How to choose a remodeling contractor in Austin
Texas does not license residential remodelers. Here is what protects you instead, and the questions that separate builders from salesmen.
By Guello Construction · Austin, TX · Updated October 31, 2026
01Guide
Start with the thing most people get wrong
Texas does not issue a state license for residential general contractors or remodelers. Anyone with a truck can call themselves one. Plumbers, electricians, and HVAC contractors are licensed by the state, but the person coordinating your whole kitchen is not required to hold anything. So a "licensed and insured" line on a van means less here than it does in most states.
What actually protects you is insurance you have seen, permits pulled in the contractor's name, a written fixed scope, and a payment schedule tied to completed work. Ask for all four. A real builder has them ready and is glad you asked.
02Guide
Questions to ask before you sign
These take fifteen minutes and tell you most of what you need to know.
- Can I see your general liability certificate, and will your insurer send it to me directly? (The answer should be yes, the same day.)
- Who pulls the permits, and in whose name? (It should be the contractor, in the company name, never the homeowner.)
- Is the price fixed for the written scope, or is it an estimate that can grow? (Fixed. Changes should be priced in writing before they happen.)
- How is payment scheduled? (A deposit for materials and the start date, then draws tied to milestones. Half up front is a warning sign, and no payment should run ahead of the work.)
- Who is on my job every day, and who do I call? (You want a name and a cell number, and ideally it is the owner.)
- Who are your plumber and electrician, and how long have you worked with them? (Stable trade relationships are how schedules hold.)
- What is your written warranty on workmanship?
- Can I talk to two clients from the last year, and see one finished job in person?
- How do you contain dust and protect the rest of the house?
- What happens when you open a wall and find a surprise? (Photographs, a priced fix, your approval, then work continues. Nothing gets covered up until you have seen it.)
03Guide
Red flags
A price quoted on the spot without measuring. A large deposit, especially cash. A suggestion to skip permits to save money. A contract that says "allowances" for cabinets and tile without numbers behind them, because that is how a low bid becomes a high invoice. A salesperson you will never see again after signing. Pressure to decide today because a discount expires.
One more: the lowest bid by a wide margin. In remodeling, three bids that agree and one that is 30 percent lower usually means the low bidder missed something, and you will pay for it later as a change order.
04Guide
What a good estimate looks like
It is written. It names every room and every trade. It lists the finishes with real product selections or hard allowances that are high enough to buy what you actually want. It states the permit plan, the schedule, the payment milestones, and the warranty. It is signed by the person who will run the job. If an estimate is one page with a single number on it, it is a guess, not a scope.
That is how we write ours, and we are glad to be compared on it.
05Questions
Asked at most walkthroughs
No. Texas has no state license for residential general contractors or remodelers. Plumbers, electricians, and HVAC contractors are state-licensed, and a good general contractor uses licensed trades for that work. What protects you is insurance, permits, a written fixed scope, and references.
Enough to reserve your start date and cover early material orders, typically 10 to 25 percent depending on how much custom material has to be ordered up front. Fifty percent up front is a warning sign. Payments after the deposit should follow completed milestones, with the final payment after your walkthrough.
Two or three is reasonable, as long as they are bidding the same written scope. Comparing a one-page number against a detailed scope tells you nothing. Ask each contractor to price the same selections and the same square footage, and compare what each one includes before you compare the totals.
Yes. We walk the house, talk through the project, and come back with a fixed written scope and price at no charge. The person who writes it is the owner, and he is the person who runs the job.
Free Estimate
Want a real number for your house?
A walkthrough and a fixed written scope, free. Or call the owner: (630) 827-2735