General Contractor in Palmdale, CA
MDG Builders is a licensed general contractor, CSLB #1040337, that plans, permits and manages eleven home trades in Palmdale, from kitchens and ADUs to roofs, fences and concrete. The city takes every permit through Accela, closes its counters on Fridays, and applies the 2025 fire map and cool roof rules.
Eleven home trades we manage in Palmdale
Every guide below applies Palmdale's own handouts, policies and code sections to one trade, with the official sources linked. Choose the job on your list.
Kitchen Remodeling in Palmdale
Exempt finish work, the Accela document list, 1980s to 2000s house kitchens, hood rules and desert heat for Palmdale kitchens.
See Palmdale kitchen remodeling →
Bathroom Remodeling in Palmdale
Accela permits, the Friday counter closure, 2025 exhaust fan rules and what 1980s and 1990s Palmdale bathrooms hide behind the tile.
See Palmdale bathroom remodeling →
ADU Construction in Palmdale
Zoning Clearance then building permit on Accela, the City's free standard plans, the state's 2021 findings and Joshua tree, fire and wash checks.
See Palmdale ADU construction →
Room Additions in Palmdale
Planning approval before the building permit, Joshua tree and patio cover limits, Title 24 for additions, washes, faults and fire maps in Palmdale.
See Palmdale room additions →
Roofing in Palmdale
The bare-deck sheathing inspection, cool roof labels, the 2025 fire map and Friday office closures for Palmdale roofs.
See Palmdale roofing →
Windows in Palmdale
Climate Zone 14 glass for 118 days over 90 degrees, the 2025 fire zone map, patio cover window limits and the permit question Palmdale does not answer online.
See Palmdale window replacement →
Flooring in Palmdale
Heat and dry air, slab moisture tests, rentals and manufactured homes, asbestos in older houses and whether a floor job needs a permit.
See Palmdale flooring →
Painting in Palmdale
Lead-safe rules for older homes, the Antelope Valley air district, desert sun and stucco prep for Palmdale painting.
See Palmdale painting →
Concrete in Palmdale
Hot and windy pours, driveway approach permits, patio cover slabs, hillside footings and what flatwork costs.
See Palmdale concrete work →
Decks in Palmdale
Which decks need a permit, fire zone boards, the City's patio cover plan, Joshua trees, hillside lots and deck repair costs.
See Palmdale deck building →
Fencing in Palmdale
Front setback limits, the 6 foot permit line, County Fire review of gates and Joshua trees on the lot for Palmdale fences.
See Palmdale fencing →What should a Palmdale homeowner know before hiring a contractor?
Palmdale is a young city by Southern California standards. Lutheran families from the Midwest founded Palmenthal on April 20, 1886 and took Joshua trees for palms, the center later moved to the Southern Pacific tracks, and Air Force Plant 42 opened in 1952 and made aerospace the main employer. The city incorporated on August 24, 1962 and grew from 68,842 residents in 1990 to 169,450 in 2020. The Census Bureau's 2024 estimates show a median build year of 1990, about 80 percent single-family detached homes, and only 19.6 percent of units built before 1980. Most jobs here are therefore on stucco tract houses that are thirty to forty years old: tired roofs, aging windows, sun-faded paint, cracked slabs and sagging fences, rather than the knob-and-tube wiring and clay drains of an older city.
The permit counter works differently from most Southern California cities. The Building and Safety Division takes every application and plan set through the Accela Citizens Portal, reviews plans electronically and is closed on Fridays, so a Thursday correction can cost a weekend. Applications filed after December 31, 2025 are reviewed under the 2025 California Building Standards Code. After you file, the City emails the fees and a checklist of outside approvals, which can include LA County Fire, the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District, Southern California Edison and the water districts, and a construction waste plan with a deposit has to be on file before the application counts as complete. A Palmdale re-roof adds a bare-deck sheathing inspection and Climate Zone 14 cool roof products, and a kitchen remodel or bathroom remodel that moves plumbing or electrical follows the same portal.
