# General contractors in Palm Desert > **Quick answer:** We're a local Palm Desert business that connects you, free, with our licensed partner contractor. It visits, scopes the job and gives you written bids. Permits: City of Palm Desert Building & Safety. HOAs in Palm Desert: high (most newer neighborhoods and nearly all country clubs have architectural review). Source: https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/palm-desert/general-contractor/ Updated: 2026-11-06 Published by: Coachella Valley Remodeling, a free referral service for homeowners; not a contractor. Search "general contractors palm desert" and most of what comes back is directories and lead sites, not contractors. That makes it hard to tell who's local, who's licensed for what, and who's actually going to run your job. This page covers how multi-trade projects work in Palm Desert, so you can ask the right questions whoever you hire. ## What a general contractor does A general contractor, licensed in California as a **B (general building) contractor**, takes responsibility for a project that involves two or more unrelated trades. On a typical Palm Desert remodel that means: - scheduling and supervising subcontractors: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, drywall, tile, cabinets, stone - pulling permits and meeting inspectors - ordering materials and checking deliveries - managing your HOA's requirements for access, insurance, hours and dumpsters - being the one person responsible when something goes wrong Projects that usually call for a GC here: whole-home refreshes of 1970s and 1980s club homes, a kitchen plus baths done together, opening walls in a 1950s Palma Village house, a casita or guest suite, a garage conversion, and repairs after water damage that touch several trades. ## Permits and plan review in Palm Desert The City of Palm Desert's Building & Safety division handles permits inside city limits: - **Clariti portal.** Applications go through the city's [online permit portal](https://www.palmdesert.gov/build-develop/permit), and plans have been submitted digitally since January 1, 2022. - **Remodel checklist.** The city's [plan review page](https://www.palmdesert.gov/build-develop/plan-review) publishes a residential addition, alteration and remodel checklist. A GC who has worked in the city will know it; ask how they handle corrections. - **Business license.** Palm Desert requires a city business license for every contractor and subcontractor working in the city, and won't issue one without a current state license ([city](https://www.palmdesert.gov/businesses/starting-a-business)). That applies to the subs too. - **Contacts.** Building & Safety: (760) 776-6430. Permit Center: (760) 776-6435. - **Code cycle.** California's 2025 building codes apply to applications from January 1, 2026, including the energy code for Climate Zone 15, the zone covering the hottest part of the state. That affects insulation, windows, HVAC and lighting on additions and larger alterations. Not every Palm Desert address is in the city. Sun City Palm Desert and other unincorporated pockets are permitted by Riverside County. A GC should confirm the jurisdiction from your parcel before quoting permit time. ## HOA review comes first Most of Palm Desert's newer neighborhoods and nearly all of its country clubs have architectural review. For anything that changes the exterior (windows, doors, roof equipment, AC condenser locations, patio covers) or, under some CC&Rs, the interior, expect to submit plans to the association before or alongside the city. Under [Civil Code section 4765](https://www.davis-stirling.com/tabid/3765/Default.aspx), an association that requires approval has to decide in writing and explain any denial, but there's no single statewide deadline, so ask your association for its timeline. A good GC builds both reviews into the schedule. ## What your contract has to say California's home improvement contract law ([B&P 7159](https://california.public.law/codes/business_and_professions_code_section_7159)) requires, among other things: - the contractor's name, address and license number - the contract price and a **payment schedule in dollars and cents**, tied to work - a **down payment** of no more than 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less - a description of the work and materials - approximate start and completion dates - a statement that **changes must be in writing** (change orders) - information on insurance and workers' compensation - a notice of your right to cancel: three business days for most contracts signed at home, five if you're 65 or older ([Civil Code 1689.6](https://california.public.law/codes/civil_code_section_1689.6)) If a bid is a one-page price with no schedule, no scope detail and a 50% deposit, it isn't a contract you should sign. ## About cost We don't publish a general-contracting price range for Palm Desert, because there isn't a defensible one. A GC's price is the sum of the trades plus overhead and supervision, and a whole-home job in a Palm Desert Country Club house shares almost nothing with an addition in Bighorn. For individual rooms, our [kitchen remodel](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/palm-desert/kitchen-remodel/) and [bathroom remodel](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/palm-desert/bathroom-remodel/) pages carry sourced benchmarks. Compare bids line by line: allowances for cabinets, tile and fixtures are where low bids hide future change orders. [Cost calculator](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/cost-calculator/): typical published ranges for kitchens and cabinets. ## Things a Palm Desert GC should check before quoting - **Slab plumbing and the electrical panel.** Older homes often have undersized panels for induction ranges, EV chargers or added AC. Southern California Edison serves Palm Desert, and a service upgrade can affect the schedule. - **Termites.** Desert subterranean termites swarm July through September ([UC IPM](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7415.html)). Hidden damage found during demolition is a classic change order; ask how they'll price it. - **Water damage.