The 10 Best San Antonio, TX General Contractors

You must hire a registered Residential Building Contractor for new residential construction, additions, alterations or remodeling of existing homes that involve structural work, foundation repairs, and detached accessory buildings more than 400 square feet.

A registered Home Improvement Contractor is required for limited repairs and replacements, alterations not involving structural changes and detached accessory buildings 400 square feet or less.

The Department of Development is responsible for registering Home Improvement Contractors and Residential Building Contractors. Neither type of contractor is required to pass an examination or prove relevant work experience.

Home Improvement Contractors must submit an application, criminal background check form completed by the San Antonio Police Department, government issued photo identification and pay an annual registration fee of $75. There is no requirement for Home Improvement Contractors to hold general liability insurance to be registered.

Residential Building Contractors, who can do more extensive work than Home Improvement Contractors, must submit the same document as well as a certificate of liability insurance with minimum policy limits. Residential Building Contractors must pay a bi-annual registration fee of $170.

Registered Building Contractors are required to hold liability insurance with a minimums of $400,000 per occurrence, combined for property damage and bodily injury, $1,000,000 aggregate for property damage and bodily injury and $400,000 aggregate for products and completed operations. out above for property and bodily injury and products and completed operations. There is no similar requirement for Home Improvement Contractors. Even when city law does not require contractors to carry general liability or workers' compensation insurance, hiring contractors who do have an active policy of each insurance is highly recommended. Request a copy of each insurance certificate for your records before any work begins.

Generally, all new residential construction, additions of more than 1000 square feet or an additional story and any work that involves structural changes, such as moving or adding walls or doors, will need a building permit in San Antonio. If you build without a permit when one is required, you are subject to a citation, increased permit fees, the removal of such work, problems selling your home in the future and the risk that homeowners insurance won’t cover issues that occur as a result of non-permitted construction. If you are unsure whether your project requires a building permit, you should contact the Department’s Call Center at 210.207.1111.

The San Antonio Development and Business Services Center is responsible for issuing permits. The permit process is meant to ensure project compliance with all applicable codes and ordinances. You and your contractor should discuss who will be responsible for acquiring the permit at the outset of your project. The party that gets the permit is held responsible for any work that does not comply with city code. The Development and Business Services Center provides a variety of services to guide you through the permitting process. This includes a preliminary plan review to help you understand the requirements of your project and the general permitting process. The Services Center also offers a variety of methods for obtaining a building permit, including electronic submission. More details are available on the San Antonio Development and Business Services Center’s Website.

Contractors in San Antonio are not required to have a surety bond to conduct work on residential properties. There is no homeowner recovery fund in Texas to reimburse homeowners for faulty contractor work.

If your contractor fails to pay the employees or suppliers he uses, you could be held responsible for paying them under Texas law.

The BuildZoom score is based on a number of factors including the contractor's registration information, which is gathered from the San Antonio Department of Development; building permit data, gathered from the San Antonio Development and Business Services Center; and feedback and behavior we have observed in the BuildZoom marketplace and in other, third-party review sites.

We have analyzed every registered contractor who has worked in San Antonio, Texas. Using this information, we’re able to save you time, money and lessen your risk by providing you with a simple and straight-forward way to gather and receive multiple bids from vetted general contractors in San Antonio. Click here to get started by providing us with a few details about your project.