Texas contractor licensing
How to Get a Contractor License in Belton, Texas
Belton requires a yearly trade contractor registration in MGO Connect from the city for every trade we track except drainage and detention work. It costs $80 per calendar year. You also need proof of liability insurance.
City contractor registration in Belton
| Registration | Yearly trade contractor registration in MGO Connect (Planning Department) |
|---|---|
| Covers | Every trade we track except drainage and detention work |
| Fee | $80 per calendar year. Fee schedule effective October 1, 2026 (Ordinance 2026-29), which excludes state-licensed electrical and plumbing contractors. The Planning Department page still shows the older $50 fee. |
| Insurance | A current certificate of liability insurance (amount not published). Source |
| Processing time | Not published. Call the Planning Department at 254-933-5812. |
| Renewal | Every calendar year. |
| Before a permit | You must be registered before the permit is issued |
How to register
- Open a free MGO Connect account.
- Apply for contractor registration with a government-issued photo ID, your current state license and a certificate of liability insurance.
- Pay the yearly registration fee, unless you hold a state electrical, plumbing or HVAC license.
- Keep the registration and its documents current every year, because Belton issues permits only to registered contractors.
Every trade contractor doing work in Belton has to be registered with the city, and no permit is issued until that registration is in place. State-licensed electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors pay no registration fee but must keep current copies of their documents with the city.
What each trade needs in Belton
| Foundation repair | Not rated | Trade contractor registration | $80 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General contracting | Easy · 7 | Trade contractor registration | $80 |
| Roofing | Easy · 7 | Trade contractor registration | $80 |
| Plumbing | Hard · 62 | TSBPE license plus Belton registration at no fee | Free |
| Electrical | Hard · 58 | TDLR licenses plus Belton registration at no fee | Free |
| HVAC | Hard · 52 | TDLR ACR license plus Belton registration at no fee | Free |
| Irrigation | Moderate or harder · 34+ | Trade contractor registration | $80 |
| Concrete flatwork | Not rated | Trade contractor registration | $80 |
| Drainage and detention | Not rated | Not published | |
| Demolition | Not rated | Trade contractor registration | $80 |
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, 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 | Trade contractor registration (Belton). |
|---|---|
| Engineer letter | Not listed. Ask the Planning Department at 254-933-5812 whether a foundation repair permit needs an engineer's letter. |
No foundation repair line appears in the Belton fee list, and the city is silent on engineer letters for repairs. Ask the Planning Department at 254-933-5812 which permit applies.
Repairs are permitted through MGO Connect to registered contractors only; the Planning Department decides which permit a foundation repair uses.
- Ask the Planning Department which permit and documents the foundation repair needs.
- Apply for that permit in MGO Connect and upload the documents.
- Call in each inspection before 3 p.m. to get the next business day.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Belton trade contractor registration rules; Belton Ordinance 2026-29 fee list.
General contracting (residential remodels, additions and home improvement)
| Local rule | Trade contractor registration (Belton). |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $85 for a home remodel or addition up to 1,000 square feet |
Remodels and additions cost $85 for the first 1,000 square feet and $25 for each further 1,000, and city plan review adds half the permit fee.
A home remodel or addition is permitted only to a registered contractor.
- Apply for the remodel or addition permit and upload the plans.
- Pay the permit fee and half again for plan review, then book the inspections in MGO Connect.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Belton trade contractor registration rules; Belton Ordinance 2026-29 fee list.
Roofing
| Local rule | Trade contractor registration (Belton). |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $50 for a basic roof permit |
Roofers register with the city like other trade contractors, and the city posts the list of roofers currently registered.
Every reroof needs the basic roof permit, pulled by a contractor on Belton's register.
Apply for the roof permit and book its inspections.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Belton trade contractor registration rules; Belton Ordinance 2026-29 fee list.
Plumbing
| Local rule | TSBPE license plus Belton registration at no fee. |
|---|---|
| Fee | Free. The fee schedule excludes state-licensed plumbing contractors from the registration fee. |
| Permit fee | $50 (base plumbing permit before fixture fees) |
Plumbers register with a copy of their state license and insurance but pay no city registration fee.
