In Texas, a handyman can legally do most cosmetic and maintenance work on a home without any state license, including drywall, painting, flooring, non-structural carpentry, fencing, pressure washing, and minor deck and window repairs. The state doesn’t recognize “handyman” or “residential building contractor” as regulated trades, so you can advertise your services and get paid without passing an exam.1Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Programs Licensed and Regulated by TDLR What you can’t do is plumbing, electrical, or HVAC work, and federal rules add a lead-paint certification requirement for older homes that catches a lot of unlicensed contractors off guard.
Interior Work You Can Take On
Most of what people hire a handyman for lives inside the house, and almost all of it is open to you. Patching drywall, hanging new sheets, taping joints, texturing, and prepping walls for paint are unregulated. So is the painting itself, interior staining, and wallpaper work.
Flooring is another core category. Pulling up carpet, prepping subfloors, and laying hardwood, laminate, vinyl plank, or tile all fall in the unlicensed zone. Carpentry is fine as long as you stay away from the structural frame. Baseboards, crown molding, door and window trim, closet shelving, and pre-fabricated cabinet installation are all fair game. Cutting into a load-bearing wall is a different animal and usually requires an engineer’s sign-off and a building permit, even though Texas has no general contractor license.
Exterior and Outdoor Projects
Fence repair and installation, gutter cleaning, and pressure washing driveways, siding, and decks are standard handyman services with no state licensing requirement. Minor deck repairs like swapping weathered boards are fine as long as you’re not altering supports or footings. Landscaping, mowing, tree planting, flower bed installation, and hedge trimming are all unregulated at the state level.
Replacing a window in an existing opening with a same-sized unit is generally treated as maintenance rather than construction, though the city may still require a permit. Cutting a new opening or resizing a rough frame crosses into structural modification.
Roofing Is Currently Unregulated
Texas does not currently require a state license for residential roofing or reroofing, so roof repair and shingle replacement sit in the same open category as other exterior work.2Texas Capitol. Bill Analysis for C.S.H.B. 3344 A bill introduced in the 89th Legislature, H.B. 3344, would create a reroofing contractor license administered by TDLR, with licensing potentially starting as early as mid-2026. It hasn’t been signed into law, but if roofing is a meaningful part of your business, watch it. Many cities already require a building permit for reroofing regardless of what the state does.
Plumbing, Electrical, and HVAC Are Off-Limits
The three trades that get handymen in trouble are plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. Each has its own chapter of the Texas Occupations Code, each has its own licensing board, and each carries real penalties for unlicensed work.
Plumbing
Chapter 1301 of the Occupations Code requires anyone performing plumbing work for the public to hold a license issued by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. “Plumbing work” covers much more than pipe fitting. Replacing a water heater, modifying supply lines, and rerouting drains all count. Administrative penalties run up to $5,000 per violation, with each day the violation continues treated as a separate offense, and a civil penalty of $50 to $1,000 per day can apply after you receive notice.3State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1301 – Plumbers
A few narrow exemptions exist. Homeowners doing plumbing on their own homestead don’t need a license. Maintenance workers employed by a building or property management company can handle incidental plumbing on the employer’s premises if they aren’t offering those services to the public. Appliance installation (connecting a dishwasher or ice maker to an existing valve) is exempt, with one notable exception: water heaters still require a licensed plumber.3State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1301 – Plumbers None of these exemptions cover a handyman hired by a homeowner, so don’t assume you can swap a faucet for a client just because the homeowner could do it themselves.
Electrical
Chapter 1305 requires a license for installing or repairing electrical wiring and systems. Replacing outlets, swapping breakers, running new circuits, and wiring light fixtures all require credentials. Performing unlicensed electrical work is a Class C misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $500 per offense, and TDLR can impose administrative penalties on top of the criminal charge.4State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1305 – Electricians
Some categories are carved out. Low-voltage work like communications wiring, fire alarm circuits, and landscape lighting doesn’t require an electrical license. Residential appliance repair using same-type replacement components is also exempt when performed by or on behalf of the appliance dealer or manufacturer.4State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1305 – Electricians Hanging a ceiling fan on existing wiring is a gray area that varies by municipality. Check with the local building department before touching anything connected to a breaker panel.
