Ultimate Guide To Historic Home Restoration (2026)

What Makes A House “Historic”?

A house does not become historic simply because it is old.

Common Qualification Factors Include:

• Age: Typically 50+ years old, though exceptions exist

• Historical significance: Association with events, people, or architectural movements

• Physical integrity: Original layout, materials, and form largely intact

• Designation: Listed individually or located within a historic district

Understanding how your home qualifies informs what you can and cannot change.

Can You Renovate A Historic Home?

Yes, you can renovate a historic home, but the work must respect character-defining features.

Generally Permitted Updates Include:

• Kitchens and bathroom remodels, when layouts and materials are compatible

• Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC upgrades

• Energy-efficiency improvements done discreetly

• Rear or secondary additions that respect scale and massing

Typically Restricted Changes:

Interior work is usually more flexible than exterior alterations, but both require planning.

Rules, Guidelines & Approval Processes

Historic work is governed by preservation standards and local regulations.

Most Approval Frameworks Prioritize:

• Repair over replacement

• Use of matching or compatible materials

• Reversibility of new work

• Visual distinction between old and new elements

Expect Approvals When:

• Changing exterior features

• Adding square footage

• Modifying structure or rooflines

• Altering historically significant interiors

Approval timelines can range from weeks to months (depending on scope and designation).

First Steps After Buying A Historic Home

Before design begins, assessment comes first.

Immediate Priorities:

• Hire an inspector experienced with historic properties

• Photograph and document original features

• Verify historic status and local restrictions

• Research available incentives or tax relief

Skipping this step often leads to redesign and cost overruns.

Assembling The Right Project Team

Historic restoration requires specialized roles at specific moments.

Key Professionals And Timing:

• Structural engineer: Early, when cracks, sagging, or load changes exist

• Home renovation architect: After inspections, before permits

• Preservation consultant: Immediately if designation applies

The Correct Order Of A Historic Home Restoration

Historic restoration follows a strict sequence:

Why The Order Matters

• Historic homes need to be understood before they’re changed. Early steps identify what must be preserved and where risk lives.

• Design and approvals come first so contractor pricing reflects real scope, not guesses and allowances.

• Structural and exterior work happens before systems to stabilize the building and protect what’s original.

• Systems are upgraded before finishes to avoid tearing out restored plaster, millwork, or tile later.

• Following this sequence keeps historic restoration controlled, compliant, and far less expensive to fix.

Modern Systems in Historic Homes

Most historic houses require full upgrades to electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. 

Original installations were not designed for modern loads, safety codes, or comfort expectations.

Electrical Upgrades

Older homes commonly contain knob-and-tube wiring, ungrounded outlets, or undersized service panels that cannot safely support modern appliances.

Typical electrical restoration work includes:

• Full rewiring with modern copper conductors

• Upgrading service panels to 200 amps or more

• Adding grounded outlets, GFCI protection in wet areas, and AFCI protection where required

• Thoughtful placement of outlets and switches to avoid disrupting historic walls and trim

Electrical routing often requires creativity in historic homes, using attics, basements, or concealed chases to preserve visible surfaces.

Plumbing Upgrades

Historic plumbing systems are frequently compromised by age, corrosion, or outdated materials.

Common plumbing improvements include:

• Replacing galvanized or lead piping with PEX or copper

• Improving water pressure and drainage performance

• Updating venting and waste lines to meet current codes

• Installing modern, low-flow fixtures without altering historic layouts

Early plumbing planning is especially important in kitchens and bathrooms, where layout changes can trigger broader scope and approvals.

HVAC Upgrades

Most historic homes were never designed for central air conditioning or modern heating systems.

Effective HVAC strategies often include:

• Ductless mini-split systems to minimize visual impact

• High-efficiency heat pumps for both heating and cooling

• Selective duct routing through attics or secondary spaces

• Zoning to improve comfort without overworking the system

The goal is performance and comfort without introducing bulky ductwork that compromises historic ceilings, walls, or proportions.

Working With Historic Home Restoration Contractors

Historic home restoration contractors are not interchangeable with standard builders.

