Short answer: When you remodel an older home in Palm Beach County, the year it was built tells you what is likely behind the walls. Homes from before the mid-1970s often still have cast iron drain lines and older wiring. Homes from roughly 1978 to 1995 may have polybutylene water pipe, which can affect insurance. Plan for an inspection of the plumbing and some room in the budget before the first wall comes down.
Updated October 2026. Written by H&H Signature Renovations, an owner-led remodeling company in Lake Worth Beach that remodels kitchens and bathrooms in homes of every age across Palm Beach County.
How old are the homes in Palm Beach County?
Older than many people expect. The median home in the county was built in 1986, and one in three (33.5%) was built before 1980. In Lake Worth Beach and the Town of Palm Beach, the typical home dates from around 1970.
| Place | Median year built | Built before 1980 |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Worth Beach | 1969 | 74.8% |
| Town of Palm Beach | 1970 | 70.0% |
| Boca Raton | 1983 | 43.6% |
| Delray Beach | 1983 | 42.8% |
| Boynton Beach | 1984 | 41.3% |
| Palm Beach County (all) | 1986 | 33.5% |
| West Palm Beach | 1988 | 37.7% |
| Jupiter | 1989 | 15.0% |
| Palm Beach Gardens | 1995 | 17.8% |
| Wellington | 1995 | 12.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, tables B25034 and B25035, compiled in our Palm Beach County housing data.
What will you find in a home built before the mid-1970s?
Homes from this era, common in Lake Worth Beach, the Town of Palm Beach and older parts of Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach, often have:
- Cast iron drain lines. Many Florida homes of this age were built with cast iron drains. Humidity, moisture and salt can speed up corrosion, and failing lines can show up as slow drains, sewer smells or water damage near a bathroom.
- Older water supply pipe, which may be galvanized steel in some homes and can narrow inside over time.
- Older wiring and fewer circuits than a modern kitchen needs, and outlets without ground-fault protection near water.
- Tile set in a thick mortar bed, which is heavier work to remove than modern thin-set tile.
When a bathroom or kitchen in a home of this age is opened up, a camera inspection of the main drain before the remodel is money well spent.
What about homes built from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s?
This is the county’s busiest building period, and it is common in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Jupiter. The item to check is polybutylene, a gray plastic water supply pipe that was widely used in Florida homes built from about 1978 to 1995. It can fail from the inside without warning, and some Florida insurers decline or restrict coverage on homes that still have it.
If your home is from this period, ask your insurer what it requires before you remodel, and consider replacing any polybutylene supply lines while the walls are open. Many Florida insurers also ask for a four-point inspection, covering the roof, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling systems, on older homes.
What about homes built after 2000?
Newer homes, common in Wellington and Palm Beach Gardens, are usually simpler to remodel behind the walls. The work here is more often about layout and finishes: opening a kitchen to the living space, enlarging a shower or replacing builder-grade cabinetry with custom pieces.
What are the warning signs before you remodel?
Some problems show themselves before any wall comes down. Mention these at the estimate:
- Slow drains in more than one fixture, or a sewer smell in a bathroom
- Water stains on ceilings, baseboards or the floor next to a tub or shower
- Loose or hollow-sounding tile, or grout that keeps cracking
- Low water pressure or rust-colored water from older supply pipe
- Breakers that trip when the kitchen appliances run together
How should you budget for an older home remodel?
- Start with a realistic range. Our remodel cost calculator shows where most Palm Beach County kitchens and bathrooms land. Then plan for what the walls reveal.
- Inspect first. A camera inspection of the drains and a look at the electrical panel tell you most of what you need before you commit to a design.
- Keep a contingency. Set money aside for what the walls reveal, and decide in advance how decisions about it will be made.
- Replace what you can reach. If a wall or floor is open anyway, replacing an old drain or supply line then costs far less than opening it again later.
- Get a written scope. It should say what is included and how surprises are priced.
Remodeling an older home with H&H
Many homes in Lake Worth Beach, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach are decades old, and we plan for what they hide. You get a written scope and a fixed price before work starts, and we handle the permitting process. See our Lake Worth Beach bathroom remodeling, kitchen remodeling and whole home remodeling work, or request a free in-home estimate.
Cite this page: H&H Signature Renovations, “Remodeling an Older Home in Palm Beach County: What Is Behind the Walls,” hhsrenovations.com, updated October 2026. Housing data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates.
Frequently asked questions
How old is the average home in Palm Beach County?
The median home in Palm Beach County was built in 1986, and 33.5% were built before 1980, according to the Census Bureau’s ACS 2024 5-year estimates.
Which Palm Beach County towns have the oldest homes?
Lake Worth Beach (median year built 1969) and the Town of Palm Beach (1970), where about three in four and seven in ten homes were built before 1980.
What is polybutylene pipe and why does it matter?
A gray plastic water supply pipe widely used in Florida homes built from about 1978 to 1995. It can fail from the inside, and some Florida insurers restrict coverage on homes that still have it.
Do older Florida homes have cast iron drain pipes?
Many homes built before the mid-1970s do. Florida’s moisture and salt can speed up their corrosion, so an inspection before a kitchen or bathroom remodel is worthwhile.
Should I replace old pipes during a remodel?
If the walls or floor are already open, replacing aging drain or supply lines then usually costs far less than opening them again later.
