10 permits · verified 2026-08-25
What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Amarillo?
In short
A contractor or trade in Amarillo, TX has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Amarillo Building Safety Department charges $76 per permit for the flammable liquids tank and pump installation permit. 2 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-08-25 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Amarillo
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flammable Liquids Tank and Pump Installation Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | $76 per permit | not stated in the codified schedule | 2026-08-25 |
| On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permitonly if it applies to you | Amarillo Area Public Health District, Environmental Health Department | $900 per commercial facility | 1 year from the date of issuance | 2026-08-25 |
| Wrecking and Moving Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | $114 per permit | not stated in the codified schedule | 2026-08-25 |
| Electrical Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to you | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation | $110 non-refundable application | annual | 2026-08-20 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Amarillo
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Plan Review | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | Varies — formula on the Amarillo page | plan review expires 180 days after the last correction notice | 2026-08-25 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | Varies — formula on the Amarillo page | not stated in the codified schedule | 2026-08-25 |
| Re-inspection Feeonly if it applies to you | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | $70 per re-inspection | per inspection | 2026-08-25 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | $151 per review and inspection | not stated in the codified schedule | 2026-08-25 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
TX registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $300 one-time filing | no expiry | 2026-08-20 |
| Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $25 one-time filing | up to ten years, renewable | 2026-08-21 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Amarillo?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a contractor or trade in Amarillo, TX, 3 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $151.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all.
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Amarillo permits page and the TX state page.
Is Amarillo expensive for a contractor or trade?
Comparing like with like — only the permits charged as a single flat fee, since a valuation formula has no figure to rank — Amarillo sits where the table below puts it against every other TX jurisdiction covered here that publishes the same permit.
Certificate of Occupancy: Amarillo charges $151. Across 22 jurisdictions it runs from $50 in Waco to $425 in Universal City, with a median of $105. 17 charge less and 4 charge more.
Read the spread rather than the rank. Certificate of Occupancy varies by $375 between the cheapest and dearest jurisdiction here, which is the sort of gap worth knowing before you sign a lease on one side of a city line rather than the other.
Which offices issue these permits in Amarillo?
Permits for a contractor or trade in Amarillo, TX come from 4 separate offices: City of Amarillo Building Safety Department, Amarillo Area Public Health District, Environmental Health Department, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Amarillo Building Safety DepartmentIssues 6 permits on this page, including Commercial Plan Review, Flammable Liquids Tank and Pump Installation Permit, Commercial Building Permit808 S Buchanan Street, Amarillo, TX 79101www.amarillo.gov/departments/community-services/building-safety
- Amarillo Area Public Health District, Environmental Health DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permit1000 Martin Road, Amarillo, TX 79107www.amarillo.gov/departments/community-services/public-health
- Texas Secretary of StateIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation, Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)www.sos.state.tx.us
- Texas Department of Licensing and RegulationIssues 1 permit on this page: Electrical Contractor License(800) 803-9202www.tdlr.texas.gov
What does a contractor or trade need in Amarillo that other businesses do not?
1 of the 4 permits particular to a contractor or trade here applies to no other business type we cover in Amarillo: Electrical Contractor License.
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permit
$900 per facility for a commercial new system, modification, repair or replacement, against $800 residential — the dearest OSSF permit in this dataset, above Brazos County’s $570 and Corpus Christi’s $500. Inspecting an existing system is half the price of the corresponding permit. Starting work before the permit issues adds $350, and $700 on a second or subsequent occasion, on top of the permit fee itself. Applies to premises on septic rather than mains sewer, which outside the built-up area is common.
Electrical Contractor License
Texas licenses no general contractor - there is no statewide builder license. Individual trades are licensed instead: electrical, plumbing and HVAC, each under its own programme. The $110 is the application fee. Published renewal figures conflict between $110 and $165 depending on license subtype, so no renewal amount is recorded until a reviewer confirms which applies.
Shared with other businesses in Amarillo
- Flammable Liquids Tank and Pump Installation Permit — City of Amarillo Building Safety Department, $76 per permit, not stated in the codified schedule. Also required for auto repair shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
- Wrecking and Moving Permit — City of Amarillo Building Safety Department, $114 per permit, not stated in the codified schedule. Also required for retail stores and restaurants; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Amarillo, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Amarillo permits page. The 2 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TX and are covered on the TX state page.
How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Amarillo?
The closest match is a retail store, which shares 3 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Electrical Contractor License. A retail store needs Food Establishment Permit, Fats, Oils and Grease Permit and Commercial Swimming Pool, Spa and Water Feature Permit, which a contractor or trade does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a contractor or trade | Only a contractor or trade needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail stores | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the auto repair shops page and retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Amarillo permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Amarillo Municipal Code Chapter 8-5, Public and Environmental Health, including section 8-5-15 FeesCity of Amarillo · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-25
- City of Amarillo Ordinance No. 8115, amending Chapter 8-5 food establishment and pool provisionsCity of Amarillo, filed with Texas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-25
- Apply for a New Electrical Contractor License - TDLRTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-22
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.