored, allowed 170 minutes. The Journeyman Electrician exam is the same structure at a smaller scale, 59 items in 130 minutes for NEC Knowledge and 26 items in 110 minutes for Calculations. Both exams cost 78 dollars for both portions together. These figures have not been checked directly against the current PSI bulletin, and should be confirmed with TDLR or PSI before relying on them. What is confirmed directly from TDLR's electrician exam page, checked September 29, 2026: the code book reference has moved from the 2023 NEC to the 2026 NEC. The transition took effect for test dates on or after September 1, 2026, and that date has now passed; the page states plainly that candidates reference the 2026 edition. A candidate studying for a Texas electrical exam should buy the 2026 NEC, not the 2023 edition.

Air conditioning and refrigeration, TDLR

ACR contractor licenses split into Class A, any size unit, and Class B, cooling systems of 25 tons and under and heating systems of 1.5 million BTU per hour and under. Experience to qualify is 48 months of practical ACR work under the supervision of a licensed ACR contractor within the preceding 72 months, or 12 months holding a TDLR technician certification plus 36 months of experience. The application fee is 115 dollars. Insurance requirements differ by class: Class A requires 300000 dollars per occurrence and 600000 dollars aggregate, the same as electrical, while Class B requires only 100000 dollars per occurrence and 200000 dollars aggregate; a single Class A level policy covers both. The exam vendor is PSI, the same vendor TDLR uses for electrical, with separate endorsement exams for Commercial Refrigeration A and B and Environmental Air A and B plus a Certified Technician exam. Continuing education to renew is 8 hours total, including 1 hour specifically on Texas law and rules that regulate licensees, confirmed on TDLR's ACR continuing education page, checked September 29, 2026. Exam fees are Environmental Air Class A 74 dollars, Class B 60 dollars, Commercial Refrigeration Class A 74 dollars, Class B 60 dollars, and Certified Technician 60 dollars; these have not been checked directly against a current PSI page and should be confirmed with PSI or TDLR before relying on them. TDLR adopted new mechanical code editions effective September 1, 2026, moving from the 2021 to the 2024 editions of the International Mechanical Code, the International Fuel Gas Code, the Uniform Mechanical Code, and the International Residential Code, confirmed on TDLR's own rulemaking notice. That date has now passed, so ACR exam candidates are tested against the 2024 code editions, not the 2021 editions.

Plumbing, TSBPE

Texas issues four plumbing license types: Tradesman Plumber Limited, Journeyman, Master, and Plumbing Inspector. Journeyman requires 8000 hours under a master plumber's supervision while registered as an apprentice or tradesman plumber limited, plus 48 hours of board approved classroom training. That 48 hour classroom requirement is waived for candidates in a formal apprentice program, and also for anyone who already holds a Journeyman or Master Plumber license from another state. Master requires 4 years working as a journeyman, or 1 year as a journeyman plus a Department of Labor approved apprenticeship program, and this path is open to both Texas licensed and out of state licensed journeymen. The exam vendor is Pearson VUE, a different vendor than TDLR uses for electrical and ACR; the two should not be treated as the same testing company. Continuing education is 6 hours to renew; TSBPE's license types page, checked September 29, 2026, states: "all licensees must complete six hours of continuing professional education to be eligible to renew." Licenses renew annually with an initial expiration date randomly assigned 6 to 18 months after the exam is passed.

Exam structure: Journeyman written 100 items in 120 minutes at 68.50 dollars plus a practical 6 items in 240 minutes at 40 dollars, TSBPE application fee 40 dollars, initial license fee 40 dollars; Master written only, 308 items in 360 minutes, at 128.50 dollars, TSBPE application fee 175 dollars, initial license fee 75 dollars; all pass at 70 percent. These figures have not been checked directly against the current Pearson VUE candidate handbook, and should be confirmed with TSBPE or Pearson VUE before relying on them. One source describes the Journeyman written exam as 90 questions rather than 100; this has not been resolved against the handbook itself, so 100 items is used here as the working figure, and anyone who needs an exact number should confirm it directly with TSBPE or Pearson VUE.

Questions contractors ask

Do I need a general contractor license in Texas?

No state license exists for general contractors in Texas, so there is no fee for one either, since none exists. There is no board, no statewide exam, no statewide bond, and no state agency to apply to. Electrical and air conditioning and refrigeration licensing runs through TDLR, and plumbing runs through TSBPE, but general contracting is regulated only at the city level, with rules that differ in every city, so confirm requirements with the city where the work will take place.

How do you get a contractor's license in Texas?

There is no state general contractor license to obtain in Texas, since none exists. The state licenses only electrical, plumbing, and air conditioning and refrigeration work: electrical and ACR contractor licenses come from TDLR and require an application plus proof of insurance, while plumbing's Responsible Master Plumber designation comes from TSBPE and requires an application, a $300 fee, and insurance. General contracting itself is handled through city registration, which varies by city.

Is there a Texas contractors license board?

Texas has no licensing board for general contractors. The two boards that do license trades are TDLR, which issues electrical and air conditioning and refrigeration contractor licenses, and TSBPE, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, which issues plumbing licenses and designates the Responsible Master Plumber who qualifies a plumbing company. Neither board covers general contracting, which is regulated only at the city level instead.

Is HVAC licensed at the state level in Texas?

Yes. HVAC work, called air conditioning and refrigeration, or ACR, in Texas law, is licensed through TDLR, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. ACR contractor licenses split into Class A, any size unit, and Class B, cooling systems of 25 tons and under and heating systems of 1.5 million BTU per hour and under. Qualifying experience is 48 months of practical ACR work within the preceding 72 months, or 12 months holding a TDLR technician certification plus 36 months of experience, and the application fee is $115.

What's the difference between a licensed contractor and a licensed technician in Texas home services?

In Texas there is no general 'licensed contractor' credential, since no state general contractor license exists. Within the trades that are licensed, a technician level and a contractor level are different things: TDLR issues an ACR Certified Technician credential separately from the business level Class A or Class B ACR Contractor license, and electrical licensing runs from Apprentice and Journeyman up to the business level Electrical Contractor license held or employed by a Master Electrician. A contractor license qualifies a business; a technician credential does not.

What do you need to get an electrical contractor license in Texas?

A Texas Electrical Contractor license, issued by TDLR, requires the business to employ a licensed Master Electrician or have an owner who holds that license personally; a Master Electrician may generally be assigned to only one Electrical Contractor at a time, unless that electrician owns more than 50 percent of the business. The business must carry $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate liability insurance, with a $300,000 aggregate sub limit for products and completed operations, plus proof of workers compensation or an election of non coverage. The initial application fee is $110, submitted by mail only.

The board

Who licenses general contractors in Texas

Texas has no state license for general contractors. There is no board, no statewide exam, no statewide bond, and no state agency a general contractor applies to. The TDLR licenses page, checked September 29, 2026, lists roughly 39 regulated programs, and general contracting, residential construction, and builder registration are not among them; the closest program on the list is Industrialized Housing and Buildings, which is not general contractor licensing. No successor to the former Texas Residential Construction Commission has been created. General contracting in Texas is regulated only at the city level, and the rules differ in every city. Texas not requiring a state license does not mean a particular city has no requirements of its own; confirm with the city where the work will take place.