J. Perry & Sons repairs plaster walls and ceilings in the older homes of Broward and Palm Beach counties, the 1920s to 1960s houses in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach with plaster over block or wood lath. This page is the detailed scope under plaster services. Plaster repair here means plaster restoration: matching the original material and keeping your wall, not tearing it out to hang drywall. When a wall has failed beyond saving, our drywall crews take over.
Plaster repair pricing in South Florida
| Repair | What is included | Installed range |
|---|---|---|
| Crack repair, 5–8 cracks per room | Cut open, mesh, setting compound, sanded | $625–$1,000 per room |
| Hole or loose section, up to 10 sq ft | Scratch, brown and finish coats over lath or block | $800–$1,500 per area |
| Re-key loose plaster to lath | Adhesive injection, washers, patching of the holes | $1,250–$2,000 per room |
| Water-damaged ceiling, 10–40 sq ft | Cut to sound material, lath checked, plaster rebuilt | $1,750–$3,000 |
| Skim an entire plaster room, walls only, 300–500 sq ft | Prep and skim to a uniform surface | $5–$7 per sq ft |
| Minimum service call | One trip, small repairs | $500–$700 |
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.
Pricing covers removal of loose material, bonding, base and finish coats and sanding. The painter does primer. Lath that has rotted is replaced and priced when we open the area.
Problems we see and how each is repaired
Cracks. Cracked plaster shows up at corners, over openings and along ceiling joists. Hairlines get filled with setting compound. Wider or repeating cracks are V-cut, bridged with fiberglass mesh and filled in two coats, because plaster moves at those lines and a fill without mesh reopens.
Loose and keyed-out plaster. On wood lath, plaster is held by keys, the bits of plaster pushed between the strips when it went on. When the keys break, the wall sounds hollow or bellies out. We drill, inject plaster adhesive and pull the plaster back to the lath with washers, then patch the holes. That keeps your original surface.
Holes and missing sections. Patched in three coats: a scratch coat into the lath, or onto block with a bonding agent, then a brown coat, then a lime-gypsum finish coat floated flush. Old plaster is often 3/4 to 1 inch thick, so a drywall patch would sit below the surface and show.
Water damage. Soft, stained plaster under a roof leak or an upstairs bath. The leak gets fixed first. Then we cut the damaged area to sound material, check the lath and rebuild the plaster. If the lath is rotten, we replace it.
Hollow ceilings. Is a section of your ceiling sagging? That's the one place we move fast, because a loose section can fall. We pin it back or remove it, depending on how many keys are left.
Send a photo of the damage, plus the age of the house if you know it, through our project form. We'll come back with a free range the same day.
How we repair plaster
- Assessment. We tap for hollow areas, check crack width and direction and find the cause of any water damage. Pre-1980 homes get a material test before anything is sanded or cut.
- Stabilize. Loose plaster is re-adhered to lath. Failed material is removed to a sound edge, undercut so the patch keys in.
- Bond. Lath is wetted or a bonding agent goes onto block and old plaster edges.
- Base coats. Scratch and brown coats of gypsum base plaster or a setting-type compound, scored and cured between coats.
- Finish coat. A lime-gypsum finish troweled flush and floated to match the surrounding texture, smooth or sand.
- Sand and hand off. The repair is sanded and checked under a work light, ready for primer.
Lath or block: what is behind your plaster
Not sure what's behind your walls? A switch-plate opening will tell you: wood strips and a gap, or solid masonry. Homes in this area from the 1920s into the 1940s often have plaster on wood lath, with a gap behind the wall. Later houses frequently have plaster applied straight to concrete block. The repair differs. On lath we work on the keys and the strips themselves. On block, bonding is the whole job, and cracks that follow block joints need mesh or they return. We confirm which you have on the visit before quoting.
Want us to check what's behind your plaster? Call (561) 556-7509 to book a free visit.
Plaster in South Florida: humidity, old neighborhoods and wet rooms
Humidity. Plaster cures slowly in summer humidity. We leave more time between coats and don't paint a wall that is still curing.
Older neighborhoods. The older neighborhoods of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach have real plaster, and matching it keeps your house from looking patched. If you own a historic home, check whether your neighborhood requires approval for alterations.
Bathroom walls. Plaster behind a leaking tub or shower gets soft. We rebuild the plaster only after the plumbing and waterproofing are fixed.
Permits. Cosmetic plaster repair needs no permit. Ceiling plaster removal over a certain area and anything tied to a leak repair may fall under the related permit, and we advise case by case. We do not do engineering; we build to the engineer's drawings and coordinate a licensed engineer when the work needs one.
Should you replace the plaster with drywall?
Usually not. Sound plaster is dense and quiet, and re-keying loose sections costs less than demolition and new board. Drywall makes sense when most of a wall or ceiling has failed, when water has ruined the lath across a room or when you want a new smooth finish. In those cases see drywall, the Level 5 drywall finish for a flawless smooth wall and drywall repair for patches in rooms that are already board.
On the fence between saving the plaster and starting over? Call (561) 556-7509 and we'll look at the walls and give you our recommendation.
What a plaster repair estimate includes
- Crack footage, patch areas and hollow sections by room
- Substrate: wood lath, metal lath or block
- Repair method for each area: re-key, three-coat patch or skim
- Cause of any water damage and whether the leak is fixed
- Primer and paint, if included
- Workmanship warranty on every job; materials carry the manufacturer's warranty. Terms are in your written contract.
Related services
- Plaster services: overview of what we repair in older homes.
- Drywall: new walls and ceilings.
- Popcorn ceiling removal: sprayed ceilings in later houses.
- Stucco: cracks and water damage on the outside face of the same wall.
Plaster repair by city
Plaster repair in Fort Lauderdale · Plaster repair in Hollywood · Plaster repair in Delray Beach · Plaster repair in West Palm Beach · Plaster repair in Boca Raton · Plaster repair in Pompano Beach
Planning guides: Drywall Level 5 finish explained · Stucco repair cost per sq ft
Prefer to send photos or plans? Send us your project
Plaster repair FAQ
How much does plaster repair cost? Crack repair is $625–$1,000 per room, a hole or loose section is $800–$1,500 per area, and re-keying a room is $1,250–$2,000. A $500–$700 minimum applies to small calls. Final pricing is confirmed after we review your project.
Why do my plaster cracks keep coming back? They were filled without mesh. The crack has to be cut open, bridged with fiberglass mesh and filled in two coats.
My plaster sounds hollow. Is it failing? Hollow plaster has lost its keys to the lath. It can often be saved by injecting adhesive and pulling it back with washers, which costs less than replacing it.
Can you repair plaster after a leak? Yes, once the leak is fixed. We cut back to sound plaster, check the lath, replace it if it has rotted and rebuild the area in coats.
How do I get an exact price? Send photos of every damaged area and the build year of the house through our project form. We tap the walls on site, tell you whether you have lath or block, and give you a written price per repair area.
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project. Licensed Florida general contractor CGC1540699. Serving Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.