Type A Assisted Living Facility

Up to 16 ambulatory seniors with a state license

State Licensed — Most Common

To open a Type A Assisted Living Facility in Texas, you need a license from Texas HHSC. It serves up to 16 residents as a Small facility, and there is no state cap once you license as Large (17 or more), and the exact government fees total about $760 (HHSC Type A License: $300 base + $15 per bed. 8-bed = $420 total. 16-bed = $540 total. 3-year cycle (26 TAC §553.47)). Below is every step, fee, and official link.

Reviewed by Erika Crossley, Texas senior care startup specialist · Information last verified June 2026

Path

Advanced path

Gov't fees (total)

$760

State license

Required

Residents in a house

Small class. 17+ = Large, no state cap.

Who this serves

Elderly and disabled adults who can self-evacuate and do not need nighttime nursing assistance

Best fit: Someone ready to build a real licensed care business with 4–16 residents

Common questions about opening a Type A ALF in Texas

Do I need a license to open a Type A ALF in Texas?

HHSC Type A License: $300 base + $15 per bed. 8-bed = $420 total. 16-bed = $540 total. 3-year cycle (26 TAC §553.47).

How much does it cost to open a Type A ALF in Texas?

The exact government fees total about $760. On top of that, variable startup costs (insurance, any required modifications, and similar) depend on your property and market. Government fees are fixed; variable costs are estimates.

How many residents can a Type A ALF in Texas have?

Texas does NOT cap assisted living at 16. 16 is the ceiling of the SMALL facility class (26 TAC §553.3, which defines a Small facility as one licensed for 16 or fewer residents and a Large facility as 17 or more). At 17 or more residents you are licensed as a LARGE Type A: same license type, stricter fire safety and staffing rules, and no state maximum on residents. That is how Texas has assisted living communities with 100+ residents. A single-family house realistically tops out in the Small class, which is why this site works in that range.

How much can a Type A ALF earn per resident in Texas?

Roughly $3,090–$5,250 per resident per month, depending on private pay vs. Medicaid, acuity, and your market.

Actual Costs

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

EXACT

Government Fees — You Will Pay These

HHSC Type A License (8-bed facility)

$300 base + $15 × 8 beds (26 TAC §553.47)

$420

per 3 years

HHSC Type A License (16-bed facility)

$300 base + $15 × 16 beds (max $2,250 for any size)

$540

per 3 years

Texas LLC Formation (SOS filing)

$300

one time

DPS Background Check

Required for owner and all direct care staff ($11.50 IdentoGO + $15.00 DPS + $13.25 FBI = $39.75)

$39.75

per person

HHSC Life Safety Code Inspection

1st & 2nd inspection: $0. 3rd+ inspection for same application: $25/bed, $1,000 minimum.

one time

HHSC Health Survey Inspection

1st & 2nd inspection: $0. Build-to-pass on the first try.

one time

Local building permit (for renovations)

Only required if making structural changes — no permit needed for cosmetic work

$75–500

one time

Local business registration

Varies by city — typically under $100

$0–100

annual

Guaranteed minimum (gov't fees)

$760

VARIABLE

Costs That Depend on Your Property & Choices

Sprinkler system — REQUIRED (NFPA 13D residential)

$8,000–$18,000/one time

Required for any NEW small Type A (26 TAC §553.215). A 1-story house can use NFPA 13D, the residential grade, which is far cheaper than commercial NFPA 13. Only pre-August-2021 facilities are exempt, so plan on this cost from day one

Fire alarm system

$2,000–$5,000/one time

Get licensed fire alarm contractor quotes — required by Life Safety Code

General liability + E&O insurance

$3,000–$7,200/annual

We connect you with vetted ALF insurers — Markel, Philadelphia Insurance, GuideOne — and pull quotes for you

Bedroom & common area furnishings

$8,000–$20,000/one time

Per resident bedroom + dining room + living area

Policies & procedures manual

$0–$800/one time

HHSC has free templates. Paid consultants offer pre-built packages — not required but saves time

Emergency exits, signs, lighting

$500–$2,000/one time

Required — exit signs, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers

Physical & Building Requirements

Stories allowed

Any with proper egress — 1-story is the simplest path

Sq ft / resident (single room)

80 sq ft min

Sq ft / resident (shared room)

60 sq ft min

Bedroom min width

8 ft

Bathroom ratio

1 toilet + 1 sink per 6 residents; 1 tub or shower per 10 residents

Sprinklers

REQUIRED for a new small Type A (26 TAC §553.215): you must install NFPA 13, 13R, or 13D. NFPA 13D is the residential-grade system and the cheapest compliant option for a house. The "sprinklers optional" rule (§553.115) applies ONLY to facilities licensed before August 31, 2021 — if you are licensing now, it does not apply to you. Budget for this. Verify local fire code on top.

•Single bedroom: 80 sq ft minimum
•Shared bedrooms: 60 sq ft per resident, max 4 per room, no more than 50% of residents in shared rooms
•Minimum bedroom width: 8 feet
•Basements cannot be used for resident bedrooms or living space (NFPA 101)
•Common area: 120 sq ft minimum (floor), then 15 sq ft per resident (26 TAC §553.112 existing / §553.212 new)
•Dining area: 120 sq ft minimum (floor), then 15 sq ft per resident
•1-story small Type A: exempt from evacuation floor plan posting requirement
•Deep-fat frying is not permitted in the kitchen

Can I Use My Home?

✓

1-Story Home

✓

2-Story Home

2,500

sq ft minimum

bedrooms

→1-story (4–6 residents): best path — a new Type A must have sprinklers, and a 1-story house qualifies for NFPA 13D residential grade, the cheapest compliant system; no evacuation plan posting
→2-story: requires full fire alarm system + posted evacuation plans per floor — add $3k–$8k
→Calculate space needed: (residents × 80 sq ft) + 240 sq ft dining/common minimum
→Basements cannot be used for any resident living space

Why operators choose this

+Most common ALF license in Texas — abundant resources, training, and vendor knowledge
+Can be operated from a converted home
+Texas private-pay assisted living runs a median of about $5,250 per resident per month (CareScout, 2024) — what a home actually brings in depends on your rates and how full you keep it
+Night staff can sleep on-site (not required to be awake) — lower labor cost than Type B
+A 1-story house qualifies for NFPA 13D residential sprinklers, the cheapest system that meets the requirement

Know before you start

–A longer, multi-step licensing path — we guide every step
–Sprinklers are REQUIRED for a new Type A and are the largest variable cost ($8k–$18k). Anyone telling you a small Type A can skip them is quoting the rule for facilities licensed before August 31, 2021
–Cannot serve memory care or dementia residents (requires Type B)
–Unannounced HHSC inspections after opening

Key Restrictions — Know These Before You Start

!Residents MUST be able to self-evacuate without staff help
!Cannot serve bedfast residents
!Cannot advertise dementia or Alzheimer's specialization (that requires Type B)
!No RN is required on staff for Type A under Chapter 553 — skilled-service nurse-delegation rules apply only if you provide certain health services
!Night staff must be "immediately available" — can be sleeping in the facility, not required to be awake
!No deep-fat frying in the kitchen

Apply Directly

Every link goes to the exact page — no searching.