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Hiring a contractor in Plano, TX

The City of Plano says a contractor must be registered with the City before doing any work1. A City permit is needed to replace or add a water heater, to put in or replace a furnace or air conditioner, to put in lawn sprinklers and to replace a roof1. You can get a permit to do work at your own home without registering, but the City warns that if you get the permit for a contractor's work, you become responsible for that work2,1.

What work needs a Plano permit, and what doesn't?

  • In Plano, you need a City permit to replace or add a water heater, to put in or replace a furnace or air conditioner, to put in lawn sprinklers, and to replace a roof. Cosmetic work like painting, wallpaper, carpet, cabinets and trim does not need a permit. Neither does swapping a fixture on existing wiring or plumbing.1 Simple permit application: HVAC, plumbing, re-roof, irrigation (PDF) →
  • Replacing a roof in Plano takes a City roof permit, but re-roof work on 25% of the roof or less does not need one. The permit includes a final roof inspection that checks the attic: vent pipes through the roof, rafters in place, and water heater and furnace exhaust vents put back right. To skip the City's inspection, the homeowner has to sign a form saying the roofer did that check.3
  • In Plano, you don't need a fence permit to repair 25% or less of a fence in a 12-month period. If a new fence goes up alongside an old fence on the same lot, within three feet of it, the old fence has to come out. Fences need a final inspection (and a footing inspection if there are footings), and whoever holds the permit has to ask for it.4 Miscellaneous simple permit application (PDF) →
  • Since August 1, 2025, Plano's building rules for houses have been a rulebook called the 2024 International Residential Code, with Plano's own changes (Ordinance No. 2025-6-15). Under Plano's version, a shed or other building that is one story and stands apart from the house can skip a building permit only if its floor area is 120 square feet or less.2

Does a contractor have to register with the City of Plano?

  • In Plano, a contractor must be registered with the City to get a building permit. Electrical, irrigation, heating-and-air (mechanical) and plumbing contractors must show proof of their Texas licenses and insurance. The City can suspend a contractor's registration if it doesn't get its permits through the required inspections, or if its required license, bond or insurance expires or is taken away. Homeowners can get permits to do work at their own home without registering.2 Contractor registration form (PDF) →
  • Plano's building office says contractors must be registered with the City before they do any work. Be wary of a contractor who asks you to get the permit for their work: if you get it, you are responsible for their work. Before the job starts, ask to see the permit.1
  • Plano has a registration for companies that haul construction debris. The company applies with the City's Building Inspections Department, lists the trucks it will use, and attaches a sealed $10,000 bond. The City issues Plano tag numbers for its trucks.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 →

What do Plano permits cost, how do you book inspections, and how long does a permit last?

  • Plano's building permit fees (Ordinance No. 2025-11-4, in effect since January 2, 2026) include $75 for a home re-roof, $85 for each simple home trade permit (electrical, plumbing or mechanical), and $150 for home solar panels. General contractors and irrigation contractors each pay a $100 yearly registration fee.8
  • When Plano issues a permit, it comes with a list of the inspections the job needs, with the inspector's name and phone number. You can book inspections online in the City's E-Trakit system (you set up an E-Trakit account first), by text message through SelecTXT, or by calling 972-941-7140. For home plans, the City aims to send its review comments within 5 working days.9 Schedule inspections by text: SelecTXT steps (PDF) →
  • A Plano permit expires if work doesn't start within 180 days of when it's issued. It also expires 180 days after the last inspection, or if work stops or is abandoned. Each inspection on an active permit pushes the deadline out another 180 days. An expired permit can be renewed only once, for half the original building permit fee, if the plans haven't changed and it hasn't been expired more than six months. Ten working days after a permit expires, the City puts the responsible contractor's registration on hold.10

What does Plano say about sprinklers, watering and tree work?

