Home Additions in West Palm Beach
Adding square footage is a different job than remodeling what you already have. A home addition changes your home’s footprint, and that pulls in setbacks, lot coverage, and, in flood zones, the elevation of the new space. A remodel-only contractor often misses these rules until the plans get rejected. Palmhouse Design & Build plans for them from day one.
We are a licensed design-build firm (Florida CGC1537109) with 20+ years building high-end additions in Palm Beach County. You get design, permits, and construction under one contract.
What We Add in West Palm Beach
The most common requests are second-story additions, expanded primary suites, in-law or guest suites, and lanai or enclosure additions. In-law and guest suites are a strong fit here for households with family in town or owners who host through the season. Each type has its own structural and code path, and we scope all of it before you sign.
How Big an Addition Can You Actually Build
Your setbacks and lot coverage set the real ceiling on size, not just your wish list. Before we design, we check what your lot allows, so you are not paying for plans that cannot be permitted. If your home is in a flood zone, the new footprint may need to meet current elevation rules even if the rest of the house does not. We confirm that early and build it into the price.
A second story is a popular way to add space without giving up yard. The question is whether your existing foundation and walls can carry the added load. In older West Palm Beach homes that is not a given. We verify the structure with an engineer first. If it needs reinforcement, you know before demolition, not after. If your lot sits in a historic district, an addition visible from the right-of-way also triggers a Historic Preservation Board review, which we handle in-house.
Running the Project Without Surprises
You get a written scope and price up front. If an open wall reveals something that changes the plan, we document the change order and wait for your written approval before continuing. Every subcontractor works under our contract, so you sign one agreement and have one accountable team. Permitting is a defined phase that finishes before demolition, which keeps the schedule honest.
One project manager runs the addition from start to final walkthrough. Crews protect your floors, driveway, and landscaping, and keep the site clean in an occupied home. For the bigger picture, see our whole-home renovation in West Palm Beach and our home addition expertise in Jupiter. If your project is more finish-driven, our luxury home remodeling in West Palm Beach page covers that.
Call Palmhouse Design & Build at 561-831-4170 to schedule a consultation. We meet on-site Monday through Saturday.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of home additions do you build in West Palm Beach?
Second-story additions, expanded primary suites, in-law and guest suites, and lanai or enclosure additions. We scope the structural and code path for each before you sign.
Will an addition require me to elevate or meet flood code?
If your home is in a flood zone, the new footprint may need to meet current elevation rules even when the rest of the house does not. We confirm this early and build it into the price.
How do setbacks and lot coverage limit the size of my addition?
They set the real maximum, not your wish list. We check what your lot allows before we design, so you never pay for plans that cannot be permitted.
Can you add a second story or in-law suite to an existing home?
Yes. For a second story we verify your foundation and walls can carry the load first. In-law and guest suites are a common request we build often in West Palm Beach.