Data sources
Every business in our directory traces back to one of these public registries or to an owner-submitted listing. We never invent rows. Each section below explains what the source is, exactly which records we pull, and how often we refresh.
Texas TSBPE Licensed Plumber registry
State or local licensing authorityWhat it is. The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) licenses every plumber working in Texas under the Plumbing License Law (Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1301). Plumbing is regulated to protect the potable water supply, so TSBPE holds the statewide license roster. Each active license carries the plumber's name, license number, and license grade (tradesman, journeyman, or master), plus the Responsible Master Plumber designation companies operate under.
How we use it. We import active TSBPE-licensed plumbers and tag them with source_name='TX TSBPE' so they can be filtered or removed in bulk if the licensing relationship ever changes. Cert chips on each profile name the specific TSBPE license grade held.
Refresh cadence. Re-pulled quarterly; on-demand when a license lapses.
Citation: Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (tsbpe.texas.gov)
Texas Open Data Portal license datasets
State or local licensing authorityWhat it is. The State of Texas open-data portal publishes state licensing datasets -- including plumbing license records -- through a public Socrata API. Records include the licensee name, license number, type, and current status.
How we use it. Pulled from the Socrata endpoint filtered to plumbing license types with ACTIVE status. Tagged with source_name='Texas Open Data Portal' and deduped against the TSBPE roster by name + license number.
Refresh cadence. Re-pulled weekly.
Citation: Texas Open Data Portal (data.texas.gov)
Municipal contractor registrations
State or local licensing authorityWhat it is. Most large Texas cities (Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth and others) require plumbing companies to register with the local permitting office before pulling permits inside city limits. These contractor-registration rolls are public records published by each city.
How we use it. Used as a company-level cross-check and tagged with source_name='Municipal Registration' where a city roll is the primary source. Statewide TX coverage flows through TX TSBPE.
Refresh cadence. Re-pulled quarterly.
Citation: City permitting offices (e.g. houstonpermittingcenter.org)
PHCC of Texas member directory
Professional associationWhat it is. The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association of Texas (PHCC of Texas) is the state's leading plumbing trade association. Its public member directory lists member firms that invest in apprenticeship, training, and code-compliance standards.
How we use it. Member firms are matched against listings we already have and tagged with the 'PHCC Member' credential. We do not auto-create listings from association membership alone.
Refresh cadence. Re-pulled quarterly.
Citation: PHCC of Texas (phcc-tx.org)
Texas Secretary of State business registry
State or local licensing authorityWhat it is. The Texas Secretary of State publishes the public business-entity database -- corporations and LLCs registered to do business in Texas, with formation date and good-standing status.
How we use it. Used during verification to confirm a claimed plumbing business is a registered Texas entity in good standing. We do not import listings from this source; it is a cross-check only.
Refresh cadence. Checked at verification time.
Citation: Texas Secretary of State Business Services (sos.state.tx.us)
Want to see our verification process step-by-step? Read How we verify. For our editorial neutrality, dispute, and removal policies, read Trust standards.
If you represent one of these registries and have feedback on how we cite or use your data, please contact us.