  • Plano's spring and summer watering guidelines apply only from April 1 to October 31. During those months, your watering days go by the last digit of your address. Addresses ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 water on Mondays and Thursdays. Addresses ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 water on Tuesdays and Fridays. Sprinklers may not run between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. You can water for up to 2 hours on any day with a hand-held hose or a soaker hose.11
  • In Plano, a lawn sprinkler system needs a backflow device. It stops water from flowing back from your property into the City's water system. Every kind of device the City allows for sprinklers must be tested. The test has to be done by a backflow tester registered with the City's Utility Operations Backflow Division. The tester's report must reach the City's Utility Operations Division within 10 calendar days after the test.12
  • If you own your home and have a City of Plano water account in good standing, the City gives a $50 water bill credit for adding a rain/freeze sensor to an existing sprinkler system (one per household). You get $25 more if a licensed irrigation professional installs it; include the invoice. Buy the sensor from a store in Plano, and get your application to the City within 120 days of buying it. New sprinkler systems, and systems that already have a sensor, don't qualify. You don't need an irrigation permit to add the sensor. The City can change or end the program at any time.13 Rain and freeze sensor application (PDF) →
  • A City of Plano tip sheet on hiring someone to remove a tree says to ask any tree company for a certificate of insurance (a paper showing it has insurance), because an accident on your property could leave you, the homeowner, responsible. It says the company should have workers' comp (insurance for its workers) that covers tree climbers and tree care, not landscaper insurance. It also says to be careful with people who come to your door selling tree work.14

Are Plano's homes mostly owned, and how old are they?

  • Of Plano's 112,438 occupied homes, 64,016 (about 57%) are lived in by their owners and 48,422 are rented.15
  • About half of the homes in Plano were built in 1993 or earlier.16

Three questions to put to a Plano contractor up front

  1. “Are you registered with the City of Plano?” The City says a contractor must be, before any work starts. To register, an electrical, plumbing, irrigation or heating-and-air contractor has to show the City proof of a Texas license and insurance. Electrician, air-conditioning and plumbing licenses can be checked on the state's free lookups.1,2,6,7
  2. “Will you get the permit, and can I see it before you start?” The City says to ask to see it, and to be wary of a contractor who wants you to get it instead: if you get it, you are responsible for their work.1
  3. “Who books the inspections?” A Plano permit comes with its own list of the inspections the job needs. If a contractor doesn't get its permits through the required inspections, the City can suspend its registration. A permit expires if work doesn't start within 180 days or if work stops, and each inspection pushes the deadline out another 180 days.9,10,2

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 on Contractor Selection (page 2 of the City of Plano Building Inspections Department handout When Is a Permit Required?, REV. 09/28/16). City of Plano, Building Inspections Department (2016-09-28). Read 2026-10-30.
  2. Ordinance No. 2025-6-15, Section R105.3 (2024 International Residential Code with Plano amendments, effective August 1, 2025). City of Plano (2025-06-09). Read 2026-10-30.
  3. Re-Roof Residential Permit Requirements and Certification of Final Roof Installation (City of Plano Building Inspection Department, REV. 09/16/16). City of Plano, Building Inspections Department (2016-09-16). Read 2026-10-30.
  4. Residential Fence Permit - Requirements (City of Plano Building Inspection Department, REV. 08/25/25). City of Plano, Building Inspections Department (2025-08-25). Read 2026-10-30.
  5. Application for Registration of Solid Waste Disposal Contractor (City of Plano Building Inspections Department, REV. 01/15/20). City of Plano, Building Inspections Department (2020-01-15). 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. Ordinance No. 2025-11-4, Building Inspections Department Fee Schedule (Exhibit A). City of Plano, Building Inspections Department (2025-11-10). Read 2026-10-30.
  9. Customer's Guide to the Building Permit Process (City of Plano Building Inspections, revised 10/8/2024). City of Plano, Building Inspections Department (2024-10-08). Read 2026-10-30.
  10. Renewal of Expired Permit Process (City of Plano Building Inspections Department, NEW 03/07/2023). City of Plano, Building Inspections Department (2023-03-07). Read 2026-10-30.
  11. City of Plano's Recommended Watering Guidelines, Spring/Summer (effective April 1 - October 31). City of Plano, Water Resources. Read 2026-11-02.
  12. City of Plano Backflow Prevention Information Sheet (REV. 09/07/2021). City of Plano, Building Inspections Department / Utility Operations (2021-09-07). Read 2026-11-02.
  13. Residential Rain and Freeze Sensor Application (City of Plano Water Rebate Program, last updated October 2025). City of Plano, Water Conservation (2025-10). Read 2026-10-30.
  14. How to Hire a Contractor for Tree Removal (City of Plano tip sheet; file name: Selecting Contractors to Remove Trees). City of Plano. Read 2026-10-30.
  15. American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year), table B25003: Tenure, Plano city, Texas. U.S. Census Bureau. Read 2026-10-30.
  16. American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year), table B25035: Median Year Structure Built, Plano city, Texas. U.S. Census Bureau. Read 2026-10-30.

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