Kitchen remodeling
Bathroom remodeling
Home additions & ADU
Roofing
Windows & doors
Driveway & pavers
FenceFree written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable General Contractor Across Highland
Finding a general contractor in Highland who understands decomposed granite slopes, wildfire-resistant material requirements, and the inspection nuances of foothill building is not the same as hiring for a flat-lot job in the valley below. Square Deal Contractors manages every phase of a Highland project under one contract: grading and foundation, framing, millwork, glass, finishes, and final inspection sign-off. We plan around lead times and Highland’s specific soil conditions, not just labor schedules. Call (866) 623-7205 and ask for Nolan Breckett to walk through your property and get a free, written estimate.

Why Square Deal Contractors Is Highland’s Preferred General Contractor Company
Highland homeowners keep calling us because we show up with site-specific answers, not a generic binder. We have pulled permits and passed inspections on hillside lots where decomposed granite forced retaining-wall engineering that a valley contractor would never have planned for. Our General Contractor team runs the full scope: foundation, structure, millwork, countertops, glass, roofing, and hardscape. That means you’re not coordinating a cabinet shop in Redlands, a glass supplier in Loma Linda, and a concrete crew from San Bernardino on your own.
We tell you exactly what you’re getting and why. Nolan Breckett walks each estimate line by line before anything is signed. When a Highland homeowner asks why a Cambria slab costs what it does, or why the GAF underlayment spec changed after the fire marshal’s notes came back, you get a straight answer. That is the Square Deal operating standard. No runaround, no surprise invoices.
Styles & brands we work with







Construction Company in Highland
When you hire a construction company in Highland for a high-end remodel or custom build, the first question isn’t “when do we start framing?” It’s “what has to be ordered now so the schedule doesn’t stall in month three?” On Highland’s foothill lots, that usually means engineered foundation plans, custom cabinetry, and architectural glass. Lead times on KraftMaid and Wellborn cabinets run eight to fourteen weeks. Cambria and Caesarstone slabs are cut to template after cabinet install, not before. Architectural glass for a clerestory wall or a walk-in shower enclosure can run even longer. A construction company that hasn’t built in Highland will quote framing speed. We quote delivery dates, because that’s what actually sets the calendar.
Site-Specific Foundation and Grading Work
Highland’s hillside lots climb toward the San Bernardino National Forest on decomposed granite and rocky foothill soils that change lot to lot. A general contractor here has to order site-specific grading and engineered foundation plans before millwork or glass is even quoted. Plans copied from flat valley lots down in San Bernardino routinely fail inspection on these soils.
We flag this at the first site visit. If your lot needs terraced grading, a retaining wall, or a deeper foundation system than the county standard, that conversation happens before we touch the cabinet drawings. It’s not an upsell; it’s the only way a Highland project closes on schedule.
Long-Lead Material Sequencing
On a custom hillside build off the foothill edge in 92346, our crew coordinated KraftMaid cabinetry, a Cambria island top, and architectural glass for a clerestory wall while the engineered foundation was still curing on terraced grading cut into decomposed granite. Because the glass and the cabinetry were long-lead, we fixed the scope of work and allowances in writing and locked the price before a single order went out, then ran the draw schedule around delivery dates rather than framing speed. The punch list closed after inspection sign-off on the rough-in and a final walkthrough with the homeowner’s designer.
That’s the standard, not the exception. Order materials first, build around deliveries, and don’t let a designer’s change order quietly rewrite the budget.
Remodeling Contractor in Highland
A remodeling contractor in Highland on a high-end job is really managing a supply chain disguised as a construction project. The labor is predictable. The Porcelanosa tile, the Grohe fixtures, the custom vanity, the architectural glass for the primary bath: those items have lead times that don’t care about your framing inspection. We run the schedule backward from the longest lead item, so every trade shows up when the prior step’s inspection has already cleared. For a kitchen remodel in Highland, that ranges from roughly $14,000 to $45,000 depending on cabinetry grade, countertop material, and how much structural work the foothill lot demands.
Kitchen Remodel Coordination
A Highland kitchen on a sloped lot almost always has a surprise behind the first wall. Older mid-century ranch homes near the valley floor hide termite damage and out-of-date wiring. Newer hillside builds hide drywall cracks from settlement that only reveal themselves once cabinets come out. We contract for both scenarios with written allowances, not verbal guesses. Cabinet installation runs $4,000 to $13,000; countertop installation $2,000 to $6,500 on the same job.

