Renovations
Renovations on Palm Beach island.
GCS Palm Beach renovates houses on Palm Beach island, from one room to the whole house. Philip takes each job through the Town’s approvals, open book.
CGC057454 (opens the state record) · Licensed since 1994 · On the island daily for about 25 years
One room or the whole house.
A bath, a kitchen, a wing, or every room at once. The same builder runs it, whatever the size.
Small jobs are welcome. If it’s on the island, he’ll take it.
- One bathroom
- A kitchen
- A pool
- A historic renovation
- The whole house
Kitchens and baths, folded into the house.
A kitchen or a bath can be the whole job, or one part of a bigger one. Either way it runs on the same schedule and the same book, with one builder answering for all of it.
Older houses, by the Town’s rules.
The Town protects over 328 landmark properties, sites and vistas. Exterior work on a landmark, or in a historic district, goes to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, not ARCOM, and needs a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Ordinary repair that keeps the design, the material and the look needs no certificate. Knowing which is which is the job.
Open book. You see every cost.
Every cost on the job is in the book, and the book is the owner’s to see.
The Town of Palm Beach
Through the Town, in order.
A renovation on the island runs through the Town’s own departments. Philip has worked on the island every day for about 25 years.
- 01
Building department
Permits are filed in the Town’s online portal (the Town’s recommended route), and each application carries the owner’s notarized signature.
Permits on Palm Beach - 02
ARCOM
Changes the street can see. No permit is issued until ARCOM, or the Town Council on appeal, approves them.
How ARCOM works - 03
Landmarks
On a landmarked house, exterior changes need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Renovating a landmark - 04
The 50% rule
In a flood zone, improvements costing half the building’s market value (not the land), counted over one year, bring the house up to flood rules for new construction.
The 50% rule - 05
Working hours
From November 1 to April 30, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., no site noise before 9. No construction December 24 through January 1.
Construction hours
From the Town’s published rules, checked October 2026. Rules change; check the Town (opens the Town of Palm Beach site) for your property.
Questions
Does GCS Palm Beach take a single bathroom?
Yes. One bathroom, a kitchen or the whole house: any job on Palm Beach island.
Does a renovation on Palm Beach need ARCOM approval?
If it changes what the street can see, yes. The Town issues no permit until ARCOM approves it, and many smaller items are approved by Town staff. A landmarked house goes to the Landmarks Preservation Commission instead.
What is the 50% rule?
In a flood zone (AE or VE), if improvements cost 50% or more of the building's market value, not counting the land, the house must meet the flood rules for new construction. In the Town it is counted over one year, across permits.
How long can a renovation permit run?
The Town caps it by size: 16 months for a remodel of 3,999 sq. ft. or less, up to 42 months for 20,000 to 39,999 sq. ft. Staff can add up to 90 days; anything longer goes to the Town Council.
How is a renovation priced?
Open book. You see every cost.
Read next
- ARCOMThe Architectural Commission, step by step
- LandmarksRenovating a landmarked house
- The 50% ruleSubstantial improvement in the Town
- PermitsBuilding permits in the Town of Palm Beach
- Construction hoursSeason hours and no-work days
- Condo renovationsA unit in an association building
- New homesWhen the house goes: a teardown and a new one
- The workHouses, kitchens, baths and pools