12 permits · verified 2026-08-24
What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Arlington?
In short
A contractor or trade in Arlington, TX has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Arlington Planning and Development Services charges $150 per certificate for the temporary certificate of occupancy. 4 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-08-24 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Arlington
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning Changeonly if it applies to you | City of Arlington Planning and Development Services | $1,200–$3,000 by site acreage | one-time, per application | 2026-08-24 |
| Home Based Business Licenseonly if it applies to you | City of Arlington Planning and Development Services | $50 per license | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-08-24 |
| On-Site Sewage System Installation Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Arlington Health Services | $250 per application | one-time, per application | 2026-08-24 |
| Commercial Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | City of Arlington Planning and Development Services | $1,000 per review | one-time, per application | 2026-08-24 |
| Business Registrationonly if it applies to you | City of Arlington Planning and Development Services | $100–$175 for one or two years | one or two years, at the registrant's choice | 2026-08-24 |
| 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 Arlington
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Plan Review Fee | City of Arlington Planning and Development Services | Varies — formula on the Arlington page | one-time, per application | 2026-08-24 |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to you | City of Arlington Planning and Development Services | $150 per certificate | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-08-24 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Arlington Planning and Development Services | Varies — formula on the Arlington page | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-08-24 |
| Demolition Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Arlington Planning and Development Services | $200 per building | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-08-24 |
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 Arlington?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a contractor or trade in Arlington, TX, 2 apply to every business of this type and 10 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
4 of the 12 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Zoning Change: $1,200–$3,000 by site acreage
Business Registration: $100–$175 for one or two years
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Arlington permits page and the TX state page.
Is Arlington 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 — Arlington sits where the table below puts it against every other TX jurisdiction covered here that publishes the same permit.
Demolition Permit: Arlington charges $200. Across 6 jurisdictions it runs from $50 in Grand Prairie to $200 here, with a median of $106.50. Nowhere else covered here charges more.
Read the spread rather than the rank. Demolition Permit varies by $150 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 Arlington?
Permits for a contractor or trade in Arlington, TX come from 4 separate offices: City of Arlington Planning and Development Services, City of Arlington Health Services, 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 Arlington Planning and Development ServicesIssues 8 permits on this page, including Commercial Plan Review Fee, Zoning Change, Temporary Certificate of Occupancywww.arlingtontx.gov/Business/Development-Resources
- City of Arlington Health ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: On-Site Sewage System Installation Permit(817) 459-6693www.arlingtontx.gov/Business/Health-Services/Health-Services
- 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 Arlington that other businesses do not?
2 of the 6 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Arlington: Business Registration and Electrical Contractor License.
Home Based Business License
$50. The cheapest way into business in Arlington, and the schedule sets no separate inspection or renewal charge against it.
Business Registration
$100 for one year or $175 for two, recorded with the Building Official. Despite the name, this is Arlington's contractor registration rather than a license to trade: the Construction Chapter issues a building permit only to a registrant, and the Building Official may refuse inspections or new permits to a contractor whose business registration with the City is not active. The city's own registration guide says the same for street work — a contractor doing work in the right of way must hold a current Business Registration before applying for a right-of-way permit, and the application starts by choosing a contractor subtype. A shop, restaurant or salon having a space fitted out does not register; the contractor it hires does. Taking the two-year term saves $25 against renewing annually.
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 Arlington
- Zoning Change — City of Arlington Planning and Development Services, $1,200–$3,000 by site acreage, one-time, per application. Also required for restaurants, retail stores, auto repair shops and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- On-Site Sewage System Installation Permit — City of Arlington Health Services, $250 per application, one-time, per application. Also required for restaurants, retail stores and veterinary clinics; what it involves is set out on the veterinary clinics page.
- Commercial Site Plan Review — City of Arlington Planning and Development Services, $1,000 per review, one-time, per application. Also required for restaurants, retail stores, auto repair shops and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the auto repair shops page.
The other 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Arlington, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Arlington 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 Arlington?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Home Based Business License, On-Site Sewage System Installation Permit, Business Registration and Electrical Contractor License. A auto repair shop needs Fire Permit, Specific Use Permit or Planned Development, Grease Interceptor Plumbing Permit and 2 more, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 7 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 20 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
| Fitness studios | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Restaurants | 19 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Childcare centres | 5 | 0 | 6 | 5 |
| Coffee shops | 10 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| Food trucks | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
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 restaurants page, veterinary clinics page and auto repair shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Arlington permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Planning and Development Services Fee Schedule — Exhibit A to Resolution No. 25-258, effective 1 October 2025City of Arlington (via Texas DSHS Local Ordinance and Fee Schedule Registry) · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-24
- Business Registration — right-of-way contractors and general contractors working in the right of way (ArlingtonPermits.com application guide)City of Arlington · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Ordinance amending the Construction Chapter, Article IV (Registration, Permits and Inspections) — 2009 City Council packetCity of Arlington City Council · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- 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.