Plumbing jobs carry a $50 base permit plus fixture fees, issued to a TSBPE-licensed plumber on Belton's register.
Register with Belton in MGO Connect, uploading the TSBPE license and insurance.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Belton trade contractor registration rules; Belton Ordinance 2026-29 fee list.
Electrical
| Local rule | TDLR licenses plus Belton registration at no fee. |
|---|---|
| Fee | Free. The fee schedule excludes state-licensed electrical contractors from the registration fee. |
| Permit fee | $50 (base electrical permit before item fees) |
Electricians register with a copy of their state license and insurance but pay no city registration fee.
Electrical jobs carry a $50 base permit plus item fees, issued to a TDLR-licensed electrical contractor on Belton's register.
Register with Belton in MGO Connect, uploading the TDLR licenses and insurance.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Belton trade contractor registration rules; Belton Ordinance 2026-29 fee list.
HVAC
| Local rule | TDLR ACR license plus Belton registration at no fee. |
|---|---|
| Fee | Free. The Planning Department says state-licensed HVAC contractors pay no registration fee. |
| Permit fee | $50 (base mechanical permit before unit fees) |
HVAC contractors register with a copy of their state license and insurance but pay no city registration fee.
Heating and cooling jobs carry a $50 base mechanical permit plus unit fees, issued to a TDLR-licensed ACR contractor on Belton's register.
Register with Belton in MGO Connect, uploading the TDLR ACR license and insurance.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Belton trade contractor registration rules; Belton Ordinance 2026-29 fee list.
Irrigation
| Local rule | Trade contractor registration (Belton). |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $50 (irrigation installation permit before head fees) |
Belton's rule covers any trade contractor, and irrigators are not named among the trades that pay no fee. Ask the Planning Department to confirm.
Sprinkler systems carry a $50 installation permit plus $1.25 for each head.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Belton trade contractor registration rules; Belton Ordinance 2026-29 fee list.
Concrete flatwork (driveways, sidewalks and work in the public right-of-way)
| Local rule | Trade contractor registration (Belton). |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $75 per driveway or flatwork job, inspection included |
Driveways and flatwork need a city permit and inspection pulled by a registered contractor.
Each driveway or flatwork job pays $75 for its permit and inspection, and every extra approach adds $25.
Apply for the driveway or flatwork permit and book its inspection in MGO Connect.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Belton trade contractor registration rules; Belton Ordinance 2026-29 fee list.
Demolition
| Local rule | Trade contractor registration (Belton). |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $60 (basic demolition permit, plus a $300 deposit or $1,000 surety bond) |
An owner-arranged demolition needs a basic permit plus a deposit or surety bond.
Demolition takes a $60 basic permit along with a $300 deposit or a $1,000 surety bond.
File the demolition permit together with its deposit or surety bond in Belton.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Belton trade contractor registration rules; Belton Ordinance 2026-29 fee list.
Belton does not publish a local license or registration rule for drainage and detention work. Ask Planning Department before you bid that work.
Permit fees and local rules in Belton
- From October 1, 2026, Belton applies the 2024 editions of the International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fire and Existing Building codes, plus the National Electrical Code in its 2026 edition.
- Inspections run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and requests made before 3 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day.
- Working without a building permit costs twice the permit fee, and renewing a permit for lack of activity costs one and a half times the fee.
- Reinspections and rescheduled inspections are $50 each, and every permit carries a $10 technology fee.
- Home backup power, such as solar panels and standby generators, is permitted with third-party plan review and inspection, and those inspection reports go to the city within 15 days of finishing.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Belton permitting portal and code adoption; Belton Ordinance 2026-29 fee list.
Official sources and contacts
Planning Department, 333 Water Street, 254-933-5812.
- Contractor registration, Planning Department
- Fees adopted by Ordinance 2026-29
- Permitting portal and adopted codes
Rules and fees change, and this is not legal advice. Confirm with Planning Department before you apply or bid.