J. Perry & Sons repairs and refinishes the surfaces that every other trade leaves behind: exterior stucco on CBS block, interior drywall and old plaster. We patch and re-stucco cracked or spalled walls, match any Florida texture, reshape arched openings to square (or square to arched), close the returns after impact windows go in, and finish drywall to Level 3, 4 or 5 for homeowners, condo owners and GCs in Broward and Palm Beach. See all renovation services or start with the stucco repair cost per square foot guide.
Stucco & Drywall Finish Cost in South Florida: $6–$18 per sq ft installed
| Scope | Typical size | Installed range |
|---|---|---|
| Stucco patch repair (cracks, spalling, holes), texture matched | 20–150 sq ft of patch area | $8–$18 per sq ft |
| Full re-stucco, scratch, brown and finish coat | 1,200–2,500 sq ft of wall | $6–$12 per sq ft |
| Smooth skim coat over existing texture (exterior or interior) | 400–2,000 sq ft | $5–$9 per sq ft |
| Drywall hang, tape and finish to Level 4 | 500–3,000 sq ft of board | $2.50–$4.50 per sq ft |
| Level 5 skim coat upgrade over Level 4 | same area | +$1–$2 per sq ft |
| Reshape window or door opening (arch to square, square to arch) | per opening | $900–$2,500 |
| Curved wall framing and drywall | per linear foot of wall | $45–$90 per lf |
| Drop ceiling, soffit or tray detail | 60–400 sq ft | $8–$18 per sq ft |
Patches cost more per square foot than re-stucco because the work is in the edges: cutting back, bonding, three coats to match plane, then matching texture so the patch disappears. Drywall numbers are hang plus finish; framing, insulation and paint are separate. Paint is covered on the painting page.
Free Estimate
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or email jperrysonsgc@gmail.com with project photos, the city, approximate dimensions, and material selections.
Stucco textures, drywall levels and finish options
Exterior stucco textures. South Florida homes carry one of six finishes: smooth, sand (float), knockdown, skip trowel, Santa Barbara (smooth with soft trowel laps) and Spanish lace (heavy raised pattern). We match the existing texture on repairs and convert whole houses from knockdown or lace to smooth with a bonded skim coat. See stucco textures explained.
Stucco repair vs re-stucco. Hairline cracks get elastomeric sealant. Cracks you can slide a card into are V-cut and patched with polymer-modified stucco. Hollow or spalled stucco is chipped to the block, bonded and rebuilt. When more than about a third of a wall is failing, a full re-stucco costs less per square foot and lasts longer than chasing patches. See crack repair vs re-stucco.
Drywall Level 3, 4 and 5. Level 3 is for heavy texture or tile backing. Level 4 (three coats on joints and fasteners, sanded) is standard for flat and eggshell paint. Level 5 adds a skim over the whole board so nothing telegraphs under raking light, dark colors or satin sheens. We recommend it for ceilings and any wall that gets afternoon sun across it. See drywall Level 5 finish explained.
Smooth skim and plaster repair. Orange-peel and knockdown interiors get two to three coats of setting-type compound, sanded and finished to Level 5; exteriors get a polymer-modified base and a smooth finish coat. Older homes with three-coat plaster over lath are re-keyed with adhesive and washers, patched and skimmed rather than torn out.
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or email jperrysonsgc@gmail.com. Send a photo of the wall or the opening with a rough size and we'll send a same-day range.
How we repair stucco and finish drywall
- Inspection. We tap the wall for hollow stucco, check staining that points to a leak behind it, and look at the flashing above every crack. Interiors are checked for moisture, sagging board and framing out of plane.
- Cut back and prep. Failed stucco is chipped to sound material or to the block, edges cut square, rusted lath replaced. Damaged drywall is cut out to the studs and new backing added.
- Bond and base coats. A bonding agent or polymer-modified scratch coat ties new stucco to old block; the brown coat follows, floated flat and left rough for the finish.
- Reshaping. Arch-to-square corners are framed in treated lumber or metal, lathed and built out in coats so the new corner is plumb and in plane with the old wall. Square-to-arch uses a flexible-track form and bent lath. Header work and engineering are covered at cost to square off an arched opening.
- Stucco returns after impact windows. We pack the return, lath it, stucco in two coats, seal the frame joint with polyurethane and texture to match.
- Finish coat and texture. Textured while still workable: sponge float for sand, knockdown knife, skip trowel by hand, or a tight trowel for Santa Barbara, blended past the patch edge so there is no outline.
