TX · contractor licensing · 20 trades tracked
Texas: 5/20 trades need a state license
Open-data reference from Texas local jurisdictions (TDLR licenses trades only). 25% of tracked construction trades carry a state-issued credential in this snapshot - verify live status on the board roster before you hire.
- 5/20
- Trades licensed
- 25%
- Coverage share
- 5
- Exam mandates
- #37
- Strictness rank
Texas · light statewide stack (#37/51 by trades licensed)
Texas does not run a statewide general contractor license; 5 of 20 specialty trades still carry a state credential (25%), so it remains one of the lightest statewide general-contractor regimes we track.
- 5
- trades require a state license
- 5
- of those also mandate an exam
- 1
- also require a surety bond
- 2/10
- strictness score (rank listed above)
Source: state licensing boards · snapshot 2026-06-27. Specialty trades may still need credentials even where no statewide general contractor license exists.
Texas licensing coverage
According to Texas licensing-board records compiled with NCSL and NASCLA guidance, Texas marks 5 of 20 tracked trades as requiring a state license (25%), strictness rank #37 (2/10).
According to the same board-sourced directory (snapshot 2026-06-27), Texas has no statewide general contractor license covering 5 of 20 specialty trades. Among those licensed trades, 5 also mandate an exam and 1 list a surety-bond requirement. Confirm the live board roster and classification before treating a directory row as current.
Consumer Protection Strength Score
How broadly Texas regulates the trades it licenses, from 3 of 3 tracked dimensions.
- Trade licensing coverage 5 of 20 tracked trades licensed 25/100 · F
- Surety bond coverage 1 of 5 licensed trades bonded 20/100 · F
- Liability insurance coverage 5 of 5 licensed trades insured 100/100 · A
Each dimension is this state's own coverage rate over its tracked-trade universe (not a corpus percentile); a higher score means broader licensing coverage and more of those licensed trades requiring bonding/insurance.
Among 5 state-licensed trades
Trade licensing coverage
Requirement status across 20 tracked trades in Texas
Source: Texas licensing board · NCSL
Screens stacked on licensed trades
Among 5 state-licensed trades in Texas
National placement
Where Texas sits on trade-license coverage
Texas licenses 5 of 20 tracked trades (corpus rank #37 of 51 by trades licensed). Highlighted bar is this state among the densest peers in the published snapshot.
Counts are trades marked required in the PlainHireCheck matrix (snapshot 2026-06-27), not live board roster size. How coverage is counted.
No Statewide General Contractor License
Texas does not require a statewide general contractor license for most construction work. However, this doesn't mean no oversight exists:
- • Many cities and counties have their own contractor registration requirements
- • Specialty trades (electricians, plumbers, HVAC) still require state licenses
- • Always check your local building department before hiring
License Requirements by Trade
5 of 20 tracked trades require a license in Texas. Click any trade name to see full requirements details.
| Trade | License | Exam | Bond | Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenter | - | - | - | - |
| Demolition | - | - | - | - |
| Electrician | ✓ | Yes | No | Yes |
| Elevator Mechanic | - | - | - | - |
| Excavation | - | - | - | - |
| Fire Protection | - | - | - | - |
| Flooring Installer | - | - | - | - |
| General Contractor | - | - | - | - |
| Glazier | - | - | - | - |
| HVAC Technician | ✓ | Yes | No | Yes |
| Insulation Installer | - | - | - | - |
| Landscaper | - | - | - | - |
| Mason | - | - | - | - |
| Painter | - | - | - | - |
| Pest Control | ✓ | Yes | No | Yes |
| Plumber | ✓ | Yes | No | Yes |
| Pool Contractor | ✓ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Roofer | - | - | - | - |
| Solar Installer | - | - | - | - |
| Tile Setter | - | - | - | - |
Licensed Trade Details
Electrician
Electrical Contractor/Master Electrician License
License fee: $50-$200
State-licensed in virtually all states. Journeyman to master pathway.
HVAC Technician
HVAC Contractor License
License fee: $50-$200
EPA 608 certification required nationally for refrigerant handling.
Pest Control
Pesticide Applicator License
License fee: $75-$250
Licensed in all 50 states + DC. EPA 7 categories: general pest, termite, fumigation, etc.
Plumber
Master Plumber License
License fee: $50-$250
Journeyman to master pathway. Some states also require contractor registration.
Pool Contractor
Pool Contractor License
License fee: $100-$400
State license + local permit required in most jurisdictions.
Texas specialty screens · narrow-coverage lane
Texas is in the narrow-coverage lane (#37/51 by trades licensed): only 5 of 20 tracked trades show a statewide license (25%). Strictness rank #37 (2.0/10). Among those licensed trades, 5 mandate an exam, 1 a surety bond, 5 a liability floor, and 4 continuing-education hours , pointing to exam-heavy (5/5 trades test-gated). Confirm live credentials on the Texas local jurisdictions (TDLR licenses trades only) roster before hire.
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Contractor Licensing Tracker + state licensing board public records Texas contractor licensing requirements (trade-by-trade) + national strictness composite · 2026 State licensing boards update requirements rotationally; PlainHireCheck cross-references NCSL aggregated data with each state board's public roster. Strictness composite weights license breadth, exam mandates, bond size, insurance floors, and continuing-education obligations.
Quick Facts
Trade-Specific Requirements
Coverage peers
States whose licensed-trade counts sit nearest to Texas's 5/20, not a fixed guide strip.
All states →Disclaimer: This data is for informational purposes only. Requirements change, always verify directly with Texas local jurisdictions (TDLR licenses trades only) before hiring.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Nationwide states with similar coverage or strictness
Two peer sets for Texas: licensed-trade count and composite strictness score, distinct from the sidebar coverage peers above.
Similar trade coverage
Nearest nationwide jurisdictions by count of tracked trades requiring a state license (5/20 here).
- Idaho · 6/20 trades
- North Dakota · 10/20 trades
- Wisconsin · 6/20 trades
- Colorado · 5/20 trades
Similar strictness composite
Nearest nationwide jurisdictions by contractor-licensing strictness score (2.0/10 here).
- Colorado · 2.0/10 strictness
- New York · 2.0/10 strictness
- Illinois · 1.8/10 strictness
- Pennsylvania · 1.8/10 strictness
| Publisher | PlainHireCheck |
| Sources | Public state contractor licensing board records |