Texas contractor licensing
How to Get a Contractor License in Live Oak, Texas
Live Oak requires a contractor registration from the city for every trade we track except drainage and detention work and demolition. It costs $100 a year, including renewals.
City contractor registration in Live Oak
| Registration | Contractor registration |
|---|---|
| Covers | Every trade we track except drainage and detention work and demolition |
| Fee | $100 a year, including renewals |
| Processing time | Not published. |
| Before a permit | You must be registered before the permit is issued |
How to register
- Set up an MGO Connect account.
- Register as a contractor with the City of Live Oak.
- Pull each permit in MGO Connect before work begins.
Only a contractor registered with Live Oak, or a homeowner with a homestead exemption doing their own work, can get a permit, and the city issues it in MGO Connect to that person.
What each trade needs in Live Oak
| Foundation repair | Not rated | City contractor registration | $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General contracting | Easy · 2 | City contractor registration | $100 |
| Roofing | Easy · 2 | City contractor registration | $100 |
| Plumbing | Hard or harder · 62+ | City contractor registration | |
| Electrical | Hard or harder · 58+ | City contractor registration | |
| HVAC | Hard or harder · 52+ | City contractor registration | |
| Irrigation | Moderate · 29 | Licensed Irrigator registered with the City of Live Oak | $100 |
| Concrete flatwork | Easy · 2 | City contractor registration | $100 |
| Drainage and detention | Not rated | Not published | |
| Demolition | Not rated | City contractor registration |
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, 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 contractor registration (MGO Connect). |
|---|
Only a contractor registered with Live Oak, or a homeowner with a homestead exemption doing their own work, can get a permit, and the city issues it in MGO Connect to that person. Foundation repairs are on the city's list of work requiring a permit; engineering submittal rules were not found.
Foundation repairs need a permit in Live Oak, pulled by a registered contractor before work begins.
Ask Permits and Inspections whether an engineer's letter is required.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Appendix C fees in the Live Oak code. Checked October 18, 2026 against Live Oak permits and inspections office.
General contracting (residential remodels, additions and home improvement)
| Local rule | City contractor registration (MGO Connect). |
|---|
New construction and many improvements and repairs need permits before work starts, pulled by a registered contractor.
Apply for the building permit in MGO Connect and attach the city's plan review checklist to it.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Appendix C fees in the Live Oak code. Checked October 18, 2026 against Live Oak permits and inspections office; Live Oak forms and checklists.
Roofing
| Local rule | City contractor registration (MGO Connect). |
|---|
Roofing needs a permit pulled by a registered contractor or a homesteaded owner doing the work.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Appendix C fees in the Live Oak code. Checked October 18, 2026 against Live Oak roof FAQ; Live Oak permits and inspections office.
Plumbing
| Local rule | City contractor registration (MGO Connect). |
|---|---|
| Fee | The fee schedule lists a $100 annual contractor registration. State law bars a city registration fee for licensed plumbers (Occupations Code 1301.551(g)), so ask Permits and Inspections whether it charges one. Fee schedule |
Water heater and other plumbing work need permits (see the water heater and HVAC FAQ).
Checked October 25, 2026 against Appendix C fees in the Live Oak code. Checked October 18, 2026 against Live Oak water heater and HVAC FAQ.
Electrical
| Local rule | City contractor registration (MGO Connect). |
|---|---|
| Fee | The fee schedule lists a $100 annual contractor registration. State law bars a city registration fee for licensed electricians (Occupations Code 1305.201(f)), so ask Permits and Inspections whether it charges one. Fee schedule |
Electrical work needs a permit through MGO Connect.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Appendix C fees in the Live Oak code. Checked October 18, 2026 against Live Oak permits and inspections office.
HVAC
| Local rule | City contractor registration (MGO Connect). |
|---|---|
| Fee | The fee schedule lists a $100 annual contractor registration. State law bars a city registration fee for licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractors (Occupations Code 1302.304), so ask Permits and Inspections whether it charges one. Fee schedule |
HVAC replacements need a permit (see the water heater and HVAC FAQ).
Register with the city with the TDLR ACR license.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Appendix C fees in the Live Oak code. Checked October 18, 2026 against Live Oak water heater and HVAC FAQ.
Irrigation
| Local rule | Licensed Irrigator registered with the City of Live Oak. |
|---|
Permits are pulled by a licensed irrigator registered with the city (or a homesteaded owner). The application needs a detailed irrigation plan drawn to scale and sealed by a licensed irrigator (30 TAC 344.61). A PVB, RP or RPZ backflow assembly is required; rough and final inspections plus a passing test report by a licensed backflow tester are needed.
A home irrigation system is permitted with a sealed plan, a PVB, RP or RPZ backflow assembly, two inspections and a backflow test report that passes.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Appendix C fees in the Live Oak code. Checked October 18, 2026 against Live Oak irrigation FAQ.
Concrete flatwork (driveways, sidewalks and work in the public right-of-way)
| Local rule | City contractor registration (MGO Connect). |
|---|
Sidewalks, driveways, parking pads and concrete paths need a permit pulled by a registered contractor.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Appendix C fees in the Live Oak code. Checked October 18, 2026 against Live Oak concrete flatwork FAQ; Live Oak permits and inspections office.
Demolition
| Local rule | City contractor registration (MGO Connect). |
|---|---|
| Fee | Registration fee and insurance rules are not confirmed here. Call Permits and Inspections at 210-653-9140 ext. 2244. Fee schedule |
| Before the permit | You must be registered before the permit is issued |
Demolition of structures needs a permit before work begins.
Checked October 18, 2026 against Live Oak permits and inspections office.
Live Oak does not publish a local license or registration rule for drainage and detention work. Ask Permits and Inspections before you bid that work.
Permit fees and local rules in Live Oak
- Additions and remodels of homes cost 50 cents per square foot, with plan review at 35 cents per square foot due when plans go in.
- Electrical, mechanical and plumbing repair or replacement permits are $60 each, and a residential irrigation permit is $100.
- Unpermitted work is billed at double the fee per trade, never under $750, and a permit not posted at the job site draws a $500 charge.
- A certificate of occupancy costs $250, and demolition permits cost $500.
Checked October 25, 2026 against Appendix C fees in the Live Oak code.
Official sources and contacts
Permits and Inspections, 8001 Shin Oak Drive, 210-653-9140 ext. 2244.
- Permits and Inspections
- Forms and checklists
- Residential roof FAQ
- Residential concrete flatwork FAQ
- Irrigation FAQ
- Appendix C of the city code (fees)
Rules and fees change, and this is not legal advice. Confirm with Permits and Inspections before you apply or bid.