Choosing a licensed fire protection contractor in Houston

Price is only part of the decision. The bigger questions are whether the company is licensed for this system, whether the person on site is licensed too, and whether the reports and tags will reach your AHJ the way your jurisdiction requires. Use this checklist before you award the next inspection, test or repair.

General information, not legal advice. Every rule cited links to its public source.

1. Match the license to the system

Texas licenses fire protection work through the State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO / TDI), by discipline, at two levels: the company holds a certificate of registration, and individuals hold licenses for the work they do (TDI fire industry licensing).

Sources: TDI registration and license pages for fire sprinkler, fire alarm and fire extinguisher. Those pages describe the exact work each license allows; check the one that matches your job.

Inside the City of Houston, HFD's Life Safety Bureau Standard 02 says approved sprinkler, fire alarm and extinguisher service companies are those licensed by the State of Texas (HFD LSB Standard 02, §2.3.1).

2. Look the license up yourself

Search the company and the technician in the SFMO company and individual search (TDI). Confirm the status is active, the type matches the work and the expiration date is after your service date. Step-by-step: How to verify a Texas fire contractor license.

3. Know your AHJ before you hire

Whether the building is inside the City of Houston or in unincorporated Harris County changes how reports must be filed. See Houston Fire Marshal vs. Harris County Fire Marshal.

• Unincorporated Harris County: ask whether the company is registered with The Compliance Engine. HCFMO requires every service provider that inspects or tests fire protection systems in its jurisdiction to register and submit all reports through TCE, and the service provider pays the filing fee at submittal (HCFMO). Details: Harris County §109.3.1 explained.
• City of Houston: ask how the company sends red-tag notices to the Houston Fire Marshal's Office. HFD's standard requires notice within 24 hours by phone, fax or email, plus a copy of the written notice within 3 business days (HFD LSB Standard 02, §2.3.2.1).

4. Ask how deficiencies and tags will be handled

Before the visit, agree in writing on:

• Who calls you, and how fast, if a red tag goes on. State rules require immediate notice to the owner for sprinkler emergency impairments and extinguisher red tags (28 TAC §34.722, §34.521).
• Who notifies the AHJ when a yellow or red tag goes on and when it comes off. See What yellow and red tags mean.
• Whether repairs are quoted separately from the inspection, so you can compare them.

5. Ask for the paperwork you will need later

Both the Harris County Fire Code (§109.3) and HFD's Standard 02 (§2.3.5) require ITM records to be kept at least 3 years and produced on request (Harris County Fire Code, HFD LSB Standard 02). Ask for:

• The full inspection report (PDF), not just the tag.
• A photo of every tag or label left on site.
• For Harris County jobs, proof the report was submitted to the AHJ in TCE (a saved, unsubmitted report has not reached the AHJ).
• A current certificate of insurance.

6. Red flags

• The company or technician does not appear in the SFMO search, or the license type does not match the system.
• No answer, or a vague one, to "how will this report reach my AHJ?"
• Pressure to remove or skip a tag. Only an authorized employee of a registered firm or a government representative may remove a yellow or red tag, after the condition is corrected (28 TAC §34.721(d), §34.722(d)).

How FireMarket fits in

On FireMarket, Houston property managers invite contractors from their own list or share a private job link (not a public RFQ). Each bid shows the contractor's TX SFMO/TDI license class and a Verified or Failed/expired badge from the last daily check of the license and certificate of insurance. It is checked daily at bid, not a live feed, so still confirm current status for high-stakes work. The Harris County ITM compliance tracker keeps each property's system type, last ITM date, open tags and TCE premise ID in one place. FireMarket does not file reports with any AHJ; the licensed contractor does.

Sources

• TDI, Fire industry licensing (company and individual search): tdi.texas.gov/fire/fmli.html
• TDI, Fire sprinkler registration, license and test information: tdi.texas.gov
• TDI, Fire alarm registration, license and test information: tdi.texas.gov
• TDI, Fire extinguisher registration, license and test information: tdi.texas.gov
• HFD Life Safety Bureau Standard 02, Rev 03: houstontx.gov PDF
• HCFMO, Brycer / The Compliance Engine: hcfmo.net
• Harris County Fire Code, effective January 1, 2025: hcfmo.net PDF
• 28 TAC §§34.521, 34.721, 34.722: law.cornell.edu

All sources checked October 13, 2026.

Informational only, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your AHJ and the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO / TDI).