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15 permits · verified 2026-09-28

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Bexar County?

In short

A contractor or trade in Bexar County, TX has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 12 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office charges $30 flat, per Knox Box, Knox Padlock, or siren-operated electric gate registration for the knox box / access-control device registration. 7 of the 15 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Bexar County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Post Construction Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Public Works$50–$250 flat fee of $50.00 or $250.00, depending on the outcome of a required Mitigation Worksheetissued once per project, submitted concurrently with the Stormwater Quality Site Development Permit2026-09-28
General Contractor Licensing — Bexar County Contractors Page Positiononly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeNo feenot applicable2026-09-28
Electrical Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation$110 non-refundable applicationannual2026-08-20

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 Bexar County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) FilingBexar County ClerkVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageTexas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 71 sets a 10-year term for an assumed name certificate; the Bexar County Clerk's own page does not restate the term separately2026-09-28
Annual Fire/Life-Safety InspectionBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageongoing; the Fire Marshal's Office aims to inspect each commercial occupancy on an annual cycle2026-09-28
Fire Marshal Building/Construction Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageproject-based (not recurring), except a renewal fee if construction lapses before completion2026-09-28
Knox Box / Access-Control Device Registrationonly if it applies to youBexar County Fire Marshal's Office$30 flat, per Knox Box, Knox Padlock, or siren-operated electric gate registrationone-time registration, unless the device is replaced2026-09-28
Change of Occupancy Permit/InspectionBexar County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageissued once per change of occupancy, business, or ownership event; not a recurring renewal2026-09-28
Floodplain Development Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Public Works$50 per activityissued once per qualifying activity2026-09-28
Stormwater Quality Site Development Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Public Works$500 flat, per Stormwater Quality Site Development Permit application, payable to the Bexar County Clerkissued once per project; disturbance may not begin until the permit is issued2026-09-28
Right-of-Way Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Public WorksVaries — formula on the Bexar County pageissued once per activity or connection2026-09-28
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF/Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youBexar County Environmental ServicesVaries — formula on the Bexar County pagerenewal every 5 years for an existing standard system; new installation or initial registration is a one-time permit2026-09-28
General Business License — Bexar County Positiononly if it applies to youBexar County ClerkNo feenot applicable — the County Clerk's page states that Assumed Name Certificates are not business licenses and refers license questions to the City of San Antonio2026-09-28

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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to youTexas Secretary of State$300 one-time filingno expiry2026-08-20
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to youTexas Secretary of State$25 one-time filingup to ten years, renewable2026-08-21

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 Bexar County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 15 records listed for a contractor or trade in Bexar County, TX, 3 apply to every business of this type and 12 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

7 of the 15 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Post Construction Permit: $50–$250 flat fee of $50.00 or $250.00, depending on the outcome of a required Mitigation Worksheet

The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Bexar County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Bexar County?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Bexar County, TX come from 6 separate offices: Bexar County Clerk, Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office, Bexar County Public Works, Bexar County Environmental 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.

What does a contractor or trade need in Bexar County that other businesses do not?

3 of the 3 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Bexar County: Post Construction Permit, General Contractor Licensing — Bexar County Contractors Page Position and Electrical Contractor License.

Post Construction Permit

A contractor developing a site in unincorporated Bexar County that disturbs one acre or more submits this Post Construction Permit application to Public Works alongside the Stormwater Quality Site Development Permit — the same trigger, submitted at the same time. The fee is either $50.00 or $250.00, set by the outcome of a Mitigation Worksheet the applicant completes as part of the submission. This is a distinct fee-schedule line item from the Stormwater Quality permit's own $500.00 fee, not a substitute for it.

General Contractor Licensing — Bexar County Contractors Page Position

No fee applies. Bexar County's own Contractors page lists no general contractor license or registration; its content is the Stormwater Quality Site Development Permit and post-construction permits. Texas counties have only the regulatory powers the Legislature expressly grants them. A contractor doing work in unincorporated Bexar County still needs whatever state trade credential applies to the specific trade, such as a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation electrical contractor license, and still needs the project-specific building, floodplain, stormwater, post-construction, and right-of-way permits listed as a separate Bexar County requirement. A city where the contractor works may separately require its own registration, out of scope here.

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.

The other 10 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Bexar County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Bexar County 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 Bexar County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Post Construction Permit, General Contractor Licensing — Bexar County Contractors Page Position and Electrical Contractor License. A auto repair shop needs Flammable/Combustible Liquid & Fuel System Operational Permits and Auto Repair Shop — Fire Marshal and Site Permits Apply (Bexar County), which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Bexar County, TX, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops2032
Childcare centres3033
Coffee shops4034
Fitness studios3033
Food trucks6036
Restaurants6036
Retail stores3033
Salons and barbers2032
Veterinary clinics2032

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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Bexar County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Post Construction PermitsBexar County Public Works · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  2. Contractors (contains no Bexar County general contractor license or registration)Bexar County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-28
  3. 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.