Home Renovation in Boca Raton
Boca Is Three Renovation Markets in One City
Renovating a home in Boca Raton means understanding which Boca the home lives in. The city contains three distinct housing types, each with its own architectural character, permitting reality, and renovation problem. The Spanish and Mediterranean Revival homes in older neighborhoods are different projects than the estate-scale homes in gated waterfront communities, which are different again from the mid- and high-rise condominiums that make up a significant portion of the city’s housing stock. The City of Boca Raton Building Department reviews all of it. The work inside each home is a different exercise, and a contractor who is right for one housing type may be wrong for another.
Palmhouse Design & Build has been doing this work for 20+ years. We are based at 801 Maplewood Dr, Suite 25, Jupiter, FL 33458. Our Florida General Contractor license is CGC1537109. Consultations are by appointment. Call 561-831-4170 to schedule.
Three Types of Boca Renovation
The work falls into three categories. Each has its own scope challenges.
Spanish and Mediterranean Revival single-family. The character: 1960s-1980s housing stock with walled courtyards, barrel-tile roofs, archways, and characteristic interior layouts. Often the kitchens and bathrooms inside are dated, while the exteriors retain their architectural character. The distinct problem: delivering modern function inside while preserving the architectural character that gives these homes their value. Original tile fields, archway openings, and courtyard integration all matter. Modern kitchen layouts and primary-bath suites fit inside these homes, but they fit on different terms than they would in a new build. The work is design-first, demolition-second. Replacing original elements is often a mistake; restoring them is usually the better answer when the budget supports the labor.
Gated waterfront and country-club estates. The character: estate-scale homes in gated communities, often with HOA architectural review on top of City permitting. Larger lots, larger scope, expectations closer to Palm Beach Island estate work. The distinct problem: coordinating with both City permitting and country-club HOA review at the same time, working within HOA design guidelines that may dictate visible exterior materials, and scheduling construction within community quiet-hour rules. Two parallel review processes that the homeowner should not have to manage. The HOA review timeline is often the binding constraint on the overall schedule, not the City permit; sequencing the submittals matters.
Mid- and high-rise condominium units. A significant portion of the city’s housing stock. Full unit renovations: kitchen, bath, flooring, sometimes wall removal within the unit. The distinct problem: every aspect of the renovation is constrained by the building (plumbing stack locations, electrical capacity, ductwork routing, riser shutoff windows) and by the association (architectural review, construction hours, elevator and lobby use, dumpster placement). The renovation team that has done condo work understands the layered constraint. The team that has not, learns it expensively. We have run condo unit renovations in buildings with strict construction-hour rules and the work still finished on time because the constraint was planned for, not absorbed mid-job.
City of Boca Raton Permitting
City permitting handles each housing type differently. Single-family permits run a standard residential-renovation path. Condo unit-renovation permits add the building association layer on top. Structural review applies where wall removals or load-bearing changes are part of scope. HOA submittals run as a separate parallel track for gated communities and condos: same drawings, different reviewer, different timeline, different revision cycles. We handle all of these in-house. Impact-rated glazing per Florida Building Code Wind-Borne Debris Region (WBDR) requirements applies to any new or replaced exterior opening regardless of housing type. The homeowner gets one project manager who is the point of contact for City review, HOA review, and the construction crew.
How We Protect You Under Florida Construction Lien Law
Florida Chapter 713 (the Construction Lien Law) creates an exposure most homeowners do not know about until it is too late. If a contractor fails to pay a subcontractor or supplier, that subcontractor or supplier can file a lien against the homeowner’s property. Even if the homeowner has paid the contractor in full. Documented Florida cases show homeowners facing five- and six-figure lien demands after their contractor failed to pass payments through.
We work to eliminate this exposure on every project regardless of housing type. Unconditional Waiver and Release of Lien forms from every subcontractor and material supplier come in with each progress draw. The homeowner reviews releases before approving the next draw. We track every Notice to Owner filed on the project. A Final Lien Waiver gets delivered at project close-out.
What’s Consistent Across All Work in the City
The thread across all three housing types: design-build under one roof, single point of contact, fixed-scope contract, licensed and insured. Coastal-environment material selections regardless of housing type, because Boca’s proximity to the ocean affects every home in the city. Coordination with the homeowner’s schedule, year-round or seasonal.
We work on a fixed-scope, fixed-price contract structure. Change orders happen only when the homeowner approves a scope change in writing. We do not return mid-project demanding more money to cover subcontractor cost increases we should have priced correctly upfront. Browse our whole-house renovation portfolio and our exterior renovation portfolio for context on the scope ranges we work in.
Our Team and Credentials
Palmhouse Design & Build holds Florida General Contractor license CGC1537109. 20+ years of South Florida construction experience. Jonathan Barrig and Gabriel Barrig hold Certified General Contractor credentials. Jason Vassalotti, our OSHA-certified project manager, brings 20+ years of construction experience. Read our full design and build process, meet our team of Certified General Contractors, and learn about Palmhouse Design & Build.
Start a Conversation
Home renovation across Boca Raton, single-family, gated estate, and condominium scope. By appointment. Florida General Contractor license CGC1537109. Call 561-831-4170 to schedule a consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you renovate Boca’s older Spanish and Mediterranean Revival homes?
Yes. Many of our local renovations are in older Spanish and Mediterranean Revival homes. We deliver modern kitchens, bathrooms, and full-systems updates while preserving the architectural character that makes these homes distinct.
Do you handle gated-community and country-club home renovations in the area?
Yes. We renovate homes in gated waterfront and country-club communities throughout the city. These projects involve both City of Boca Raton permitting and country-club HOA architectural review, and we coordinate both processes in-house.
Do you renovate condominium units in mid- and high-rise buildings?
Yes. We handle full unit renovations in local condominiums, including kitchen, bathroom, flooring, and structural changes within the unit. We coordinate riser shutoffs with building management, follow association rules, and submit the required architectural-review package.
Do you serve all of Boca Raton, including East Boca and the gated communities west of I-95?
Yes. We renovate homes throughout the city, including East Boca neighborhoods, the waterfront and beachside areas, and gated communities west of I-95. Consultations are by appointment. Call 561-831-4170.
Do you work with seasonal homeowners on renovations during the off-season?
Yes. Many of our clients are seasonal. We schedule larger renovations during the summer months when clients are typically north, coordinate selections by video, and maintain a single point of contact throughout.