Commercial Compliance Hub
Check requirements

9 permits · verified 2026-09-28

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

In short

A contractor or trade in Travis County, TX has 2 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Texas Secretary of State charges $300 one-time filing for the certificate of formation. 4 of the 9 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 Travis County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Contractor License / Registration — Travis County Positiononly if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterNo 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 Travis County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — Travis County Positiononly if it applies to youTravis County Clerk, Recording DivisionNo feenot applicable — Travis County issues no general business license2026-09-28
Building PermitTravis County Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project/permit2026-09-28
Development Permit (floodplain / stormwater)only if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per project2026-09-28
Driveway, Fence, Site-Development, Demolition/Clearing and Subdivision Permitsonly if it applies to youTravis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting CenterVaries — formula on the Travis County pageone-time per permit/project2026-09-28
Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) FilingTravis County Clerk, Recording DivisionVaries — formula on the Travis County pageTexas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 71 sets a 10-year term for an assumed name certificate statewide; the Travis County Clerk's own DBA page does not separately restate this term2026-09-28

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 Travis County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a contractor or trade in Travis County, TX, 2 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.

4 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all.

The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Travis County permits page and the TX state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Travis County?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Travis County, TX come from 5 separate offices: Travis County Clerk, Recording Division, Travis County Fire Marshal's Office, Travis County Transportation & Natural Resources (TNR), Development Services, Permitting Center, 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 Travis County that other businesses do not?

2 of the 2 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Travis County: General Contractor License / Registration — Travis County Position and Electrical Contractor License.

General Contractor License / Registration — Travis County Position

No fee applies at the county level. The Travis County Code index page lists no contractor licensing or registration chapter; specific trades such as electrical, plumbing and HVAC carry a state trade license through TDLR or another state board instead. A contractor doing work in unincorporated Travis County still needs the project-level Building Permit and TNR Development Services permits recorded as separate entries, applied to the project rather than to the contractor or business itself. A city where the contractor works, such as Austin, 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 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Travis County, TX; what each one involves is set out on the Travis 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 Travis County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs General Contractor License / Registration — Travis County Position and Electrical Contractor License. A auto repair shop needs Junkyard, Automotive Wrecking & Salvage Yard License (Ch. 249), which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Travis 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 shops1021
Childcare centres3023
Coffee shops3023
Fitness studios4024
Food trucks4024
Restaurants4024
Retail stores3023
Salons and barbers2022
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 Travis County permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Travis County Code index — by Title, Subtitle, and Chapter (Title 2 Ordinances & Regulations: Subtitles 11 Fire & Emergency, 13 Health & Safety, 15 Environment and 19 Land Development)Travis County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  2. 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.