Hiring a Licensed Pool Heater Installer in Texas

General information, not legal, engineering or insurance advice.

Hiring someone to install or replace a pool heater in Texas is a little different from other states, because Texas has no statewide license for swimming pool builders or pool contractors. Instead, the parts of a heater job are covered by trade licenses: theTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) licenses appliance installers and electricians, and the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) licenses plumbers, including for gas piping. This guide explains which license covers which part of the job, how to check a license, and what to settle before you sign.

No statewide pool builder license

You won't find a "Texas pool contractor license" to look up, and you should be wary of anyone who claims to hold one. What you can check is whether the people doing the electrical, equipment and gas work hold the state licenses for that work, and whether your city requires permits or local registration.

TDLR Residential Appliance Installation Contractors

TDLR licenses Residential Appliance Installation Contractors (RAIC), businesses that employ a licensed Residential Appliance Installer. TDLR describes the license as covering residential appliance installation, including pool-related electrical installation and maintenance.¹ In 2019 TDLR issued guidance on the scope of this work for pool equipment:²

License holders may work on the load side of the control center, which covers pool pumps, motors, heaters and related equipment, as long as the work meets the National Electrical Code.
They may add devices to an existing pool when no increase in amperage or access to the main breaker panel is needed.
If the job needs a new or upgraded circuit, only a licensed electrical contractor (with a master electrician) may offer to do that part.

Every business on this site that is marked "TDLR RAIC" appears in TDLR's public Residential Appliance Installation Contractor license file. Many are pool service and pool equipment companies; others mainly install household appliances. Ask each one whether they install the heater type you want.

Electrical contractors for new circuits

A heat pump or electric heater may need a new dedicated circuit, and a larger heat pump can need a panel upgrade. That part of the job needs a TDLR-licensed electrical contractor. Ask the installer whether your existing circuit is enough, and if not, who will do the electrical work and under which license.

TSBPE plumbers for gas lines

A gas heater needs a gas supply sized for its input. Running a new gas line or extending existing gas piping is plumbing work, and in Texas it is licensed by TSBPE. Ask who will do the gas piping, check that they hold a current TSBPE license, and ask whether the gas work needs its own permit and inspection. A few pool and spa plumbing companies on this site are listed from TSBPE's Responsible Master Plumber file and marked "TSBPE RMP".

City permits and inspections

Permits are set locally. Many Texas cities require electrical, plumbing or gas permits for a new heater, and some require contractors to register with the city. Rules outside city limits can differ. Check with your city's building or permitting office, ask your contractor who pulls each permit, and keep the permit numbers and final inspection records. HOA rules may also affect where equipment can go.

How to check a license

Ask for the contractor's TDLR license number (and, for gas work, the plumber's TSBPE license number).
Look it up on the TDLR license search. For plumbers, use the license lookup on the TSBPE website.
Confirm the license is current and that the name matches the business on your quote and contract.

Every listing on our site shows the license number and expiration date from the state file as of the date we downloaded it. Licenses can expire or change, so check the live record before you sign.

Get it in writing

Before work starts, get a written quote or contract that includes:

The business name and license numbers.
The heater make, model and output, and how it was sized (see our sizing guide).
Exactly what's included: equipment, plumbing, electrical and gas work, permits, haul-away of old equipment.
Who pulls which permits and arranges inspections.
The payment schedule and the manufacturer and labor warranties.

Compare 2–3 written quotes. We don't publish prices because they depend on your pool, equipment pad and electrical or gas service.

If something goes wrong

Start by raising the problem with the contractor in writing. If it isn't resolved and the issue involves licensed work, TDLR and TSBPE both take complaints about the people they license; see the TDLR andTSBPE websites for how to file.

Sources

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, “Apply for a New Residential Appliance Installation Contractor License”.
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, “Residential Appliance Installers authorized scope of work and service pool related electrical devices” (January 8, 2019).
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, license search.
Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, tsbpe.texas.gov.