General Contractor in Highland
Any Highland project that combines structural work, multiple trades, and a permit needs a licensed general contractor coordinating all of it. The city traces its roots to an 1891 citrus townsite, and most of the housing followed during the tract growth surrounding incorporation in November 1987, leaving a mix of early bungalows near the old townsite and single-story and two-story tract houses where a wall still separates the kitchen from the family room. Updating that kind of layout typically pulls framing, plumbing, electrical, and finishes into one job. Horizon Construction and Remodeling handles remodels, additions, and new construction in Highland, and we manage the permits through the City of Highland Building and Safety Division, the trades, and every inspection from the first drawing to the final sign-off.
Services We Offer
Room Additions & ADUs
Whole Home Remodels
New Construction
About Working with a General Contractor in Highland
How We Manage Your Project in Highland
Every job with a general contractor in Highland begins with a site visit and a written scope of work. We prepare drawings in-house, bring in a structural engineer or energy consultant when the work calls for one, and put together a home improvement contract that spells out the work, payment schedule, and start and completion dates. For properties near the Palm Avenue historic core, we flag any exterior changes early so a preservation check can happen before plans are drawn. Selections are locked in before construction starts, so no tile or fixture decision stalls the crew mid-project.
We submit plans to the City of Highland Building and Safety Division, respond to plan-check comments, and pull the permit under our license. One project manager then sequences demolition, framing, and each specialty trade in the right order, orders materials ahead of need, and calls for every required inspection. Any change you request gets a written change order showing its effect on cost and schedule before the work proceeds. At the end, we close out the permit, collect lien releases, and walk the finished job with you.
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Permits for remodeling and construction work in Highland go through the City of Highland Building and Safety Division, and we submit drawings and applications there before any work begins on your property. One detail that affects exterior projects in particular involves the Palm Avenue historic core, which traces back to the city’s 1891 citrus townsite origins. That stretch of the old townsite is part of the Highland Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, so any exterior work on properties within that boundary warrants a preservation review before a scope is finalized. We account for factors like that when we put the drawings together, not after plan check sends the set back.
A Class B general building contractor license in California covers projects that involve at least two unrelated building trades, or any framing or carpentry, on a structure people live or work in. A specialty licensee, such as a C-10 electrician or a C-36 plumber, can do excellent work within a single trade, but cannot legally act as prime contractor on a multi-trade remodel. Before you sign with any contractor in Highland, look up the license number on the Contractors State License Board website. The record should be active, in the correct classification, and in the company’s legal name, and it will also show whether a bond and workers’ compensation coverage are on file.
Home improvement contracts in California are governed by Business and Professions Code 7159. The contract must be in writing and include a description of the work, a payment schedule tied to work actually performed, approximate start and completion dates, and specific consumer notices that cover your right to cancel in certain situations. Under Business and Professions Code 7159.5, the deposit a contractor may collect is capped by state law, and progress payments cannot run ahead of completed work. If a contractor asks for an unusually large sum up front, treat that as a warning sign worth investigating before you proceed.
Two additional rules apply to most jobs. Subcontractors and suppliers who go unpaid can record a mechanics lien against your property even if you paid the general contractor in full, which is why preliminary notices often arrive during a project. Paying on the contract schedule and collecting lien releases as each payment goes out is the practical protection. Separately, if the home was built before 1978, work that disturbs painted surfaces falls under the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, which requires a certified firm. Horizon Construction and Remodeling Inc. is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm.
Other Remodeling Services We Offer
A kitchen remodel touches more trades than any other room in the house: layout, cabinetry, plumbing, electrical, ventilation and finishes. Horizon designs and builds kitchen remodels under one contract, from the measured layout to the final inspection.
Whether you envision a classic Southern California pool or a fully customized backyard oasis, Horizon Construction & Remodeling delivers the highest level of quality and service. Our comprehensive pool design and remodeling services cover everything from layout and decking to built-in BBQs and final touches like landscaping. Let Horizon be your trusted partner in transforming your backyard into the perfect outdoor retreat.
If you are planning a complete bathroom remodel or simply want to change your tub, shower, update your plumbing fixtures, or make the space more efficient, our team at Horizon will help you through the process with expert advice, professional craftsmanship, and affordable options with beautiful results. Learn more about our bathroom remodeling services.
Transform your space with our expert interior work services. We offer a comprehensive range of solutions — from space planning and custom design to the selection of high-quality finishes and materials. Our team of experienced professionals works closely with you to create a space that’s both functional and stylish, tailored to your unique needs, goals, and budget. Whether you’re updating a single room or overhauling your entire interior, we bring precision, creativity, and craftsmanship to every project.
At Horizon, we believe your home is more than just four walls — it’s where life happens. It’s the place you relax, gather with family and friends, and create lasting memories. That’s why we offer a full range of exterior work services designed to elevate your outdoor living space. From patios and hardscaping to custom decks and exterior renovations, we help turn your vision into a dream yard that complements your lifestyle and enhances curb appeal.
