CrewButton

Hiring a contractor in Richardson, TX

Every contractor has to register with the City of Richardson before the City will give them a permit, and the City's list of registered contractors lets you check a name before you hire1. City permits cover jobs such as a new roof, re-cover (new roofing laid over the old) or roof repair over 25% of the roof, a fence 2½ feet tall or taller, and a lawn sprinkler system put in at a home2,3,4. Below are the City's rules on permits and inspections, watering days, door-to-door sellers, rentals and sewer clogs, each with a link to its source.

How do you check a Richardson contractor before you hire?

  • Every contractor must register with the City of Richardson before the City will give them a permit. Registration costs $100 and lasts one year. Before you hire, look the contractor up on the City's list of registered contractors, which is updated almost daily.1 Check the Registered Contractor List →
  • 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.5 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.6 Look up a plumber on the state board's free lists →
  • After a storm, the City says not to pay for the whole job up front or in cash. In a disaster area, Texas law bars a contractor from taking money up front unless they have had a physical business address in the county, or the next county, for at least one year.7

Which Richardson jobs need a City permit and inspection?

  • A new roof, a re-cover (new roofing laid over the old), or a roof repair needs a City permit when the work is more than 25% of the whole roof. If new roof decking (the boards under the roofing) goes on, the City inspects it, and the City does a final inspection when the job is done. The permit must be approved and posted at the house before work starts.2
  • Any fence 2½ feet tall or taller needs a City permit. So does replacing 25% or more of a fence, or building a new or longer fence line. Fences can be up to 8 feet tall from the back property line to the front wall of the house. Past the front wall, fences can be only 3 feet tall, must be decorative, and need the Building Official's OK. Fence builders must be registered with the City.3
  • A fence around a swimming pool must be at least 4 feet tall, with no opening bigger than 4 inches. Every gate needs a self-closing, self-latching device in the top quarter of the gate. The fence must fully enclose the pool, and an electric sliding gate does not meet that rule.3
  • Richardson does inspections twice a day. Ask before 8 a.m. and the inspector comes between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. Ask between 8 a.m. and noon and the inspector comes between 1:00 and 4:30 p.m. You can schedule online at any time, and the inspector leaves a tag at the house.8 Online permits and inspections →
  • On April 24, 2023, the City Council voted to make these Richardson's building rules: the 2021 International Codes, including the 2021 International Residential Code for houses, and the 2020 edition of the electrical code, with regional and local changes.9

What are Richardson's rules for sprinklers and yards?

  • Licensed sprinkler installers must register with the City ($100) to get permits. A home sprinkler permit costs $100. A homeowner putting in a system at the home they own and live in (their homestead) still needs the permit and pays the same permit fee. When an existing system is repaired, rain/freeze sensors must be installed.4
  • In Richardson, sprinklers may run only on your two watering days: even-numbered addresses on Tuesday and Saturday, odd-numbered addresses on Wednesday and Sunday. One exception is a smart sprinkler system: it may run as needed, but it needs a variance (special permission) from the City. Using a poorly kept sprinkler system is not allowed. For a first ticket, you can skip court by pleading guilty or no contest and paying a $150 fine. A second ticket, or one written as an aggravated offense, means going before a judge.10
  • Richardson and the North Texas Municipal Water District offer free home sprinkler checkups. Utility account holders whose system has one controller and no more than 12 zones can get one. Homeowners or renters can ask once every 12 months. The checker does not fix anything; you can hire a licensed irrigator (a licensed sprinkler installer) for repairs. You ask online, and requests open on the 20th of the month before the visit.11
  • Grass and weeds break Richardson code when they reach 12 inches. You must keep them cut on your property, on the grass strip between your yard and the street (the parkway), and along the alley next to your home. Trees and bushes must be trimmed 7 feet above sidewalks, 14 feet above streets and alleys, and 1 foot back from the alley pavement.12

Who fixes a sewer clog, and who may haul debris or knock on your door?