The land is the other half of the story. Palmdale sits near 2,600 feet in the Mojave Desert, gets about 7.3 inches of rain a year, and averages 118 days at or above 90 degrees, 36 days at or above 100 and 38 nights at or below freezing. Gusts over 25 mph restrict earth moving, which matters for concrete work. The City Council adopted CAL FIRE's new fire hazard maps on August 19, 2025, the San Andreas Fault crosses the Antelope Valley Freeway north of Avenue S, and flooding east of SR-14 is a documented hazard. A patio cover application makes you sign that no Joshua trees will be destroyed or moved, which shapes where decks and patios, room additions and ADUs can go. Wind and sun also drive the choices for replacement windows, flooring, fencing and house painting.
MDG Builders holds CSLB license #1040337 as a general contractor. We write the scope, pull the permits, sequence the work and inspect it, and licensed specialty subcontractors do the roofing, concrete, carpentry and finishing, so you are free to ask for each one's license number and certificate of insurance before you sign. Palmdale is part of the Los Angeles County territory we serve; the areas we cover page lists the rest, and homeowners comparing cities can read the hubs for Los Angeles, Pasadena and Glendale. Nearby Lancaster, Santa Clarita and San Fernando are on our list but do not have pages yet.
- About 80 percent of Palmdale housing was built after 1980, and the median build year is 1990.
- Building and Safety is closed on Fridays and files everything through the Accela Citizens Portal.
- Applications filed after December 31, 2025 are reviewed under the 2025 California Building Standards Code.
- The City Council adopted CAL FIRE's 2025 hazard maps by Ordinance No. 1656 on August 19, 2025.
- Re-roofs need a sheathing inspection with the old roofing off, and the products must be CRRC rated for Climate Zone 14.
- Patio cover applicants must attest that no Joshua trees will be destroyed, moved or disturbed.
Cities near Palmdale we also build in
Hiring a general contractor in Palmdale: common questions
Where do I apply for a building permit in Palmdale?
Apply online through the Accela Citizens Portal run by the Building and Safety Division. The City takes every application and plan set electronically and does its plan review that way too. Counters are open Monday to Thursday and closed Fridays, and applications filed after December 31, 2025 are reviewed under the 2025 state building code.
Is my Palmdale house in a fire hazard zone?
Maybe, because parts of the city sit in Moderate, High or Very High zones. The City Council adopted CAL FIRE's March 2025 maps on August 19, 2025. New buildings in High and Very High zones follow wildfire-resistant codes, and some remodels may need fire-resistant materials. The City publishes no parcel counts, so look up your address on CAL FIRE's map.
Does a re-roof need a permit and inspection in Palmdale?
Yes, the City's re-roofing policy sets out an inspection sequence. Once the old roofing is off and before any underlayment goes down, the inspector checks the sheathing, then comes the permit and building finals. The roofing materials must sit on site in their original packaging so cool roof ratings can be checked.
How tall can a fence be in Palmdale?
A summary of the municipal code shows 3 feet in a front setback if the fence blocks sight, 5 feet if it is open view, and 6 feet on the sides and rear. A building permit is needed above 6 feet. We could only read a summary, so confirm the numbers with Planning before ordering materials.
How long does an ADU approval take in Palmdale?
The City describes two ministerial steps: a Zoning Clearance from Planning, which can be approved in 30 days once the application is complete, then a building permit within 45 days of a complete submittal. Detached ADUs top out at 1,200 square feet. The City's free standard plans are conceptual and still need engineering.
Can I hire an unlicensed handyman for a small job in Palmdale?
Only for jobs under $1,000 in labor, materials and all other costs, a limit raised from $500 on January 1, 2025. The limit disappears if the work needs any permit or the person hires a helper. Palmdale also will not issue an owner-builder permit to a homeowner who plans to hire an unlicensed worker.
What if there is a Joshua tree on my Palmdale lot?
It can change your plans. The City's patio cover form asks the applicant to certify that no Joshua trees will be destroyed, moved or disturbed, and the fee schedule carries a Native Desert Vegetation Permit line. Ask Planning before you place an addition, slab or patio near a tree, because relocation is not something a contractor can decide.
Does MDG Builders take jobs in Palmdale?
Yes, Palmdale is inside the Los Angeles County territory we serve. MDG is a licensed general contractor, CSLB #1040337, and manages the whole job. Licensed specialty subcontractors do the field work, and you can request each one's license number and proof of insurance before the contract is signed.
Plan a home project in Palmdale
Send your address, the trade and a line about the work. We look at the fire zone, any Joshua trees on the lot and which outside agencies must approve, then call you with the permit path.