HVAC
Chapter 1302 covers air conditioning and refrigeration contracting, including the design, installation, repair, and maintenance of environmental air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, and process heating or cooling systems.5State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1302 – Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors Charging refrigerant, replacing compressors, servicing furnaces, and installing ductwork all require a license. TDLR fines run from $500 to $1,000 for working outside your license classification and $2,000 to $5,000 for working with no license at all, plus a probated suspension or full revocation of future licensing privileges.6Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors Penalties and Sanctions Changing a filter or thermostat doesn’t count as contracting. Anything beyond that is risky.
Lead Paint Certification for Pre-1978 Homes
Federal law adds a licensing layer the state doesn’t. Under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting rule, any paid renovation work in a home built before 1978 that disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface per room inside, or 20 square feet outside, requires both individual and firm certification.7eCFR. 40 CFR Part 745 Subpart E – Residential Property Renovation That threshold is small. A single doorframe scrape-and-repaint job can clear it.
Individual renovator certification requires a one-day training course from an EPA-accredited provider. Your business also needs separate firm certification. Once certified, you have to train uncertified workers on your site and follow lead-safe work practices during the job. EPA enforcement runs independently of state penalties, and fines can reach tens of thousands of dollars per violation. If older homes are a big part of your pipeline, budget for certification early.
Local Registration and Permits Still Apply
No state license doesn’t mean no local paperwork. Many Texas cities require contractors, including unlicensed handymen, to register with the local building department before performing work. Fort Worth, for example, charges $168.75 per year for building contractor registration.8City of Fort Worth. Contractor Registration Working without registration can mean denied permits, withheld inspections, and suspended registration privileges.9City of Canyon, TX Generally – eCode360. City of Canyon TX Code of Ordinances Chapter 4 Building Regulations – Section: Contractor Registration
Separate from registration, many projects require a building permit even when the person doing the work needs no state license. Cities commonly require permits for reroofing, fence installation beyond minor repairs, structural additions, patio covers, and window replacements. The permit exists to trigger inspections, not to gatekeep who does the work. Pulling one when required protects you and the homeowner, and skipping one can create title and insurance problems for the property later. Requirements vary significantly even between neighboring municipalities, so check each city where you take jobs.
Contract and Advertising Rules That Apply to You
If you solicit or close a deal at the customer’s home, Texas law gives the customer three business days to cancel for any reason. Under Business and Commerce Code Chapter 601, you must provide a signed contract or receipt at the time of the agreement, with a detachable cancellation notice printed in at least 10-point bold type.10State of Texas. Texas Business and Commerce Code Section 601.051 – Consumers Right to Cancel The notice has to include the specific language the statute prescribes, telling the buyer they can cancel by midnight of the third business day.11State of Texas. Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 601 – Cancellation of Certain Consumer Transactions Skip this and the customer can void the contract outright.
Be honest in advertising about what you are. The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act prohibits representing that you have a “sponsorship, approval, status, affiliation, or connection” that you don’t actually have.12State of Texas. Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 17 – Deceptive Trade Practices Calling yourself “licensed” or “bonded” in marketing materials, business cards, or your website when you’re neither is a straightforward DTPA violation. The DTPA lets consumers recover damages and attorney’s fees, so even a small misrepresentation can become expensive.
Protecting Yourself
Texas is the only state where private employers can choose whether to carry workers’ compensation. If you work solo, there’s no penalty for going without, but there’s also no safety net if you get hurt. If you hire helpers, going without coverage means an injured worker can sue you directly, and you’d be personally on the hook for medical bills and lost wages.
General liability insurance is a separate decision and arguably the more important one. A commercial general liability policy covers claims for bodily injury and property damage arising from your work, including damage discovered after you leave.13Texas Department of Insurance. Commercial General Liability Insurance One exclusion to understand: most CGL policies won’t pay to fix your own defective work, only the resulting damage to other property. Texas doesn’t require handymen to carry liability insurance, but many homeowners and property managers won’t hire you without it.
If a customer later claims your work was defective, Texas has a specific process that applies to handymen just as much as to licensed general contractors. Under the Residential Construction Liability Act, Property Code Chapter 27, the homeowner must send you written notice by certified mail at least 60 days before filing suit, describing the defect in reasonable detail. You then get an inspection period and the chance to make a written settlement offer, which can include an offer to repair the work yourself.14State of Texas. Texas Property Code Chapter 27 – Residential Construction Liability Keeping clear records on every job (written scope of work, before-and-after photos, material receipts) is the single best thing you can do to protect yourself if a dispute reaches that stage.