Texas contractor licensing
How to Get a Contractor License in El Paso, Texas
El Paso requires a city of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor from the city for foundation repair, general contracting, roofing, and drainage and detention work. It costs $100 per year. You also need proof of liability insurance and a $50,000 bond.
City contractor registration in El Paso
| Registration | City of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor |
|---|---|
| Covers | Foundation repair, general contracting, roofing, and drainage and detention work |
| Fee | $100 per year |
| Insurance | General liability with the City of El Paso as certificate holder. The sheet lists a $100,000 minimum and notes minimum limits of $250,000 bodily injury per person, $500,000 aggregate, and $100,000 property damage per occurrence and in the aggregate. Source |
| Bond | $50,000. Source |
| Renewal | Every year, $100 plus a technology fee. |
How to register
- Gather the assumed name certificate or corporate documents.
- Fill out the Contractor Registration Application and the authorized list of people who may pull permits.
- Get a certificate of insurance naming the City of El Paso as certificate holder.
- Post the $50,000 Blanket Building Construction Bond.
- Submit at the One Stop Shop, 811 Texas Ave., and pay $100 plus the technology fee. Renew every year.
The One Stop Shop requirement sheet (rev. 07/2024) lists the General Contractor registration for residential new homes, additions, alterations, roofing, windows, fences and rock walls, retaining walls, pools, foundation, and storm water and grading. No exam is listed. A $10,000 blanket bond may be filed instead for irrigation, site lighting and landscape work, fences and pavement cuts in the right of way. An ICC bulletin for El Paso contractor exams exists but dates from 2016 and the current sheet lists no exam.
What each trade needs in El Paso
| Foundation repair | Not rated | City of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor | $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General contracting | Easy · 15 | City of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor | $100 |
| Roofing | Easy · 15 | City of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor | $100 |
| Plumbing | Hard · 62 | Plumbing contractor registration | Free |
| Electrical | Hard · 58 | Electrical contractor registration | Free |
| HVAC | Hard · 52 | Mechanical contractor registration | Free |
| Irrigation | Moderate · 37 | Irrigation contractor registration | $100 |
| Concrete flatwork | Not rated | ENG General Contractor | $100 |
| Drainage and detention | Not rated | City of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor | $100 |
| Demolition | Not rated | Demolition permit |
Tap a column to sort. Each trade opens its Texas comparison by city, and fees link to the official fee page, checked October 18, 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 | City of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor. |
|---|---|
| Bond | $50,000. Source |
El Paso lists foundation work under the General Contractor registration. We did not find a City page saying whether a residential repair needs an engineer's letter or sealed plan; ask the One Stop Shop at 915-212-0104.
Foundation repair needs a building permit pulled by a registered general contractor and a foundation inspection.
- Fill out the Contractor Registration Application and the authorized list of people who may pull permits.
- Get a certificate of insurance naming the City of El Paso as certificate holder.
- Submit at the One Stop Shop, 811 Texas Ave., and pay $100 plus the technology fee. Renew every year.
- Apply for the repair permit through the Citizen Access Portal.
Checked October 18, 2026 against City of El Paso, contractor registration requirements (rev. 07/2024); City of El Paso, inspection IVR codes; City of El Paso, Planning and Inspections.
General contracting (residential remodels, additions and home improvement)
| Local rule | City of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor. |
|---|---|
| Bond | $50,000. Source |
Additions and alterations need a building permit pulled by a registered general contractor.
- Fill out the Contractor Registration Application and the authorized list of people who may pull permits.
- Get a certificate of insurance naming the City of El Paso as certificate holder.
- Submit at the One Stop Shop, 811 Texas Ave., and pay $100 plus the technology fee. Renew every year.
Checked October 18, 2026 against City of El Paso, contractor registration requirements (rev. 07/2024); City of El Paso, Planning and Inspections.
Roofing
| Local rule | City of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor. |
|---|---|
| Bond | $50,000. Source |
Roofing is listed under the General Contractor registration.
Roofing work needs a permit pulled by a registered general contractor.
- Fill out the Contractor Registration Application and the authorized list of people who may pull permits.
