Most homeowners who call us from West Palm Beach start with one wall: a crack that keeps coming back over a window, a corner that sounds hollow, or a front that no longer matches the new impact windows. J. Perry & Sons handles the stucco repair on that wall, or on the whole house if that makes more sense, using the approach on our residential stucco page. For the systems and finishes used across the city, read stucco in West Palm Beach. If you are buying for a business or a larger building, the right page is commercial stucco in West Palm Beach. Our other home services are on the West Palm Beach renovation page.
Stucco repair or re-stucco: which fix your house needs
Do you need a few patches or a whole new coat? It depends on how much of the wall has let go, and we find that out by tapping every side of the house with a hammer. Sound stucco rings. Stucco that has separated from the block sounds dull and hollow.
| What we find | What we recommend | Price |
|---|---|---|
| A few cracks, one hollow spot, a rust stain over a window | Stucco repair, cut out to sound material and rebuilt in coats | $13–$21 per sq ft |
| Concrete popping off over rusted steel | Spalling repair: chip to steel, treat rebar, rebuild | $22–$34 per sq ft |
| A third or more of an elevation hollow or cracked | Re-stucco that elevation | $14–$23 per sq ft |
| Every side tired, patched and mismatched | Full-house stucco | $25,000–$40,000, single story |
| Columns, arches or a smooth front | Rebuilt or reshaped to suit | priced per job after a site visit |
About these prices. These ranges are starting points based on typical South Florida projects. Your final price depends on the condition of the property, access, the materials or system specified and the full scope of work. We confirm every number after we review your project in person or from the drawings, and the price in your signed proposal is the one that applies.
Once the patches start to add up on one side of the house, re-stuccoing that side costs less per foot and leaves you one even texture instead of a quilt of repairs.
Want us to tap your walls and tell you which row of that table you're in? Call (561) 556-7509 to book a free visit.
Older houses near the water
If your house is in one of the 1920s neighborhoods along the Intracoastal, its stucco is probably lime-rich and laid over hollow clay tile or early block. That wall flexes and breathes more than modern cement does. We match the repair mix to it so the patch and the old stucco move together, and we copy the hand-troweled texture with a sample before finishing the visible area. A like-for-like repair is routine. A change to how the front looks goes through the city's historic preservation staff first, and we bring that up before you choose anything.
Farther inland, the 1950s and 1960s block houses have cement stucco bonded straight to the block. The usual problem there is the steel lintel (the beam over a window) rusting and pushing a horizontal crack across the top of the opening. Patching over that crack without treating the steel brings it back within a few seasons, so our repair starts at the steel.
Arches, columns and a smooth front elevation
Squaring off arched openings. Plenty of West Palm Beach houses built in the 1980s and 1990s have arched windows and entries on the street side. When you replace those windows with square impact units, we fill the arch, form a new head, and stucco and texture the wall across the change. The details are on squaring off arched openings.
Columns. Entry and porch columns crack at the base, where water sits, and at the top, where the beam bears on them. We open the cracked area, find out whether the core is block, concrete or a wrapped post, and rebuild the shell to its original shape.
Smooth front. A smooth finish on the front of the house is the texture change we are asked for most. Smooth shows every wave, so we float the wall straight before the finish coat goes on. The sides of the house can stay textured if you prefer.
Picturing a new look for the front? Send a wide photo of each side through our project form, plus close-ups of the problem spots, and we'll send back a free estimate.
Your HOA, the city permit and who handles them
Worried about the paperwork? If your house is in a community with an HOA, a new texture or a new color usually needs architectural approval. We make the sample board and write the description of the work. You sign and submit the request, because the property is yours. A matching repair rarely needs approval.
Permits are ours to handle. J. Perry & Sons pulls every permit itself and follows every city and county requirement, through the City of West Palm Beach Development Services Department or through Palm Beach County when the address is unincorporated. Re-stucco over lath, stucco on an addition and changed openings need a permit, and you never stand in line at the counter. We do not do engineering. We build to the engineer's drawings and bring in a licensed engineer when the work needs one.
Staying home while we work
You do not need to move out. The work is outside, and we take the house one or two walls at a time.
- The first days are loud: chipping out failed stucco and mixing.
- Windows, plants, pavers and the pool deck are covered before we start.
- Cars and patio furniture move away from the wall we are working on.
- We need water, a power outlet and a place to mix.
- Cement stucco cures before it is primed, so paint follows after a waiting period instead of overlapping.
Summer storms can wash out a fresh finish coat, so from June to September we apply coats in the morning. Workmanship warranty on every job; materials carry the manufacturer's warranty. Terms are in your written contract.
Residential stucco nearby
Residential stucco in Palm Beach Gardens · Residential stucco in Wellington · Residential stucco in Jupiter
For the full trade picture, return to stucco in West Palm Beach. For building owners and boards, there is commercial stucco in West Palm Beach.
ZIP codes we serve in West Palm Beach
33401, 33405, 33406, 33407, 33409, 33411, 33417.
Prefer to send photos or plans? Send us your project
Homeowner questions
How is a stucco repair on my house priced? By the area that has to be cut out and rebuilt, typically starting around $13–$21 per sq ft with the texture matched. Spalling over rusted steel starts around $22–$34 per sq ft, and re-stuccoing a whole side around $14–$23 per sq ft. Columns and arch changes are priced per job after a site visit. Final pricing is confirmed after we review your project.
My house is in a historic district. Can I still change the texture? Possibly, but it is a change to how the outside looks, so it goes to the city's historic preservation staff before the permit. Matching repairs do not need that review.
Why does the crack over my window keep coming back? On many older block houses, the steel lintel above the window is rusting and expanding. Until the steel is treated, a surface patch will crack again along the same line.
Do I need permission from my HOA? For a new texture or color, usually yes. For a repair that matches what is there, usually no. We prepare the sample and the paperwork for your request.
Can you make only the front of the house smooth? Yes. Many owners finish the street side smooth and leave the sides and back in their existing texture, with a clean stop at an outside corner.
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project. Licensed Florida general contractor CGC1540699. Serving Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.