Texas contractor licensing
Do You Need a License for Drainage and Detention Work in Texas?
Not from the state. Texas has no license for grading or drainage contractors, though drainage studies and detention pond designs a city wants sealed must be sealed by a Texas professional engineer. 4 of the 37 Texas cities and counties here require a local license or registration for it, and 1 does not. Local fees run from $50 in Grand Prairie to $100 in El Paso.
This page covers grading, drainage, stormwater and detention ponds.
This page does not rank cities for this work. Few cities publish a contractor rule for it, and the license that matters is the Texas professional engineer's who seals the drainage plan.
The Texas state layer for drainage and detention work
No state license exists for grading or drainage contractors. Engineering design (drainage studies, detention pond design) is engineering practice and, where a city requires sealed plans, must be sealed by a Texas PE. A PE needs an engineering degree, the NCEES FE and PE exams, the Texas Ethics of Engineering exam and engineering experience (4 years with an accredited degree, 8 with a non-accredited one); the TBPELS application fee is $75.
Cities and counties regulate grading, detention and floodplain work through site development, grading and floodplain permits; designs are typically sealed by a Texas PE.
Checked October 18, 2026 against TDLR list of regulated programs; TBPELS basic PE licensure requirements; TBPELS fees.
Drainage and detention rules in each Texas city and county
| College Station | No grading contractor registration found. Development permits cover public infrastructure | |
|---|---|---|
| Corpus Christi | No grading contractor registration found. Excavation and fill permits are issued by the Ci | |
| Dallas | No separate grading contractor registration found. A paving and grading permit is required | |
| El Paso | City of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor | $100 |
| Fort Worth | No grading contractor registration found. A grading permit and drainage study are required | |
| Garland | No grading contractor registration found. Site and civil plans are approved by the Enginee | |
| Grand Prairie | Earthwork permit | $50 |
| Houston | No grading contractor registration. A fill and grade permit is required for excavation and | |
| Laredo | No grading contractor registration listed. Stormwater work on easements, City drainage or | |
| Leander | Site development permit / construction plans | |
| San Marcos | Site Preparation permit / Watershed Protection Plan | |
| Unincorporated Bexar County | Floodplain Development Permit | $50 |
| Unincorporated Comal County | Floodplain Development Permit | |
| Waco | No grading contractor registration found. A site grading permit is required. |
Tap a column to sort. Blank cells mean the city does not publish that fact. Checked October 18, 2026.
Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Brownsville, Cedar Park, Converse, Denton, Georgetown, Killeen, Kyle, Leon Valley, Lockhart, Lubbock, McKinney, New Braunfels, Odessa, Pflugerville, Plano, Round Rock, San Antonio, Schertz, Seguin, and Universal City publish no rule for drainage and detention work. Call the city before you bid there.
We also checked 25 more Texas cities and counties whose offices publish too little online for a full page yet.
What a drainage and detention work job needs in each city
Licensing is half of it. This is how each city handles the permit for drainage and detention work, from its own pages.
- College Station. Site development with drainage or detention needs a development permit with engineering review.
- Corpus Christi. Excavation and fill work needs an excavation and fill permit, with engineered drainage design.
- Dallas. Grading work needs a paving and grading permit, with a drainage plan for sites of one acre or more.
- El Paso. Storm water and grading work is permitted to a registered general contractor, with engineered drainage design.
- Fort Worth. Sites disturbing an acre or more need a grading permit and an engineer's drainage study.
- Garland. Grading and drainage are reviewed as civil plans by the Engineering Department before building plans are approved.
- Grand Prairie. Changing a lot's grade or drainage, or grading a lot over half an acre, needs an earthwork permit with a grading and drainage plan.
- Houston. Grading, fill and detention work needs a fill and grade permit with stormwater and floodplain review.
- Laredo. Drainage work tied to City drainage, easements or the right of way is reviewed with the commercial permit and inspected by the City.
- Leander. Grading, drainage and detention are reviewed through site development permits and subdivision construction plans.
- San Marcos. Site grading and detention go through a Site Preparation permit and, where required, a Watershed Protection Plan.
- Unincorporated Bexar County. Floodplain construction needs a $50 Floodplain Development Permit (a PE flood study may be required); sites of 1 acre or more need a Storm Water Quality Site Development Permit.
- Unincorporated Comal County. Grading or construction in the regulatory floodplain needs a Floodplain Development Permit under the county Flood Damage Prevention Order.
- Waco. Site grading needs a $50 grading permit and a $60 plan review.
How to get licensed for drainage and detention work in Texas
There is no state license to apply for, so you register with each city where you take drainage and detention work jobs, as the table above shows, and pull that city's permit.
Rules and fees change, and this is not legal advice. Confirm with the city where the work is before you apply or bid.