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Boarding Home Facility

Room & board for 3+ seniors — no personal care required

No State License

Time to open

2–8 weeks

Gov't fees (total)

$338

State license

None

Max residents

Unlimited

Who this serves

Elderly (65+) or disabled adults who manage their own daily activities and just need safe housing with meals

Best fit: Someone who wants to provide housing without a medical care license — operate a home, not a clinical facility

Actual Costs

Government fees are exact. Variable costs are estimates — tips show how to minimize them.

EXACT

Government Fees — You Will Pay These

Texas HHSC State License

No state license required for boarding homes

one time

Texas LLC Formation (SOS filing)

$300

one time

Local boarding home permit (Houston/Harris County)

Required in Houston — free to nominal in most other cities. Call your city first.

$0–200

annual

DPS Background Check

Required for operators and key staff

$38.25

per person

Local business registration

Varies by city — most under $50

$0–50

annual

Guaranteed minimum (gov't fees)

$338

VARIABLE

Costs That Depend on Your Property & Choices

General liability insurance

$1,500–$3,600/annual

💡 Required — boarding home policies available from Markel, Philadelphia Insurance

Home setup & furnishings

$2,000–$8,000/one time

💡 Per bedroom if furnishing — can require furnished or unfurnished

Fire safety upgrades (if needed)

$0–$3,000/one time

💡 Smoke detectors, extinguishers, exit signs — most homes are close to compliant already

Physical & Building Requirements

Stories allowed

Any

Sq ft / resident (single room)

80 sq ft min

Sq ft / resident (shared room)

60 sq ft min

Bedroom min width

No minimum

Bathroom ratio

Per local residential code — no state minimum

Sprinklers

Varies by local jurisdiction — check your city or county

•Bedroom minimum: 80 sq ft for single occupancy, 60 sq ft per person in shared rooms
•Maximum 4 residents per bedroom
•Must have a shared sitting/communal living area
•Requirements vary by city — Houston and Harris County have specific rules; many areas have none

Can I Use My Home?

✅

1-Story Home

✅

2-Story Home

1,000

sq ft minimum

bedrooms

→1-story home: simplest path — no additional requirements
→2-story home: fine — no extra state-level requirements
→Need 80 sq ft per single bedroom, 60 sq ft per person in shared rooms
→Must have a common living/sitting area for residents

Why operators choose this

+No state license required
+Guaranteed government fees under $400 total
+Opens in 2–8 weeks
+No capacity cap at the state level
+Simpler operations than ALF — no medical oversight required

Know before you start

–Cannot provide personal care — limits your resident pool to independent seniors
–Local requirements vary — research YOUR city before you start
–If a resident needs more help over time, you cannot legally provide it without upgrading your license

⚠️ Key Restrictions — Know These Before You Start

!CANNOT provide personal care — no bathing, dressing, or toileting assistance
!CANNOT administer medications — residents must self-manage their own medications
!Cannot serve residents who need assisted living level care
!If a resident begins needing personal care, you need a Type A ALF license to continue legally

Apply Directly

Every link goes to the exact page — no searching.

Always verify at hhs.texas.gov — regulations change.