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How do plumbers in Texas get more customers from Google and AI search?
Short answer: Plumbers in Texas get found online with a website that shows their license number, names the towns they serve such as Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, and collects real local reviews. Licensing runs through the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. The state had 8,704 businesses with staff in this Census category in 2022.
- Licensing body: Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners.
- Electrical: ads, cards, proposals and invoices must show contractor name and license number (16 TAC 73.51(e)). Vehicles show the number preceded by TECL.
- 8,704 businesses with staff in 2022, 3rd of 50 states; 77% have fewer than 10 staff.
- Largest cities: Houston, San Antonio and Dallas.
- Common words in local searches: “reviews”, “residential” and “repair”.
- Coldest month January (about 47°F), warmest July (about 83°F), statewide average.
Do plumbers need a license in Texas?
In Texas, the licensing body for this work is Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners.
License or registration types named by the state: Responsible Master Plumber; Master Plumber; Journeyman Plumber.
- The Board issues Responsible Master Plumber, Master and Journeyman licenses.
- Fingerprints are required for all license types.
- A plumbing license is valid statewide under Occupations Code Chapter 1301.
Homeowners can check a license on the state lookup page. Put your number where they will look for it.
License numbers in ads and on websites
Electrical: ads, cards, proposals and invoices must show contractor name and license number (16 TAC 73.51(e)). Vehicles show the number preceded by TECL. HVAC: ads must include the licensee's license number (16 TAC 75.71(h)), per Cornell LII text seen in search.
What do homeowners in Texas’s biggest cities search for?
Google autocomplete for plumber searches in each city (job-seeker searches removed):
Houston
- houston plumbers free estimates
- houston plumbers local 68
- houston plumbers pro llc
- houston plumbers pro llc reviews
- plumber houston free estimate
- plumber houston heights
- plumber houston renfrewshire
- plumber houston tx
San Antonio
- plumber san antonio residential
- plumber san antonio spurs
- plumber san antonio tx
- san antonio plumber free estimate
- san antonio plumbers residential
- san antonio plumbers reviews
Dallas
- dallas plumber com reviews
- dallas plumber service
- dallas plumbers free estimates
- plumber dallas fort worth
- plumber dallas tx
Austin
- austin plumbers and pipefitters
- austin plumbers and pipefitters jatc
- austin plumbers repair service installation
- austin plumbery photos
- austin plumbery reviews
- plumber austin free estimate
- plumber austin tx
- plumber austintown ohio
Fort Worth
- commercial plumber fort worth
- emergency plumber fort worth
- fort worth plumbing code
- fort worth plumbing code amendments
- fort worth plumbing companies
- fort worth plumbing permit
- plumber 24 fort worth
- plumber fort worth 76116
Across these cities, the words that come up most are “reviews”, “residential”, “repair” and “installation”.
Source: Google autocomplete suggestions, checked November 8, 2026. Suggestions change over time.
What does a year of plumber work look like in Texas?
Publish each seasonal page four to six weeks ahead.
| Month | Avg temp | Jobs to plan for (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 47°F | water heater replacements, drain clearing after the thaw |
| February | 51°F | water heater replacements, drain clearing after the thaw |
| March | 58°F | remodel plumbing, outdoor spigots, sewer line inspections |
| April | 66°F | remodel plumbing, outdoor spigots, sewer line inspections |
| May | 74°F | irrigation leaks, water heater checks, emergency leak calls |
| June | 81°F | irrigation leaks, water heater checks, emergency leak calls |
| July | 83°F | irrigation leaks, water heater checks, emergency leak calls |
| August | 83°F | irrigation leaks, water heater checks, emergency leak calls |
| September | 76°F | irrigation leaks, water heater checks, emergency leak calls |
| October | 67°F | remodel plumbing, outdoor spigots, sewer line inspections |
| November | 56°F | remodel plumbing, outdoor spigots, sewer line inspections |
| December | 48°F | water heater replacements, drain clearing after the thaw |
Temperatures: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv statewide data. Job column: our planning suggestion, not survey data.
How many plumbing contractors compete in Texas’s main cities?
| City | County | Businesses with staff | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Harris County | 1,184 | 4,084 |
| San Antonio | Bexar County | 504 | 4,142 |
| Dallas | Dallas County | 713 | 3,655 |
| Austin | Travis County | 345 | 3,869 |
| Fort Worth | Tarrant County | 615 | 3,550 |
Competition is tightest around Fort Worth (Tarrant County), with one business for every 3,550 residents, and loosest around San Antonio, at one per 4,142.
Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 and County Population Estimates 2023. Counts businesses with paid employees only.
How many plumbing contractors are in Texas?
The Census Bureau counted 8,704 businesses with employees in Texas in 2022, in the category “Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors”. That ranks Texas 3rd of 50 states, one of the largest markets in the country, and 8% of the US total. 77% of them have fewer than 10 staff, and 986 have 20 or more.
Together they employ 101,164 people, with an average yearly payroll of $763,011 per business. The three busiest counties hold 29% of them, so the work is spread across the state.
With 30,503,301 residents (Census, July 2023), that is one business for every 3,505 people, against 3,051 nationally: more residents per business than the US average, so each business has more homes to serve.
Texas next to its neighbors
| State | Businesses | Residents per business | Under 10 staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 8,704 | 3,505 | 77% |
| Arkansas | 1,091 | 2,812 | 81% |
| Louisiana | 1,576 | 2,902 | 77% |
| New Mexico | 670 | 3,156 | 78% |
| Oklahoma | 1,557 | 2,604 | 79% |
Counties with the most plumbing contractors
| County | Businesses | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|
| Harris County | 1,184 | 4,084 |
| Dallas County | 713 | 3,655 |
| Tarrant County | 615 | 3,550 |
| Bexar County | 504 | 4,142 |
| Travis County | 345 | 3,869 |
| Collin County | 271 | 4,411 |
| Williamson County | 266 | 2,621 |
| Montgomery County | 244 | 2,915 |
| Denton County | 213 | 4,731 |
| El Paso County | 210 | 4,142 |
174 of Texas’s counties have at least one. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022.
How big are they?
Businesses by number of employees, 2022: 4,839 with 1-4 staff, 1,825 with 5-9 staff, 1,054 with 10-19 staff, 649 with 20-49 staff, 337 with 50+ staff.
Where Texas is growing
New homes and new owners bring new work. Texas's population changed +4.3% from July 2020 to July 2023. The fastest-growing counties with 50,000 or more people:
- Kaufman County: 185,690 people, +26.2% since 2020, 88 plumbing contractors
- Rockwall County: 131,307 people, +20.3% since 2020, 59 plumbing contractors
- Comal County: 193,928 people, +18.5% since 2020, 82 plumbing contractors
- Liberty County: 108,272 people, +17.1% since 2020, 25 plumbing contractors
- Parker County: 173,494 people, +16.0% since 2020, 82 plumbing contractors
Source: US Census Bureau, County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023.
What should a Texas plumber website show?
- Your license or registration number where people can see it, even where the state does not require it in ads.
- A service area list that names real counties and towns, for example Harris County, Dallas County and Tarrant County.
- Seasonal pages published before February, so they are found when demand starts.
- Real reviews from local jobs, with the town named, and photos of your own work.
Texas questions
Who licenses plumbers in Texas?
Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. The Board issues Responsible Master Plumber, Master and Journeyman licenses. Fingerprints are required for all license types. A plumbing license is valid statewide under Occupations Code Chapter 1301.
How many plumbing contractors are there in Texas?
The US Census Bureau counted 8,704 businesses with employees in Texas in 2022 in the category Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors, and 77% of them have fewer than 10 staff.
Which county in Texas has the most plumbing contractors?
Harris County, with 1,184 businesses with employees in 2022 (Census County Business Patterns).
Do I need my license number on my website in Texas?
Electrical: ads, cards, proposals and invoices must show contractor name and license number (16 TAC 73.51(e)). Vehicles show the number preceded by TECL. HVAC: ads must include the licensee's license number (16 TAC 75.71(h)), per Cornell LII text seen in search.
What do people in Houston search for when they need a plumber?
Google autocomplete for Houston shows searches such as “houston plumbers free estimates”, “houston plumbers local 68”, “houston plumbers pro llc” and “houston plumbers pro llc reviews”.
When is the busiest season for plumbers in Texas?
Texas’s statewide average runs from about 47°F in January to about 83°F in July (NOAA, 1991 to 2020).
Sources
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (state and county files)
- US Census Bureau, City, Town and County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023
- NOAA NCEI, nClimDiv statewide temperature and degree days, 1991 to 2020
- Google autocomplete suggestions for the cities named, checked November 2026
- https://tsbpe.texas.gov/
- https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecfaq.htm
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