- Get a certificate of insurance naming the City of El Paso as certificate holder.
- Submit at the One Stop Shop, 811 Texas Ave., and pay $100 plus the technology fee. Renew every year.
- Apply for the roofing permit through the Citizen Access Portal.
Checked October 18, 2026 against City of El Paso, contractor registration requirements (rev. 07/2024).
Plumbing
| Local rule | Plumbing contractor registration. |
|---|---|
| Fee | Free |
Register with the application and Master Plumber license. No annual fee. The plumbing board website must show the company's insurance expiration date and business name.
- Make sure the TSBPE record shows your business name and insurance expiration.
- Submit the registration application at the One Stop Shop.
Checked October 18, 2026 against City of El Paso, contractor registration requirements.
Electrical
| Local rule | Electrical contractor registration. |
|---|---|
| Fee | Free |
Register with the application, the Electrical Contractor license and the Master Electrician license. No annual fee. The TDLR Master Electrician profile must show the business name.
Checked October 18, 2026 against City of El Paso, contractor registration requirements.
HVAC
| Local rule | Mechanical contractor registration. |
|---|---|
| Fee | Free |
Register with the application and the state mechanical (ACR) license. No annual fee. The TDLR record must show the business name.
Checked October 18, 2026 against City of El Paso, contractor registration requirements.
Irrigation
| Local rule | Irrigation contractor registration. |
|---|---|
| Fee | $100 per year |
| Bond | $10,000. Source |
Register with the application and the state irrigator license and pay $100 plus the technology fee each year. The sheet allows a $10,000 blanket bond for irrigation installations.
Irrigation installations are permitted to a registered contractor holding a TCEQ irrigator license.
Pay $100 plus the technology fee and renew every year.
Checked October 18, 2026 against City of El Paso, contractor registration requirements.
Concrete flatwork (driveways, sidewalks and work in the public right-of-way)
| Local rule | ENG General Contractor (pavement cuts) registration. |
|---|---|
| Fee | $100 per year |
| Insurance | General liability of at least $250,000 with the City as certificate holder. |
| Bond | $50,000. Source |
Pavement cuts and excavation in the public right of way need the ENG General Contractor registration with a $50,000 blanket bond. The sheet also allows a $10,000 blanket bond for pavement cuts or excavation in the right of way. We did not find a separate sidewalk or driveway approach rule.
Cutting pavement or excavating in the right of way requires an engineering-registered contractor with insurance and a bond.
Register as an ENG General Contractor with $250,000 liability insurance.
Checked October 18, 2026 against City of El Paso, contractor registration requirements.
Drainage and detention (grading, drainage, stormwater and detention ponds)
| Local rule | City of El Paso Contractor Registration, General Contractor. |
|---|---|
| Bond | $50,000. Source |
El Paso lists storm water and grading under the General Contractor registration. Drainage and detention design must be sealed by a Texas PE. We did not pull the City's drainage design criteria.
Storm water and grading work is permitted to a registered general contractor, with engineered drainage design.
- Fill out the Contractor Registration Application and the authorized list of people who may pull permits.
- Get a certificate of insurance naming the City of El Paso as certificate holder.
- Submit at the One Stop Shop, 811 Texas Ave., and pay $100 plus the technology fee. Renew every year.
- Have a Texas Professional Engineer prepare the grading and drainage plans.
Checked October 18, 2026 against City of El Paso, contractor registration requirements (rev. 07/2024).
Demolition
| Local rule | Demolition permit. |
|---|
El Paso requires a permit to demolish a building or structure. The registration sheet does not name a separate demolition contractor category; ask the One Stop Shop which registration applies.
Demolishing a building needs a City permit.
- Ask the One Stop Shop which contractor registration applies.
- Apply for the demolition permit through the Citizen Access Portal.
Checked October 18, 2026 against City of El Paso, Planning and Inspections.
Official sources and contacts
- City of El Paso, contractor registration requirements (rev. 07/2024)
- City of El Paso, Planning and Inspections
Rules and fees change, and this is not legal advice. Confirm with the city's permit office before you apply or bid.