Open a recovery home that's safe, fair and run like a business.

Who it's for

• People opening a first sober living house, often people in long-term recovery themselves, who want it done right.
• Owners of an existing house who want written rules, agreements and policies that hold up, and certification.
• Treatment programs thinking about housing. Keep the two businesses separate and talk to your attorney first: referrals and rent between a program and a house are tightly limited by law.

Everything included

• House model and budget: beds, rent, staffing
• City requirements and fair-housing basics checklist
• House rules, resident agreement, intake and discharge forms
• Drug-testing and relapse policy
• Certification application support (Texas: TROHN, the NARR affiliate)
• Rent and fees set up (your sober-living software or Cima)
• 60 days of support after opening

The resident agreement is written as a residence agreement, not a lease, but Texas landlord-tenant law may still apply, so your attorney reviews it before use. Every policy is written so it's applied the same way to every resident.

Texas rules in brief

• No state license, voluntary certification. Texas doesn't license recovery residences. Certification through TROHN, the Texas affiliate of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), is voluntary. Since 2023, Texas Health and Safety Code chapter 469 has HHSC set accreditation standards based on NARR's and Oxford House's (HB 299 analysis).
• It isn't treatment. A recovery house is peer-supported, alcohol- and drug-free housing. If you'll provide substance use treatment, that's a licensed treatment program, and chapter 469 keeps licensed treatment facilities from being accredited as recovery houses.
• City rules and fair housing. Cities may have rules on occupancy, parking or registration, so ask yours in writing. People in recovery who aren't currently using illegal drugs are generally protected under the federal Fair Housing Act, which helps with city rules and also binds you to screen and treat applicants the same way (HUD and DOJ joint statement). Bring any dispute with a city to your attorney.
• No money for referrals. EKRA (18 U.S.C. 220) covers recovery homes for every payer: no payments, gifts or free rent for referrals to or from treatment programs, and no free or discounted rent tied to attending a particular program.

Our free guide, How to open a sober living home in Texas, covers each step in more detail.

Price and how it's paid

When	Share	Amount
At signing	50%	$1,750
At opening	50%	$1,750
Total	100%	$3,500

• Started with a launch roadmap session? Its $395 is credited in full toward this package if you sign within 30 days.

Typical timeline

On our Texas roadmap, a house can open in about 11 weeks. The certification application goes in once the house is running the way the standards describe, and certification follows on the certifier's schedule.

Step	Typical timing
Kickoff and your dated roadmap	Week 1
House rules and drug-testing policy written	Weeks 2–3
Business formed with the Texas Secretary of State (you or your attorney file)	Week 4
House leased or bought, with the owner's written OK	Weeks 4–9
House furnished and fire-safe	Weeks 9–11
TROHN certification application	Months 3–5
The house opens: first resident moves in	Week 11

From the kickoff, on the earliest path through our 46-step Texas roadmap. Agencies and insurance plans set their own pace, so treat these as typical, not promised.

What you pay separately

Step	Fee and who charges it
File the certificate of formation with the Texas Secretary of State	$300 filing fee (Texas Secretary of State)
File an assumed name certificate if you'll use another name	$25 filing fee (Texas Secretary of State) (changes; we check the current fee)
Get an EIN from the IRS	Free

• Certification fees, paid to TROHN. The Texas Tribune reported in 2025 that applying cost $500 per application plus $10 per bed; check TROHN's current fees.
• The house: rent or mortgage, furniture, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, extinguishers, locking storage, and a medication lockbox.
• Insurance written for recovery residences (standard landlord policies may exclude them), naloxone, drug-test supplies, and a house manager's pay.
• Your attorney (lease, resident agreement) and CPA.

What's not included

• Finding or buying the house. We tell you what to look for and what the owner must agree to in writing.
• Running the house day to day, or acting as house manager.
• Arguing with a city. That's for your attorney; we give you the checklist and the facts.
• Referrals of residents, ever, and any guarantee of certification.

Questions

Do I need a license to open a sober living home in Texas?

No state license. Certification through TROHN is voluntary, but families and referral sources look for it, and some funders and programs refer only to certified homes. Check your city's own rules too.

What happens when a resident relapses?

That's your relapse policy, and we write it with you: a safety check, a plan, a referral to treatment or, when needed, a move-out with somewhere safe to go. Written so a relapse leads to help, and applied the same way to everyone.

Can we partner with a treatment program?

Residents choose their own treatment. A house can't take payments, gifts or free services for sending residents to a program, and can't discount rent for attending one. Run any arrangement past your attorney.

Does this include an EHR?

A house doesn't need a clinical record. We set up rent and fees in your sober-living software or in Cima's ledger, whichever you prefer.

Which NARR level should we be?

It depends on how the house is run: peer-run (Level I), monitored by a house manager (Level II), supervised with staff and life-skills work (Level III), or with clinical services from a provider (Level IV). We help you choose before you write the rules.