What To Look For:

• Proven experience with similar-era homes

• Familiarity with preservation standards

• Detailed, line-item proposals

• Ability to source or replicate period materials

Red Flags:

• Vague scopes

• Missing exclusions

• Overly modern material substitutions

Precision matters in historic work.

Costs & Budgeting for Historic Home Restoration

As a rule of thumb, homeowners should budget 20–50% more than a typical remodel, with full historic restoration projects commonly landing between $250–$500+ per square foot. 

Larger or more architecturally intact homes can exceed that range.

Why Do Historic Restorations Cost More?

Historic homes carry layers of cost that modern construction simply does not.

• Specialized labor. Preservation carpenters, plaster specialists, masonry experts, and millwork fabricators command higher rates due to limited availability and skill depth.

• Period-correct materials. Matching original elements such as Dade County pine, lime-based stucco, historic roof tile, or custom wood windows adds cost and lead time.

• Historic approvals and reviews. Projects in Palm Beach often require iterative reviews with Historic Preservation Boards. Each revision adds time, professional fees, and coordination.

• Coastal building requirements. Hurricane-rated assemblies, flood-elevation compliance, impact protection, and wind-load upgrades must be integrated without compromising historic character.

• Higher long-term maintenance. Even after restoration, historic homes require more ongoing care. Expect annual maintenance costs of roughly 2–4% of home value, compared to about 1% for new construction.

Realistic Budget Ranges in Palm Beach

While every project is different, most full historic house restoration budgets include the following major cost categories:

• Planning, design, and historic approvals. This includes architectural work, preservation consulting, documentation, and Historic Preservation Board submissions. These costs are front-loaded and unavoidable.

• Structural stabilization and repairs. Foundations, framing, roof structures, and load-bearing elements often require reinforcement before any visible work begins.

• Exterior and envelope work. Roofing, stucco, masonry, windows, and doors must meet both historic and hurricane standards, which significantly impacts cost.

• Systems upgrades. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC are almost always full replacements, routed carefully to avoid damaging historic fabric.

• Interior restoration and finishes. Plaster repair, millwork replication, flooring restoration, cabinetry, and finishes often represent the largest cost swing depending on level of detail.

For a 2,500 square foot historic home, full restoration budgets in Palm Beach frequently land between $625,000 and $1.25M+, depending on scope, integrity, and finish level.

Budgeting Smarter For Historic Projects

A few strategies consistently reduce risk and overruns:

• Phase work strategically, often starting with exterior stabilization

• Finalize design and approvals before bidding construction

• Work only with preservation-qualified contractors

• Lock material decisions early to avoid re-pricing

• Pressure-test scopes and exclusions line by line

Historic restoration rewards planning. Rushed decisions are expensive.

Historic Home Restoration Grants and Incentives

Funding options for historic restoration exist, but they are often misunderstood.

Federal Historic Tax Credits

These credits typically apply only to income-producing properties, not primary residences. 

If the home is rented or used commercially, eligible rehabilitation costs may qualify for a 20% federal tax credit, provided strict preservation standards are met.

Florida State Incentives

Florida’s Division of Historic Resources offers grants primarily for nonprofits and public-access projects. 

Private homeowners may still benefit from:

• Ad valorem property tax reductions

• Referrals to low-interest preservation loans

• Guidance on qualifying rehabilitation work

Eligibility depends on designation, scope, and compliance.

Local and Palm Beach–Area Programs

Local historic programs in Palm Beach County and West Palm Beach focus mainly on districts and public resources. 

Direct homeowner grants are rare, but:

• Property tax relief may be available

• Preservation guidance can reduce costly missteps

• Documentation support can improve resale value

Incentives should be viewed as supplemental, not foundational.
A historic restoration budget must stand on its own before any credits are applied.

How Palm Club Approaches Historic Home Restoration

Historic homes demand clarity before construction begins.

Our role is to structure projects so goals survive real-world execution:

• Scope is defined early to align design, approvals, and pricing

• Preservation requirements are translated into build-ready documentation

• Contractor proposals are pressure-tested for gaps, assumptions, and exclusions

• Materials and details are coordinated before construction, not during it

We don’t build.
We act as the owner’s representative to make sure what’s designed can be executed without compromising historic character.

This means fewer surprises, tighter cost control, and a historic home that retains its soul while functioning for modern life.