Half the homes date from 1970 to 1989
Census estimates put half of Boca's housing in those twenty years, and the city's population jumped 67 percent in the 1970s alone.
Palm Beach County
Water Damage Restoration in Boca Raton, FL
Plumbing in Boca's 1970s and 1980s homes is now roughly 40 to 55 years old. Call, and the leak gets traced and the wet areas dried before they spread.
ZIP codes in the area
- 33427
- 33428
- 33429
- 33431
- 33432
- 33433
- 33434
- 33464
- 33481
- 33486
- 33487
- 33488
- 33496
- 33497
- 33498
- 33499
Some of these ZIP codes also include neighboring communities.
South Florida Restoration Co covers water damage restoration in Boca Raton and the communities west of it that use Boca ZIP codes. A garden condo near Spanish River and a house in Boca West are different jobs, so tell us which you have and we’ll get a licensed, insured crew ready for it.
What fails in a 40-year-old house or condo
Small parts give out first: the flexible lines feeding each toilet and faucet, washer hoses, angle stops that seize and drip, and tank water heaters well past their life in the garage. A supply line that splits overnight can soak the kitchen, the cabinets and the next room before anyone wakes up.
Homes plumbed from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s may also still have polybutylene, which tends to fail at the fittings without warning. A slab leak is slower: water from a line under the floor works up into the flooring, and a warm patch of tile, a faint hiss or a jump in the water bill often comes before anything looks wet.
Leaks in units closed for the summer
A unit left empty from spring to fall gives a small leak months to spread under the flooring, into the walls and down to the unit below. With the AC set high or off, the humidity climbs and mildew starts on walls, closets and furniture. By the time a neighbor spots a stain or the association calls, the drying usually runs well past one room.
If you get that call, both units can be dried while you’re still up north. When you close the unit, shut the main water valve and leave the AC on, not off, to limit how far a leak can get.
Garden condos and country club communities
Much of Boca’s housing is two-to-four story garden condos, villas and homes in gated communities run by an association. Water there moves sideways into the next unit as well as down, and the association office usually has the keys and knows the shutoffs. If it’s coming through your ceiling, the guide for a leak coming from upstairs lays out what to do, in order.
Water sitting for months in a shut unit makes mold more likely than in a home someone lives in. If it smells musty the day it’s opened, it may need mold remediation as well as drying.
Boca addresses inside and outside the city
A Boca Raton mailing address reaches well west of the city limits, into places like Boca West and Boca Del Mar, and those homes are covered too. Don’t see your ZIP? Call anyway and we’ll check your address.
When you call, say whether anyone is at the unit now and, if not, who has a key. For a seasonal home, getting inside is usually what sets the pace.
Where leaks start in Boca Raton
Pipe from that era
Homes plumbed between 1978 and the mid-1990s may still have gray polybutylene supply pipe, which became the subject of a national class action settlement after its fittings failed.
Units closed for the season
Close to 4,700 homes, nearly one in ten, are kept as part-time or seasonal places, which gives a slow leak weeks to work before anyone walks in.
Shared walls and stacked units
Over a third of Boca's homes are in buildings of 20 units or more, garden condos and oceanfront towers alike.
Services
What we handle in Boca Raton
- AC Leak Water DamageDrying closets, walls, ceilings and the unit below after a clogged condensate line or an overflowing drain pan.
- Sewage CleanupRemoval, disinfection and drying after toilet overflows, main line backups and septic problems.
- Flood CleanupMud and silt removal, flood cuts, cleaning and drying after storm or surge water enters a building.
- Commercial Water DamageLarge-area drying, documentation and phased work for offices, stores, restaurants, associations and hotels.
Communities in and around Boca Raton
- Downtown Boca Raton
- Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club
- Camino Gardens
- Boca Square
- Spanish River
- Boca Teeca
- Boca Del Mar
- Boca West
Next door to Boca Raton
FAQ
Common Boca Raton questions
How do I know if my home has polybutylene pipe?
It's flexible gray plastic pipe, and it's easiest to spot where the water lines come out of the wall at the water heater or under a sink. If you see it, mention it when you call, because a break in polybutylene behaves like any burst supply line and the wet areas get traced the same way.
I'm up north and the association says my unit is leaking. What happens next?
Call with the unit number, the building contact and how the unit can be opened. Ask for photos and the moisture readings to be sent to you, so you can see what got wet and what's being dried without being there.
Are Boca West and Boca Del Mar covered?
Yes. They're outside the city limits, but their Boca Raton ZIP codes are covered. Gated communities usually need a name at the gate, so mention the gate or the management office when you call.