At Horizon Construction & Remodeling, our expert team includes a dedicated design and planning division that works hand-in-hand with licensed architects and structural engineers. We take care of everything — from detailed plans and blueprints to securing city permits — so you don’t have to deal with delays or red tape. Our goal is to streamline the process and provide a fully approved set of documents that aligns with both your vision and city regulations, saving you time and stress.
Why Choose Horizon Remodeling For General Contractor in Highland
Horizon has held a California Class B General Building license since 2009, which means we have been doing this work for over fifteen years. We are licensed and bonded, and the license number on your contract is the same one used when permits are pulled through the City of Highland Building and Safety Division. There are no separate credentials, no extra layers, just one verifiable license you can look up yourself.
We work as a general contractor in the full sense: drawings, engineering coordination, permitting, and construction all sit under one contract with one project manager. That structure matters most on the jobs a Class B license is built for, whole home remodels, room additions, ADUs, structural changes, and new construction, where a sequencing mistake between trades costs real time and money. Highland’s housing stock, ranging from early citrus era bungalows near the Palm Avenue core to the single story and two story tract houses that grew up around incorporation, covers a wide range of scopes, and we coordinate every trade involved.
If your property sits within the Highland Historic District along Palm Avenue, exterior work typically warrants a preservation review before permits are submitted, and we account for that early in planning so it does not slow the project down later.
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General Contractor FAQ
Do I need a general contractor for my project in Highland?
For any project that pulls a permit, spans two or more unrelated trades, or touches framing, California generally requires a licensed contractor holding the right classification, and a multi-trade job calls for a Class B general building contractor. Owner-builder status is an option on your own home, but it puts the permit scheduling, inspection coordination, and any employer obligations for hired workers squarely on you. In Highland, where many tract-era homes have kitchens separated from the family room by a load-bearing wall and permits run through the City of Highland Building and Safety Division, that coordination adds up fast. Most homeowners doing an addition, a whole-home remodel, or a new build find that managing all of it amounts to a second full-time job.
Who pulls the permit, and who deals with the inspector?
Yes, Horizon pulls permits directly under our license through the City of Highland Building and Safety Division and carries responsibility for every inspection from foundation and framing through rough trades to final sign-off. Highland’s housing stock ranges from early citrus-era bungalows near the Palm Avenue historic core to the tract homes that filled in around incorporation, and older properties in the Highland Historic District may require a preservation review before exterior work begins. If an inspector flags anything, we correct it and schedule the re-inspection. Every permit gets closed out so the work is on record with the city, which protects you at refinance or sale.
How long does a general contractor project take?
How long a general contractor project takes in Highland depends on what you are building and how complex the scope is. Design and engineering for an addition or larger remodel can take several weeks to a few months on their own, and plan check with the City of Highland Building and Safety Division adds more time depending on correction rounds and department workload. A single-room remodel may run several weeks in the field, while a whole-home remodel, addition, or new build typically takes many months. Once we know the full scope, we give you a realistic schedule, not a promise.
What drives the cost of a general contractor project?
Project cost in Highland is shaped mostly by scope and structure. Homes throughout West Highland, East Highland, and the Palm Avenue core range from early citrus-era bungalows to later tract houses, and many carry the kind of aging electrical panels, original plumbing, and closed-off floor plans that add real work once a remodel begins. Moving walls, reconfiguring a roofline, or adding square footage brings in engineering, framing, and additional inspections through the City of Highland Building and Safety Division. Title 24 energy requirements, soil conditions, slope, site access, and fire-zone rules all factor into the final number, and so do your finish selections. Mid-project changes are the single most avoidable cost driver, which is why we lock in every selection before construction starts.
How much can a contractor ask for up front?
California law caps the down payment a contractor can collect on a home improvement contract under Business and Professions Code 7159.5, and every payment after that is supposed to reflect work that has actually been completed. Any contract asking for a large portion of the total before a single task is finished is a warning sign worth taking seriously. Our contracts follow that statute, tie each payment to a defined stage of the project, and include all consumer notices the law requires, whether the job is a tract house remodel in East Highlands Ranch or a careful scope of work on a bungalow near the Palm Avenue historic core, where exterior changes on properties within the Highland Historic District may warrant a preservation review before work begins.
Do you use subcontractors?
Yes, like nearly every general contractor, we use licensed specialty subcontractors for certain trades, and we supervise their work on our schedule and take responsibility for it. We pay subs and suppliers on time and provide lien releases as payments go out, so a preliminary notice from a supplier stays a paperwork matter rather than a problem. For homeowners across Highland, from the tract neighborhoods of East Highlands Ranch to properties near the Palm Avenue historic core, you deal with one project manager throughout, not a separate list of trades to coordinate yourself.
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Horizon is a licensed Class B general building contractor serving Highland and the surrounding San Bernardino County communities.