The Lehigh Valley is full of beautiful old houses — West End Tudors in Allentown, Moravian homes in Bethlehem, College Hill Victorians in Easton, cement-era twins in Northampton. They were built to last, and most of them have. But when you open the walls to remodel a kitchen or bath, an older home almost always has something to say.
None of it is a reason to avoid remodeling. It's a reason to plan. Here's what we most often find behind the plaster in older Lehigh Valley homes, what it tends to add to a project, and how we keep the number you sign close to the number you pay.
The surprise isn't the surprise — it's not planning for one.
1. Galvanized supply lines
Homes built before the 1960s often have galvanized steel water lines that corrode and narrow from the inside over decades. You notice it as weak pressure; we notice it the moment we open a wall. When you're already remodeling a kitchen or bath, it's the right time to replace the affected runs with copper or PEX.
- Typical adder: $2,000–$5,000 depending on how much is replaced.
- Why now: the walls are open anyway — doing it later means opening them again.
2. Knob-and-tube and undersized panels
A modern kitchen asks a lot of a home's electrical system — dedicated circuits for the range, microwave, dishwasher, disposal and small appliances. Many older Allentown and Bethlehem homes still have knob-and-tube wiring or a panel too small to carry it. We assess this beforedemolition so it's in the estimate, not a mid-project surprise.
- Typical adder: $3,000–$8,000 for partial rewiring and circuits; more for a full panel upgrade.
- Permit note: electrical work is inspected — we pull the permits and coordinate it.
3. Plaster, lath and what's behind it
Older homes have plaster-and-lath walls, not drywall. They're solid, but they crack, they're heavy, and they hide the framing until they come down. We protect the period trim and original hardwood worth keeping, and we're careful demolishing around it.
4. Floors that aren't flat
A century of settling means floors in older Lehigh Valley homes are rarely level. That matters for cabinetry, tile and stone — a countertop telegraphs every dip. We self-level where needed so your new kitchen or bath sits true.
- Typical adder: $1,500–$4,000 for leveling and subfloor repair.
5. Asbestos and lead in pre-1978 homes
Homes built before 1978 can contain lead paint, and older flooring, insulation and pipe wrap can contain asbestos. It's manageable and common — it just has to be handled by the right people, the right way. We test when there's reason to, and budget for safe abatement if it's found.
6. The rowhome and twin problem: space and shared walls
Center-city rowhomes and twins in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton are deep, narrow, and share walls with the neighbors. That shapes everything — where plumbing can move, how an island fits, whether a galley can open up. We design around the party wall instead of fighting it, winning space with smarter cabinetry rather than structural drama.
How we keep the number honest
The reason older-home projects get a bad reputation isn't the houses — it's contractors who don't plan for what older houses always have. Our approach is simple:
- We assess the known trouble spots — electrical, plumbing, floors — before we quote.
- We write a realistic contingency (usually 10–20%) into the estimate so it's already accounted for.
- We talk through any change before it happens. No surprise invoices — you approve it first.
Remodeling an older Lehigh Valley home is one of the most rewarding things you can do — the character is already there, and a well-built kitchen or bath only makes it better. It just deserves a contractor who's seen what's behind the plaster before. We have, on hundreds of homes across Lehigh and Northampton counties — from Allentown and Bethlehem to Easton.