  • The City takes care of the main sewer line. If the City put in a two-way cleanout on the sewer pipe at your home, the City also takes care of the pipe from that cleanout to the main. To ask the City to work on that cleanout, call the Response Center at 972-744-4111. A clog between the cleanout and your house is yours to fix, so you call a plumber.13
  • In Richardson, construction and remodel debris must be hauled by a company the City has franchised or permitted. The hauler signs the deal directly with its customer and sends that customer the bill. The City posts its list of permitted haulers.14 See the City's permitted haulers →
  • Door-to-door sellers in Richardson need a City permit. Some are exempt, such as salespeople licensed by the state and companies with a City or State franchise. Each seller needs their own permit and must show it where you can see it. They may not solicit before 9 a.m. or later than 30 minutes after sunset, Monday to Saturday. They may not solicit at all on Sunday, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July Fourth, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas.15 Solicitation permit page →

Are most Richardson homes owned or rented?

  • Of Richardson's 45,818 occupied homes, 23,246 (about 51%) are lived in by their owners and 22,572 are rented.16
  • About half of the homes in Richardson were built in 1986 or earlier.17
  • Rental homes in Richardson's rental registration program get a required outside inspection each year. If you rent one, you can ask the City for an inside inspection at any time by calling 972-744-4185.18

Ask a Richardson contractor these three things before you sign

  1. “Is your City of Richardson registration current?” Registration lasts one year from the day the contractor registered, and the City will not give a permit to a contractor who has not registered. For electrical or air-conditioning work, also look up the state license on TDLR's free search; for plumbing, use the state plumbing board's free lists.1,5,6
  2. “Will you get the permit and post it before you start?” A roof job over 25% of the roof needs an approved permit posted at the house before work starts. A fence 2½ feet tall or taller needs a permit too, and fence builders must be registered with the City.2,3
  3. “Who hauls the debris, and how much do you want before the work is done?” Remodel debris must go with a hauler the City has franchised or permitted, and that hauler signs the deal directly with its customer and bills that customer. After a storm, the City says not to pay for the whole job up front or in cash.14,7

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. Contractor Registration | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Building Inspection. Read 2026-10-30.
  2. Roof Repair / Replacement | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Building Inspection. Read 2026-10-30.
  3. Fence Construction | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Building Inspection. Read 2026-10-30.
  4. Lawn Irrigation | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Building Inspection. Read 2026-11-02.
  5. TDLR Active License Search. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Read 2026-11-02.
  6. Free Licensee Lists. Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Read 2026-11-02.
  7. What to do if your home has sustained severe weather damage | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Building Inspection. Read 2026-10-30.
  8. Contact Us / FAQ | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Building Inspection. Read 2026-10-30.
  9. Adopted Codes | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Building Inspection. Read 2026-10-30.
  10. Water Conservation | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Public Services – Water. Read 2026-11-02.
  11. Free Sprinkler Check-ups Available to Richardson Residents | Richardson Today. City of Richardson (Richardson Today) (2026-10-30). Read 2026-10-30.
  12. Residential Code Enforcement | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Community Services – Code Enforcement. Read 2026-10-30.
  13. Frequently Asked Questions | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Public Services – Water Utility Operations. Read 2026-11-02.
  14. Construction & Demolition/Renovation (C&D) | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Public Services – Trash/Recycling. Read 2026-10-30.
  15. Frequently Asked Questions (For Residents) – Solicitor Permits. City of Richardson, Police Department. Read 2026-10-30.
  16. American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year), table B25003: Tenure, Richardson city, Texas. U.S. Census Bureau. Read 2026-10-30.
  17. American Community Survey 2020–2024 (5-year), table B25035: Median Year Structure Built, Richardson city, Texas. U.S. Census Bureau. Read 2026-10-30.
  18. Rental Registration | Richardson, TX. City of Richardson, Community Services – Code Enforcement. Read 2026-11-02.

Neither CrewButton nor this information is endorsed by the State of Texas or any state agency.