Bathroom and Whole-Home Remodel Sequencing
Bathroom remodels in Highland run $9,000 to $28,000. The range swings on shower glass, vanity custom work, and whether the plumber has to change drain locations in a slab-on-grade mid-century home. We don’t rough in tile and hope the glass fits. We template after tile, order before drywall finish, and inspect before close-up. Same discipline on whole-home work and additions: the home addition range in Highland is $45,000 to $130,000, with the high end reflecting hillside caissons, retaining walls, and fire-resistant siding packages.
Trusted Brands We Service in Highland
We don’t stock a single brand’s catalog and sell you whatever it contains. Square Deal works with more than 50 vetted manufacturers, and on Highland jobs we lean on lines that hold up to foothill conditions. GAF and CertainTeed for Class A fire-rated roofing assemblies. Grohe and Sterling for plumbing fixtures that survive hard water and summer heat cycles without warranty headaches. We’ll tell you exactly what you’re getting and why the spec sheet reads the way it does. The right material for your project and your budget, not the one a supplier rep gets paid to push. From roofline to backyard, one contractor, every phase.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterCommon General Contractor Problems We See in Highland Homes
- Ordering custom millwork before the grading plan clears. Highland’s decomposed granite soils mean foundation and retaining-wall engineering must pass inspection before long-lead cabinets and glass get ordered. Contractors who order early eat weeks of delay when the grading gets red-tagged.
- Assuming uniform valley soil like San Bernardino’s. Highland lots change soil composition within a single property line. Skipping site-specific geotechnical review means foundation plans fail inspection and the whole project stalls on a re-engineer.
- Verbal pricing with drifting allowances. Designer-selected Cambria or Caesarstone slabs and Kohler fixtures routinely come in 10 to 20 percent over a soft allowance. We fix allowances in writing before any order goes out, so the number you sign is the number you pay unless you change the scope.
- Wildfire-condition ignorance. Santa Ana wind events in Highland push every exterior decision toward ember-resistant assemblies. Siding, decks, fences, and venting all fall under fire marshal review here. A contractor who only builds flat-lot standard assemblies gets a correction notice.
Pricing for General Contractor in Highland, CA
Highland’s pricing reflects the ground, not just the finishes. Decomposed granite excavation, terraced grading, retaining walls, and engineered footings add real cost before the first cabinet is ordered. Here are the ranges we quote on Highland work, in writing, before you sign:
| Project | Highland Market Range |
|---|---|
| Kitchen Remodel | $14,000 – $45,000 |
| Cabinet Installation | $4,000 – $13,000 |
| Countertop Installation | $2,000 – $6,500 |
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Home Addition | $45,000 – $130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000 – $220,000 |
These are project-specific. Your exact number depends on your lot’s soil report, your designer’s material selections, and how much structural correction your existing home needs. What doesn’t change is the written, fixed scope we sign before ordering begins. Call (866) 623-7205 to schedule your free estimate.
We Also Serve Cities Near Highland
From our base in Lake Forest, we run crews into Highland and the surrounding East Valley communities: San Bernardino, Muscoy, Redlands, and Loma Linda. Highland is a distinct market from those flat-lot neighbors, and we plan accordingly. Same written estimates, same fixed scopes, same single-contract accountability.
Serving Highland, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Highland area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About General Contractor in Highland
Highland hillside remodels take longer because grading, retaining walls, and engineered foundations on decomposed granite require geotechnical review and inspection cycles that flat-lot Redlands work does not. Add long-lead custom millwork and architectural glass on top, and a Highland high-end project realistically runs several weeks longer than the same square footage on flat clay soil. Call (866) 623-7205 for a schedule built around your lot’s actual conditions.
We fix allowances and the written scope of work in the contract before any order goes out. When your designer selects a specific Cambria or Caesarstone slab, a Grohe fixture package, or custom cabinetry, the line items get updated and signed before the purchase order is issued. No drifting, no change orders stacking up later. Call (866) 623-7205 and we’ll walk you through exactly how the allowance sections work.
They affect the sequencing around it. Cabinets and counters are installed after framing, rough-in, and inspection sign-off. On Highland sloped lots, settlement and foundation movement are real risks on decomposed granite, so we don’t hang custom millwork or set stone slabs until the structure has passed inspection and the foundation is stable. Call (866) 623-7205 for a site walk and a straight answer on your lot.
Yes. We work from the architect’s stamped plans and the designer’s finish schedule as a single point of accountability. Nolan Breckett sits in on the design-construction handoff, then our team runs submittals, allowances, and the draw schedule against delivery dates, not framing speed. Call (866) 623-7205 to set up that coordination before plans are finalized.
Everything from the lot’s soil report and grading plan through foundation, framing, roofing, windows, plumbing, electrical, insulation, drywall, millwork, and final inspection. Highland ADUs run $90,000 to $220,000; home additions run $45,000 to $130,000, with the high end reflecting hillside excavation and retaining walls. Call (866) 623-7205 for a free estimate on your specific site.
Written by Nolan Breckett, Owner at Square Deal Contractors, serving Highland since day one with transparent estimates and defined scopes.