Texas contractor licensing
How to Get a Contractor License in Alamo Heights, Texas
Alamo Heights requires a general contractor or tradesman registration from the city for every trade we track except drainage and detention work. It costs $100 a year for a general contractor ($25 a year for a tradesman). You also need proof of liability insurance.
City contractor registration in Alamo Heights
| Registration | General contractor or tradesman registration (City Code Sec. 5-53) |
|---|---|
| Covers | Every trade we track except drainage and detention work |
| Fee | $100 a year for a general contractor ($25 a year for a tradesman). The schedule of development fees the city posts is dated October 2019. |
| Insurance | Residential work: $500,000 general liability plus $500,000 products and completed operations. Commercial work: $1,000,000 plus $500,000. A contractor whose state license sets its own insurance carries that amount. Source |
| Processing time | About 2 business days. |
| Renewal | Every year. |
| Before a permit | You must be registered before the permit is issued |
How to register
- Apply for contractor registration in MGO Connect as a general contractor or a tradesman.
- Upload a certificate of insurance, a driver's license or other government ID, and for trades your master license.
- A City of San Antonio registration card is not accepted in place of the city's own registration.
- Renew before the registration expires, one year after it is issued.
Anyone who builds, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a building in Alamo Heights must hold a city registration as a general contractor or a tradesman. Tradesmen working under a general contractor must register too, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits go only to state-licensed tradesmen at the master level. Applicants for residential work also sign an affidavit about past stop work orders and violations.
What each trade needs in Alamo Heights
| Foundation repair | Not rated | Contractor registration under City Code Sec. 5-53 | $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General contracting | Easy · 7 | General contractor registration | $100 |
| Roofing | Not rated | Contractor registration under City Code Sec. 5-53 | |
| Plumbing | Hard or harder · 62+ | Master-level tradesman registration | |
| Electrical | Hard or harder · 58+ | Master-level tradesman registration | |
| HVAC | Hard or harder · 52+ | Master-level tradesman registration | |
| Irrigation | Moderate or harder · 32+ | Contractor registration under City Code Sec. 5-53 | |
| Concrete flatwork | Not rated | Contractor registration under City Code Sec. 5-53 | |
| Drainage and detention | Not rated | Floodplain or floodway permit | |
| Demolition | Not rated | Contractor registration under City Code Sec. 5-53 |
Tap a column to sort. Each trade opens its Texas comparison by city, and fees link to the official fee page, checked October 25, 2026. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC and irrigation also need a Texas state license, which no city registration replaces.
Foundation repair, roofing, concrete flatwork, drainage and detention work, and demolition are not rated because their rules are not fully published.
How the difficulty score works
Details for each trade
Foundation repair
| Local rule | Contractor registration under City Code Sec. 5-53. |
|---|---|
| Fee | $100 a year as a general contractor ($25 as a tradesman) |
| Insurance | $500,000 general liability plus $500,000 products and completed operations for residential work, unless a state license sets the amount. |
| Engineer letter | Not listed. Ask Community Development Services at 210-826-0516 whether the repair permit needs an engineer's letter. |
| Permit fee | $225 for the foundation repair permit |
Foundation repair work on a single- or two-family home needs a city permit, and the code lists foundation work among the changes that require one. The code does not say whether a foundation contractor registers as a general contractor or a tradesman, so ask Community Development Services at 210-826-0516.
Foundation repair is a $225 permit in Alamo Heights, issued to a contractor on the city's register.
- Register with the city in MGO Connect with your insurance certificate and ID.
- Apply for the foundation repair permit in MGO Connect.
- Book the city inspections for the repair with Community Development Services.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule; Alamo Heights required permits list.
General contracting (residential remodels, additions and home improvement)
| Local rule | General contractor registration (City Code Sec. 5-53). |
|---|---|
| Insurance | $500,000 general liability plus $500,000 products and completed operations for residential work, unless a state license sets the amount. |
Interior remodeling, structural changes, additions and alterations all need a permit for a single- or two-family home. Residential building permits are priced by the square footage that needs inspection, from $2.75 a square foot on small jobs down to $1.50 on large ones.
Remodels and additions are permitted to a registered general contractor; plan review for an interior remodel adds the lesser of $250 or half the permit fee.
- Get registered with the city as a general contractor, uploading insurance and ID.
- Apply for the remodel or addition permit with plans.
- Pay the plan review and permit fees, then book the city inspections.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule; Alamo Heights required permits list.
Roofing
| Local rule | Contractor registration under City Code Sec. 5-53. |
|---|---|
| Fee | The fee schedule lists $100 a year for a general contractor and $25 for a tradesman, and does not say which one this trade registers as. Ask Community Development Services at 210-826-0516. Fee schedule |
| Insurance | $500,000 general liability plus $500,000 products and completed operations for residential work, unless a state license sets the amount. |
| Permit fee | $200 for roof replacement or siding |
Reshingling and redecking a roof need a permit. Replacing missing, fallen or broken shingles with the same material counts as routine maintenance and needs none.
Reshingling or redecking takes a $200 roof replacement permit.
Apply for the roof replacement permit in MGO Connect.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule; Alamo Heights required permits list.
