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Hiring a contractor in Arlington, TX

Anyone you hire to do construction on an Arlington property must be registered with the City as a contractor. That is true for a spoken deal or a written one, and you can look up the registration at ArlingtonPermits.com1. Replacing a water heater, windows, or more than 10 percent of a roof's covering also takes a City permit2,3,4. If a contractor is caught working without a permit, a City building inspector will issue a stop work order, and the property owner is ultimately responsible for the work3.

Who is allowed to work on an Arlington home, and how do I check them?

  • Arlington's rules say anyone you hire to do construction on your property must be registered with the City as a contractor. That is true for a spoken deal or a written one. You can look up a contractor's City registration at ArlingtonPermits.com.1 City contractor registration rules →
  • To work in Arlington, a contractor must hold an active City contractor registration. The City also has a separate Home Owner Registration. Only a person who lives in the home and says it is their main home can get one.5
  • Electricians and air-conditioning contractors are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, whose free search shows active licenses by name, license number, city, county or ZIP code.6 Search active licenses on TDLR's free lookup →
  • The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners publishes free lists of licensed plumbers and updates them every day.7 Look up a plumber on the state board's free lists →

Which Arlington home jobs need a City permit?

  • Replacing your roof covering in Arlington needs a City building permit, unless you replace 10 percent or less of the roof. The permit must be issued and posted at the job site before work starts.2
  • Replacing a water heater in Arlington needs a permit and inspections. If the water heater is in the garage, or can be reached from the garage, the new one must be raised 18 inches above the floor.3
  • In Arlington, replacing windows and outside doors needs a permit, except one solid door you can't see through, up to 24 square feet.4
  • In Arlington, replacing less than half of one side of a fence needs no permit.4
  • Since January 1, 2023, permit applications in Arlington must follow the City's building codes, the rule books for how homes and buildings are built. They are the 2021 International codes (including the ones for homes and for saving energy) and the 2020 National Electrical Code. The City Council adopted them on November 1, 2022.8
  • If a contractor is caught working without a permit, a City building inspector will issue a stop work order. Some work may have to be opened up for inspection and redone, and the property owner is ultimately responsible for the work.3

Sprinklers, tall grass and tree limbs: what does Arlington expect of owners?

  • Putting in a new sprinkler system, or adding sprinkler heads or zone valves to one, needs a City irrigation permit. Swapping a sprinkler head for a new one in the same spot does not.9
  • Arlington bans watering lawns and landscapes between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day. Hand watering and soaker hoses are allowed. Sprinkler systems installed after Jan. 1, 2007 must have a rain and freeze sensor.9
  • Arlington residents can get a free sprinkler system check-up through Arlington Water Utilities and Tarrant Regional Water District. Spots are limited and go first come, first served. You must wait two years between free check-ups, and someone who lives there must be home for it.9
  • In Arlington, grass and weeds may not grow taller than 12 inches. If an owner does not mow after the City asks, a contractor hired by the City can mow it. The owner then gets a bill for the City's costs plus a $200 administration fee.10
  • Property owners must keep tree limbs at least 14 feet above the street and at least 7 feet above the sidewalk.10
  • If you hire someone to cut tree limbs, the limbs still have to be bundled for curbside pickup or hauled straight to the Arlington Landfill. For pickup, limbs must be less than 6 inches across and less than 4 feet long, tied in bundles. Construction debris is not picked up at the curb.11

A seller is at my door. What does Arlington require of them?

  • Anyone selling goods or services door to door in Arlington needs a City license. They apply for it with the Police Chief. While selling, they must wear the license where people can see it, plus an orange reflective safety vest.12
  • Door-to-door sellers may not come to your home before 9:00 a.m., after dusk, or on a federal holiday unless you invited them. They also may not knock or ring if you post a “No Solicitation” or “No Soliciting” sign where it is easy to see, on or near your main door. The sign must be weatherproof and at least 12 square inches, with letters at least two-thirds of an inch tall.12
  • The City of Arlington does not endorse any contractor. If a contractor's flyer or paperwork uses the City's name or logo to suggest the City backs them, or that work is required at your home, ignore it.1

What should I know about Arlington's houses and their sewer lines?

  • Of Arlington's 142,455 occupied homes, 77,387 (about 54%) are lived in by their owners and 65,068 are rented.13
  • About half of the homes in Arlington were built in 1986 or earlier.14
  • In Arlington, the property owner owns and takes care of the sewer pipe that runs from the house to the City's public sewer pipe (called the main), up to and including the spot where it joins the main. If sewage backs up into your home, call Arlington Water Utilities at (817) 459-5900 and a crew will check the City's main. If the main is not blocked, you need a plumber to check your own pipe.15

What to ask an Arlington contractor at the first visit

  1. “Are you registered with the City of Arlington as a contractor?” The rule holds for a handshake deal as much as a signed one, so look the registration up yourself at ArlingtonPermits.com.1
  2. “Who is getting the permit, and will it be posted before you start?” On a re-roof, the permit must be issued and posted at the job site before work begins, and a water heater swap needs a permit and inspections. If a contractor is caught working without a permit, a City building inspector will issue a stop work order, and the owner is ultimately responsible for the work.2,3,3
  3. “Who takes the cut limbs and the job debris away?” Limbs still have to be bundled for curbside pickup or hauled straight to the Arlington Landfill, and construction debris is not picked up at the curb.11

Published by CrewButton (Econ Labs, LLC, Addison, Texas). Drafted with AI (Claude) from the sources below. Facts were checked against their sources by AI, and the page was approved by CrewButton's founder on . First published . Updated . Last reviewed .

Sources

  1. Tips for Choosing a Contractor. City of Arlington, Planning and Development Services. Read 2026-10-30.
  2. Reroof Permits & Inspections. City of Arlington, Planning and Development Services. Read 2026-10-30.
  3. Building Permits / Inspections FAQs. City of Arlington, Planning and Development Services. Read 2026-10-30.
  4. Do I Need a Permit? A DIY Guide. City of Arlington (2024-12-04). Read 2026-10-12.
  5. Contractor Registration (Business Registrations). City of Arlington, Planning and Development Services. Read 2026-10-30.
  6. TDLR Active License Search. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Read 2026-11-02.
  7. Free Licensee Lists. Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Read 2026-11-02.
  8. Building Codes. City of Arlington, Planning and Development Services. Read 2026-10-30.
  9. Water Conservation. City of Arlington, Water Utilities. Read 2026-10-30.
  10. Single Family Rapid Reference Guide. City of Arlington, Code Compliance. Read 2026-10-30.
  11. Residential Curbside Collections. City of Arlington, Garbage & Recycling. Read 2026-10-30.
  12. Door-to-Door Selling Chapter, Code of Ordinances. City of Arlington, City Secretary (Code of Ordinances) (2020-06-30). Read 2026-10-30.
  13. American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year), table B25003: Tenure, Arlington city, Texas. U.S. Census Bureau. Read 2026-10-30.
  14. American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year), table B25035: Median Year Structure Built, Arlington city, Texas. U.S. Census Bureau. Read 2026-10-30.
  15. Common Water Issues. City of Arlington, Water Utilities. Read 2026-11-02.

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