Home Services License Defense in Texas
If you hold a license in the trades, your license is your livelihood. Whether you are a master plumber, a master electrician, a Class A HVAC contractor, or an elevator mechanic, your license represents years of training, hard work, and the foundation of your ability to earn a living. When that license is threatened, everything is threatened.
I’m Pat Ruzzo, and I have been a criminal defense attorney based in Houston, Texas for over thirty-five years. I represent licensed tradespeople facing disciplinary proceedings before the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, as well as tradespeople facing criminal charges that threaten their licenses.
What sets my practice apart is something most license defense attorneys cannot offer: deep criminal defense experience. The trades are different from other licensed professions in an important way. Criminal charges in the trades often arise directly from the work itself, including unlicensed practice, theft from a job site, fraud related to billing or materials, and drug-related offenses. When criminal charges and licensing board proceedings happen at the same time, you need an attorney who understands both and can protect you in both.
The Trades I Represent
Plumbing License Defense
Plumbers in Texas are licensed and regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, a dedicated licensing board with its own enforcement division, its own disciplinary process, and its own set of rules that differ in important ways from other licensing boards.
The TSBPE takes enforcement seriously. Plumbers work on gas lines, drinking water systems, sewage systems, and fire suppression systems. When these systems are installed or repaired improperly, the consequences can be catastrophic. The board reflects that reality in how it enforces its rules.
Important things to know about plumbing license defense in Texas:
- The TSBPE has a dedicated enforcement division that conducts on-site field investigations
- Certain penalties, including the four thousand dollar per violation penalty for employing unlicensed workers, are non-negotiable and fixed by rule
- License lending, where a responsible master plumber allows their license to be used by others without genuine supervisory involvement, is a serious violation with immediate financial and potentially criminal consequences
- When a responsible master plumber’s license is threatened, the entire plumbing company and all workers beneath them are affected
- All final disciplinary actions are published in publicly accessible TSBPE records
HVAC, Electrician and Elevator License Defense
Electricians, HVAC technicians, and elevator and escalator professionals are licensed and regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The TDLR oversees a broad range of trades but takes enforcement of electrical, HVAC, and elevator licensing particularly seriously because these systems present immediate and serious risks to life and property when they malfunction or are installed improperly.
The TDLR has extraordinary enforcement powers that go beyond what many other licensing boards possess. The TDLR executive director can issue emergency cease and desist orders halting work on a job site immediately. The TDLR can emergency red-tag elevators and escalators and remove them from service without prior notice. These actions can happen before you have had any opportunity to respond or present your side.
Important things to know about TDLR license defense in Texas:
- The TDLR uses a four-tier violation classification system ranging from minor administrative infractions to serious violations carrying mandatory maximum penalties and immediate revocation
- Class D violations including obtaining a license by fraud, falsifying safety reports, and refusing to cooperate with a TDLR investigation carry mandatory maximum penalties with no room for negotiation
- License holders are responsible for the conduct of workers under their supervision and can face discipline for supervisory failures even when they did not personally perform the deficient work
- All final disciplinary orders are published in the publicly accessible TDLR disciplinary action database
Why Criminal Law Experience Matters for Trade License Defense
Most license defense attorneys come from civil law backgrounds. They understand administrative procedure but do not understand criminal law. This creates serious problems when their clients also face criminal charges, which happens regularly in the trades.
Criminal charges and licensing board proceedings are happening at the same time. What you say in one proceeding can be used against you in the other. Plea agreements in criminal court can trigger automatic licensing consequences if not structured with an understanding of the licensing rules. A board investigation can turn into a criminal case if you provide statements without understanding your rights.
I have defended criminal cases for over thirty-five years. I understand drug charges, theft charges, fraud charges, assault charges, and every other type of criminal matter that tradespeople face. I know how prosecutors build cases and how to defend against them. I also know how to coordinate strategy across criminal and licensing proceedings to protect both your freedom and your license.
Very few attorneys practice in both areas. That combination of experience is what makes my representation of licensed tradespeople different.
The Stakes Are Real
A master plumber or master electrician with their own company can earn well into six figures annually. More importantly, if you hold a responsible master designation, your license is the foundation on which your entire business operates. Workers beneath you depend on your license to work legally. Your company’s ability to pull permits, bid on jobs, and operate depends on your license remaining in good standing.
When your license is threatened, it is not just your career on the line. It is your business, your employees, and everything you have built.
What to Do If Your License Is Threatened
If you have received a Notice of Alleged Violation from the TSBPE or TDLR, if you are under investigation, or if you have been arrested and are concerned about your trade license, here is what you need to do immediately:
- Do not speak to board investigators without an attorney present
- Do not ignore notices or miss deadlines
- Do not assume your employer will protect you if violations are discovered
- Contact an attorney immediately, before you say or do anything that could hurt your case
The best outcomes go to those who seek experienced legal counsel from the very beginning of the process.
Contact My Office
If you are a licensed tradesperson in Texas facing disciplinary proceedings or criminal charges that could affect your license, contact my office today for a consultation. We will review your situation, explain your options, and develop a strategy to protect your license and your livelihood.
Your career is worth fighting for. Let’s fight together.
