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11 permits · verified 2026-09-27

What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Harris County?

In short

A salon or barber in Harris County, TX has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Harris County Engineering Department, Office of the County Engineer, Permits Division charges $120 flat fee for a Certificate of Compliance; a Certificate of Non-Compliance, issued when the inspection fails, is $520.00 flat (fee schedule effective September 1, 2023) for the certificate of compliance. 5 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-27 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a salon or barber in Harris County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Salon / Cosmetology Licensing — State TDLR License Applies (Harris County)only if it applies to youHarris County Engineering Department, Office of the County Engineer, Permits DivisionNo feenot applicable2026-09-27
Barbering and Cosmetology Establishment LicenseTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation$78 per license periodtwo years2026-08-21

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Harris County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Fire Code Construction FeeHarris County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Harris County pageone-time per project, issued alongside the Engineering building/development permit above2026-09-27
Floodplain Development Permitonly if it applies to youHarris County Engineering Department, Office of the County Engineer, Permits DivisionVaries — formula on the Harris County pageissued once per project2026-09-27
Sign Permit (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction / Toll Road)only if it applies to youHarris County Engineering Department, Office of the County Engineer, Permits DivisionVaries — formula on the Harris County pageone-time; construction must be completed within 180 days of issuance2026-09-27
Certificate of ComplianceHarris County Engineering Department, Office of the County Engineer, Permits Division$120 flat fee for a Certificate of Compliance; a Certificate of Non-Compliance, issued when the inspection fails, is $520.00 flat (fee schedule effective September 1, 2023)issued once per approved project or occupancy; not a recurring renewal2026-09-27
Commercial Building/Development PermitHarris County Engineering Department, Office of the County Engineer, Permits DivisionVaries — formula on the Harris County pageone-time per project/permit2026-09-27
Stormwater Quality (SWQ) Permitonly if it applies to youHarris County Engineering Department, Office of the County Engineer, Permits DivisionVaries — formula on the Harris County pageannual renewal required to keep the permit active2026-09-27

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
Texas Sales and Use Tax PermitTexas Comptroller of Public AccountsNo fee — there is no fee for this permitno expiry while actively engaged in business2026-08-21

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 salon or barber in Harris County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a salon or barber in Harris County, TX, 5 apply to every business of this type and 6 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 5 that always apply, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $198.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all.

The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Harris County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Harris County?

Permits for a salon or barber in Harris County, TX come from 5 separate offices: Harris County Fire Marshal's Office, Harris County Engineering Department, Office of the County Engineer, Permits Division, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a salon or barber need in Harris County that other businesses do not?

2 of the 2 permits particular to a salon or barber here apply to no other business type we cover in Harris County: Salon / Cosmetology Licensing — State TDLR License Applies (Harris County) and Barbering and Cosmetology Establishment License.

Salon / Cosmetology Licensing — State TDLR License Applies (Harris County)

No fee applies. Harris County Engineering's Permits A to Z page lists no salon license; cosmetology and salon establishment licensing is a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation function, recorded at the state layer. Ordinary building, Fire Code and, in unincorporated Harris County, Certificate of Compliance requirements still apply to a salon's premises as they would to any commercial space.

Barbering and Cosmetology Establishment License

Establishment licenses are valid for two years from the date of issue, so the $78 is a two-year cost rather than an annual one — worth halving before you compare it with a yearly permit elsewhere. The fee applies to standard and specialty establishments; a mini-establishment license is $70. It covers full-service, mobile and specialty establishments, and applies to licenses expiring on or after 1 September 2023. Individual practitioners are licensed separately from the establishment, so a salon needs both its own license and a license for each operator working in it.

The other 6 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Harris County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Harris County permits page. The 3 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TX and are covered on the TX state page.

How does a salon or barber compare with other businesses in Harris County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Salon / Cosmetology Licensing — State TDLR License Applies (Harris County) and Barbering and Cosmetology Establishment License. A auto repair shop needs Repair Garage / Motor Fuel-Dispensing Facility Operational Permit, which a salon or barber does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Harris County, TX, compared with a salon or barber
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a salon or barberOnly a salon or barber needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1021
Childcare centres1021
Coffee shops6026
Contractors and trades2022
Fitness studios2022
Food trucks5025
Restaurants7027
Retail stores5025
Veterinary clinics2022

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 Harris County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Permits (Engineering's own list of the permits it administers, and the Certificate of Compliance unincorporated-area scope statement)Harris County Engineering Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
  2. Barbering and Cosmetology Fee Changes — 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.