Research San Antonio contractors before you hire
Start with dated company evidence, then confirm the registration, trade credentials, insurance and permit responsibilities that apply to your exact project. Compare written proposals and contact companies directly. This guide offers local research starting points without requiring a lead-capture form; it is not a best-company ranking or a guarantee of results.
Guide research reviewed October 16, 2026. Company qualification dates appear separately below. Live publication and directory links were checked for this guide; the guide review did not repeat the companies’ BBB or Google checks or independently verify their credentials.
Different San Antonio work calls for different records
The City’s contractor guidance distinguishes Home Improvement Contractor registration for limited nonstructural work from Residential Building Contractor registration for structural residential projects. Electrical and plumbing work have their own trade requirements. San Antonio’s registration page says City- and State-licensed contractors must be registered with Development Services before permits are issued.
Ask which registration and license category covers the proposed work—not simply whether a company describes itself as licensed. A rating, BBB letter grade, company-advertised credential and NHA Gold recognition answer different questions. None replaces a current project-specific check. Confirm the authority for the actual property, especially outside City limits or in a neighboring municipality.
Sources: City of San Antonio · City of San Antonio
Read local profiles by service
These examples are grouped by trade, not ranked. Each profile explains its dated qualification evidence and complaint context. Confirm current availability and service to your property directly.
- PlumbSmart — Plumbing. Research: October 16, 2026. Plumbing profile covering leak repairs, drain cleaning and hydrojetting, sewer inspections, water heaters, filtration, gas lines and backflow testing. Its profile distinguishes an A+ BBB grade from accreditation. Licensing, bonding, certifications and insurance were not independently verified by NHA.
- JV Electric, LLC — Electrical. Research: October 14, 2026. Electrical contracting profile covering residential, commercial and industrial work, underground utilities, data cabling and site lighting. Its recorded Google rating was based on eight reviews—a small sample, not broad customer consensus. Licensing, bonding, certifications and insurance were not independently verified by NHA.
- One Ply Roofing Co. — Roofing. Research: October 15, 2026. Roofing profile covering residential/commercial systems, single-ply roofing, metal and composite shingles, restoration and coatings. Ask whether a proposal is for repair, coating or replacement and whether it changes the roof’s structure. Licensing, bonding, certifications and insurance were not independently verified by NHA.
- San Antonio Tree Surgeons — Tree care. Research: October 15, 2026. Tree-care profile covering pruning, removal, stump grinding, planting, diagnosis/treatment and company-advertised arborist consultation. Confirm current City credentials and any claimed professional certification independently. Licensing, bonding, certifications and insurance were not independently verified by NHA.
Each selected profile reported zero BBB complaints displayed on its own research date. That is a limited, dated reporting observation—not proof that no customer has experienced a problem. Review each profile’s current source links and complaint-context section.
Plumbing: check the State record and City registration separately
Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners guidance recommends obtaining the company’s Responsible Master Plumber name and license number, checking license validity and insurance on file, and asking the local inspection department about permits and inspections. San Antonio’s plumbing page separately describes registering the State Plumber License with the City and renewing that registration.
For a plumbing proposal, ask whether diagnosis, camera inspection, access, repair and restoration are included. Request a detailed written estimate, warranty terms and a clear assignment of permit and inspection responsibility. This guide has not checked any listed company’s RMP, insurance or City registration.
Sources: Texas plumbing consumer guidance · City of San Antonio
Electrical: match the credential to the work
TDLR states that non-exempt electrical work must be performed by licensed individuals through a licensed electrical contractor. San Antonio also identifies electrical State-license registration in its contractor guidance. Ask for the exact business and applicable license record, then confirm the proposed circuits, panel work, lighting or other scope in writing.
Ask who obtains any required permit, arranges inspections and provides completion records. Do not infer current licensing or insurance from the company’s name, a rating or NHA recognition.
Sources: Texas electrical guidance · City of San Antonio
Tree care: distinguish company credentials from property review
San Antonio lists Tree Maintenance as a separate City licensing category. A company-advertised arborist credential is not the same record as City licensing, and NHA has not independently verified either for the company shown here.
The City’s tree-preservation page provides development-related application, preservation-plan, permit and affidavit resources. Before removal or work associated with property changes, ask Development Services which review applies to the address and scope. Do not assume every existing-home pruning job requires a preservation permit—or that none does. Ask about access, equipment placement, debris removal and protection of trees that will remain.
Sources: City of San Antonio · City of San Antonio
Compare complete proposals and confirm the permit path
For roofing, separate repair, restoration/coating and replacement, and identify any structural changes, decking, flashing, drainage and cleanup. For every trade, compare the same work, materials, payment milestones, exclusions, change-order terms and warranty or follow-up responsibilities. These are comparison questions, not project diagnoses or price estimates.
Use the City’s Development Services entry page for current residential, registration and BuildSA resources. Ask the department which permits and inspections apply; do not treat a contractor’s registration, a submitted application or a portal record as proof that all project approvals are complete.
Sources: City of San Antonio
What NHA Gold does—and does not—verify
Gold profiles document BBB, directly checked Google, identity, official-service and complaint-context evidence on the profile’s own research date. Ratings, records and business details can change. NHA did not independently verify licensing, bonding, certifications or insurance for these Gold profiles.
Confirm current credentials, scope, insurance and suitability with the business and appropriate authorities before hiring. Recognition does not guarantee outcomes, availability or government approval. Read NHA’s standards, explore the directory and use the homeowner resources to continue your research.
Sources: NHA standards · Company directory · Homeowner resources
Some City permit, lookup and tree-license detail pages were unavailable during this guide review. Use the linked Development Services entry points or contact the department for current project-specific requirements. No individual City registration, license, insurance record or permit approval was verified by this guide.