** Some neighborhoods, Spanish Walk among them, flooded during Hurricane Hilary in 2023. Moisture behind lower cabinets and baseboards should be checked before it's covered up. - **Heat.** Summer work needs early starts and climate control for drywall, paint, adhesives and finishes. ## What goes wrong on bigger projects On multi-trade jobs, the most damaging complaints we reviewed were about money and silence: large advances, then a contractor who stalls between jobs, subcontractors who blame each other, and a project that runs months past its date. Our partner agreement requires these: - **One person who answers**: “Nobody calls back, and everyone blames someone else.” Our standard: One local contractor is responsible for the whole job, and one person at our office answers if they don't. - **Walkthrough before final payment**: “It looks worse than what we tore out.” Our standard: You don't make the final payment until you've walked the job with the contractor and the punch list is done. - **Kitchen stays usable until materials arrive**: “Five months washing dishes in the bathtub.” Our standard: Your old kitchen stays in place until the new cabinets and stone are on site and checked, unless you choose otherwise. - **Warranty in writing**: “The lifetime warranty disappeared when the company did.” Our standard: Our partner agreement requires at least a one-year workmanship warranty in writing, and we keep a copy. - **You get exactly what you approved**: “They sold me solid wood and delivered particleboard.” Our standard: Your contract names the exact cabinet construction, finish and stone, so you get what you approved. - **Approve drawings before anything is cut**: “The island came out four inches too narrow.” Our standard: Nothing is ordered or cut until you've approved the drawings and the seam layout. - **Small deposit, pay as you go**: “We paid in full, and then they disappeared.” Our standard: Our partner contractor never asks for more than 10% or $1,000 down, as California law requires. You pay as work is completed. - **They show up, or they call**: “They cancelled the install the morning of, again.” Our standard: Our partner agreement requires every appointment to be confirmed the day before, and we track every missed one. **Free referral:** [Get a free quote](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/get-a-quote/project/) ## Questions to ask a general contractor 1. **What's your license number and classification**, and who is the qualifying individual? 2. **Who's on site every day**, and who's my single point of contact? 3. **Which subcontractors will you use**, and are they licensed and insured? 4. **How do you price change orders**, and how fast will I see them in writing? 5. **What's your plan for HOA and city review**, and when do you expect a permit? 6. **How will you keep me updated** if I'm not in town? 7. **What's included in cleanup** and final walkthrough? ## When to start For seasonal owners, the practical sequence is to interview contractors and approve plans between January and April, submit to the HOA and the city in spring, and build over the summer. Larger projects may take more than one season. Don't let anyone demolish before permits are issued and long-lead materials are on order. ## Nearby cities - [Rancho Mirage](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/rancho-mirage/) - [Indian Wells](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/indian-wells/) - [Thousand Palms](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/thousand-palms/) - [Bermuda Dunes](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/bermuda-dunes/) **Free referral:** [Get a free quote](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/get-a-quote/project/) ## Common questions ### When do I need a general contractor instead of a specialist? When the job involves two or more unrelated trades, such as framing, plumbing, electrical and finishes, or when it's structural. In California that's a B (general building) license. A single-trade job, such as only cabinets or only flooring, can go to a specialty contractor. ### How do I check a contractor's license in California? Use the license lookup on the Contractors State License Board website (cslb.ca.gov). Confirm the name matches the contract, the license is active, the classification fits your job, and there's workers' compensation coverage or a valid exemption. In Palm Desert, also ask for the city business license. ### How long does Palm Desert plan review take? It depends on the project and the city's workload, and the city doesn't publish a single number. Plans are submitted digitally through the Clariti portal. Ask your contractor to build plan review, HOA review and any corrections into the schedule rather than promising a start date before approval. ### How should I pay a general contractor? California caps the down payment at 10% of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less. After that, payments should follow a schedule tied to completed work and delivered materials, never ahead of it. Hold the final payment until the punch list is done and the permit has its final inspection. ### Do you set the price? No. We connect you, free, with our licensed partner contractor, which visits, scopes the job and gives you written bids. You sign with, and pay, the contractor directly. ## Related pages - [Remodeling and repairs in Palm Desert](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/palm-desert/) - [General contractors in the Coachella Valley](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/general-contractor/) - [Kitchen remodeling in Palm Desert](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/palm-desert/kitchen-remodel/) - [General contractors in Indio](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/indio/general-contractor/) - [How to hire a contractor in the Coachella Valley without getting burned](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/guides/how-to-vet-a-contractor-coachella-valley/) - [Kitchen remodel permits in the Coachella Valley, city by city](https://coachellavalleyremodeling.com/guides/remodel-permits-coachella-valley/)