Search for a remodeler in Cedar Park and you get directory pages: Angi, Houzz, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, BBB. Every one of them ranks companies, and not one of them tells you what the City of Cedar Park requires of the contractor you are about to hire. Those requirements are short, public, and free to check. Here is the list.
Cedar Park now requires every contractor to register
The City of Cedar Park states that as part of the permitting process it is implementing a contractor registration requirement, and that all contractors, both existing and new, must register with the City. Registration runs through the MGO Connect customer portal: create or sign in to an account, select Register as a Contractor, complete it and submit. There is no fee.
That is the single most useful question you can ask a Cedar Park remodeler on the first call, because it is binary and it is current. A company working in the city is expected to be registered. If the answer is vague, the Building Permits and Inspections office at 450 Cypress Creek Road will confirm it; the number is 512-401-5100.
Know which parts of your project need a permit
The city's own guidance is that a permit is required for any construction which physically changes or adds structures to the property. On the list of work that requires one: remodels involving the relocation or removal of interior walls, or electrical, mechanical or plumbing work; additions to existing structures; moving or demolishing buildings; heating and air conditioning equipment; water heaters and water softeners.
On the list that does not require a permit: house painting, carpet, wallpaper and cabinets. That last one surprises people. Replacing cabinets on their own is not permitted work, but the moment the job moves a wall or relocates plumbing for a new sink, it is. Most real kitchen projects cross that line, which is why the scope conversation and the permit conversation are the same conversation.
The city is explicit that these lists are not comprehensive and asks you to call 512-401-5100 to confirm what permits are needed before starting any work. A contractor who tells you a wall can come out without a permit is making a claim the city has invited you to check in one phone call.
The code your house will be inspected against
Cedar Park's adopted building codes took effect on June 1, 2022 and include the 2021 International Residential Code, the 2021 International Building Code, the 2021 International Existing Building Code, the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code and the 2020 National Electrical Code, all with local amendments. The amendments live in Chapter 3 of the city's code of ordinances.
You do not need to read any of it. What it means practically is that a whole-home remodel in Cedar Park is inspected against a specific published edition, and that a contractor who works across several Central Texas jurisdictions has to know which edition applies where. Ask which code edition Cedar Park is on. Someone who works here regularly answers immediately.
Texas does not license general contractors
The usual first check does not exist in this state. As the City of Austin puts it on its contractor registration page, in Texas anyone can be a general contractor, including homeowners, and a state license is not required. The same page notes that the general contractor is the responsible individual assigned to a building permit.
The licensing that does exist is on the trades. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation states that anyone who performs or offers to perform non-exempt electrical work in Texas must be licensed, and it publishes a license search. The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners licenses plumbers and publishes a public license search. If your kitchen project moves a gas line or a drain, ask who is doing that work and look the licence up yourself. It takes a minute.
What a BBB accreditation actually tells you
BBB accreditation came up repeatedly in the Cedar Park directory listings, so it is worth being precise about what it is. BBB states that to qualify, a business must continually meet its eight standards for trust, that not all businesses will qualify, and that BBB charges a fee for accreditation, based on factors including the size of the business.
The eight standards are build trust, advertise honestly, tell the truth, be transparent, honor promises, be responsive, safeguard privacy and embody integrity. They are commitments about conduct and complaint handling. They are not an assessment of whether a company can frame a wall. Accreditation is worth something; it is simply not the same thing as competence, and no directory badge is.
The short version
- Is the company registered as a contractor with the City of Cedar Park
- Which parts of this scope need a permit, and who is pulling it
- Who is the licensed electrician and the licensed plumber on this job
- Current insurance certificates, with the dates read, not just promised
- Three references on projects like yours, in this area
We are veteran-owned, BBB accredited and a NARI award winner, and none of that is the reason to hire us either. The reason is the part you can test before you sign anything: we return calls within two hours during business hours, we document every project with photos start to finish, and there are no surprise costs. Cedar Park is in our service area along with Austin, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Buda and Kyle.
Published Oct 15, 2026