Plumbing
| Local rule | Master-level tradesman registration (TSBPE license). |
|---|---|
| Fee | The fee schedule lists $25 a year for a tradesman. State law bars a city registration fee for licensed plumbers (Occupations Code 1301.551(g)), so ask Community Development Services whether it charges one. Fee schedule |
| Insurance | Proof of the insurance the state license requires. |
Plumbing permits go only to state-licensed, master-level plumbers registered with the city, even when they work under a general contractor.
All plumbing, sewer and gas work, water heater replacements included, is permitted to a master plumber on the city's register.
Register with the city as a tradesman with your master license and insurance.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule; Alamo Heights required permits list.
Electrical
| Local rule | Master-level tradesman registration (TDLR electrical licenses). |
|---|---|
| Fee | The fee schedule lists $25 a year for a tradesman. State law bars a city registration fee for licensed electricians (Occupations Code 1305.201(f)), so ask Community Development Services whether it charges one. Fee schedule |
| Insurance | Proof of the insurance the state license requires. |
Electrical permits go only to state-licensed, master-level electricians registered with the city, even when they work under a general contractor.
Electrical work is permitted to a master electrician on the city's register.
Register with the city as a tradesman with your master license and insurance.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule; Alamo Heights required permits list.
HVAC
| Local rule | Master-level tradesman registration (TDLR ACR license). |
|---|---|
| Fee | The fee schedule lists $25 a year for a tradesman. State law bars a city registration fee for licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractors (Occupations Code 1302.304), so ask Community Development Services whether it charges one. Fee schedule |
| Insurance | Proof of the insurance the state license requires. |
Heating and air conditioning installations, replacements and repairs need a permit, issued only to state-licensed, master-level mechanical contractors registered with the city.
Heating and cooling work is permitted to a TDLR-licensed ACR contractor on the city's register.
Register with the city as a tradesman with your license and insurance.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule; Alamo Heights required permits list.
Irrigation
| Local rule | Contractor registration under City Code Sec. 5-53. |
|---|---|
| Fee | The fee schedule lists $100 a year for a general contractor and $25 for a tradesman, and does not say which one this trade registers as. Ask Community Development Services at 210-826-0516. Fee schedule |
| Insurance | $500,000 general liability plus $500,000 products and completed operations for residential work, unless a state license sets the amount. |
Irrigation permits are needed for every new system and for repairs to existing ones, and every system needs a backflow prevention device that is tested each year.
New irrigation systems and repairs to existing ones need a permit.
Apply for the irrigation permit and file the backflow test every year.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule; Alamo Heights required permits list.
Concrete flatwork (driveways, sidewalks and work in the public right-of-way)
| Local rule | Contractor registration under City Code Sec. 5-53. |
|---|---|
| Fee | The fee schedule lists $100 a year for a general contractor and $25 for a tradesman, and does not say which one this trade registers as. Ask Community Development Services at 210-826-0516. Fee schedule |
| Insurance | $500,000 general liability plus $500,000 products and completed operations for residential work, unless a state license sets the amount. |
| Permit fee | $225 for flatwork or a deck |
Driveways and other concrete work need a permit, and work in the public right-of-way must also meet the streets and sidewalks chapter of the code.
Driveways and flatwork take a $225 permit in Alamo Heights.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule; Alamo Heights required permits list.
Drainage and detention (grading, drainage, stormwater and detention ponds)
| Local rule | Floodplain or floodway permit; storm drainage impact fee for added impervious cover. |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $750 for a floodplain or floodway permit on a single- or two-family property |
Added impervious cover pays a storm drainage impact fee of 40 cents a square foot.
Work in a floodplain or floodway needs a $750 permit on a single- or two-family property.
Ask Community Development Services whether the lot is in a floodplain.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule; Alamo Heights required permits list.
Demolition
| Local rule | Contractor registration under City Code Sec. 5-53. |
|---|---|
| Fee | The fee schedule lists $100 a year for a general contractor and $25 for a tradesman, and does not say which one this trade registers as. Ask Community Development Services at 210-826-0516. Fee schedule |
| Insurance | $500,000 general liability plus $500,000 products and completed operations for residential work, unless a state license sets the amount. |
Demolition permits are priced on the value of the work, and demolishing a main structure needs a $500 refundable clean-up deposit. Demolition review of a main structure costs $1,000.
Demolition is priced on the value of the work, with a $500 refundable clean-up deposit for a main structure.
- Apply for demolition review if the structure needs it.
- Register, then file for demolition with the clean-up deposit.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule; Alamo Heights required permits list.
Alamo Heights does not publish a local license or registration rule for drainage and detention work. Ask Community Development Services before you bid that work.
Permit fees and local rules in Alamo Heights
- Construction hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with an hour before for setup and an hour after for cleanup, and no work on weekends or city holidays.
- Starting without a permit means paying the permit fee twice.
- Emergency repairs may be permitted on the city's next business day after the work.
- Partial inspections and reinspections cost $141 for building work and $65 for trades.
- A contractor with an unresolved stop work order, or two or more in 24 months, cannot get a new residential permit until they are resolved.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Alamo Heights required permits list; Alamo Heights permit and registration code (Article IV); Alamo Heights development fee schedule.
Official sources and contacts
Community Development Services, 6116 Broadway, 210-826-0516.
- Code Article IV, permit regulations and contractor registration
- Schedule of development fees
- Building and construction permits
- Contractor registration instructions
Rules and fees change, and this is not legal advice. Confirm with Community Development Services before you apply or bid.