- Drywall taping and levels. Tape, three coats of compound feathered 12–14 inches on butt joints. Level 5 gets a full skim, sanded under a light.
- Cure, prime and inspect. Stucco cures at least 7 days before a masonry primer; drywall gets a high-build or PVA primer. Every surface is checked with a raking light before paint.
Stucco and drywall in Broward and Palm Beach: what the climate does
CBS block and moisture. Most homes here are block with stucco applied directly to it. Water that gets behind the stucco at a window head or roof-to-wall joint has nowhere to go, so it pushes the stucco off or leaves efflorescence. We fix the water path first; a patch over an active leak fails inside a year.
Humidity and cure. Finish coats and drywall compound cure slower in summer. We stage coats a day apart, run dehumidifiers on closed-up interiors, and do not paint stucco until it has cured.
Hurricane season and impact windows. Window replacements spike around storm season, and every one needs stucco returns. We schedule them within a day or two of the install so the wall is sealed before the next rain.
Salt air. Near the coast, metal lath, corner bead and fasteners rust and bleed through. We use galvanized or PVC lath and bead and stainless or coated fasteners on coastal work.
HOA, condo and permits. An exterior texture change is an architectural change in most communities and needs approval; condo exteriors are usually association property. Patching stucco and finishing drywall needs no permit in Broward or Palm Beach. Changing the size or shape of an opening, or any header work, does, and we pull it with the engineer's letter.
Related stucco, drywall and plaster services
- Stucco repair: cracks, spalling, hollow stucco, water damage and full re-stucco on CBS homes.
- Window and door opening reshaping: arch to square, square to arch, resizing and stucco returns after impact windows.
- Smooth stucco finish: skim coat over knockdown, lace or sand to a smooth or Santa Barbara look.
- Drywall finishing Level 3, 4 and 5: hang, tape, finish and skim for new construction and remodels.
- Curved walls, arches and ceilings: radius framing, flexible board and finished curves.
- Drop ceilings, soffits and ceiling details: drops for ductwork, tray and cove details, kitchen soffits.
- Plaster repair: re-keying, patching and skimming original plaster in older homes.
What a stucco, drywall and plaster estimate includes
Our written estimate lists each item so you can compare it to other quotes on the same basis:
- Stucco patch or re-stucco square footage by elevation, with the texture to be matched named
- Crack repair by linear foot and method (sealant, V-cut patch, chip-out and rebuild)
- Each opening to be reshaped, with new dimensions, header or lintel work and engineering if needed
- Stucco returns per window or door, including sealant
- Drywall square footage by room with the finish level (3, 4 or 5) stated
- Curved walls by linear foot; drop ceilings and soffits by square foot
- Lath, corner bead and fastener type (galvanized, PVC, stainless)
- Primer, cure time and whether paint is included
- Protection, cleanup, haul-away, and a permit line when an opening changes
- Workmanship warranty terms
Stucco and drywall contractors by city
Broward County Stucco & Drywall in Fort Lauderdale · Stucco & Drywall in Hollywood · Stucco & Drywall in Davie · Stucco & Drywall in Tamarac · Stucco & Drywall in Weston · Stucco & Drywall in Pembroke Pines · Stucco & Drywall in Miramar · Stucco & Drywall in Pompano Beach · Stucco & Drywall in Parkland · Stucco & Drywall in Southwest Ranches
Palm Beach County Stucco & Drywall in Boca Raton · Stucco & Drywall in Delray Beach · Stucco & Drywall in West Palm Beach · Stucco & Drywall in Palm Beach Gardens · Stucco & Drywall in Boynton Beach · Stucco & Drywall in Wellington · Stucco & Drywall in Jupiter
Miami-Dade County Stucco & Drywall in Miami · Stucco & Drywall in Miami Beach · Stucco & Drywall in Coral Gables · Stucco & Drywall in Aventura
Planning guides: Stucco textures explained · Stucco repair cost per sq ft · Crack repair vs re-stucco · Drywall Level 5 explained · Squaring an arched opening · Curved drywall walls and ceilings · Drop ceiling vs tray ceiling
Stucco, Drywall & Plaster Finishes — FAQ
How much does stucco repair cost in South Florida? $8–$18 per square foot of patch area for cracks, spalling and holes with the texture matched. A full re-stucco of a wall runs $6–$12 per square foot. Small jobs carry a minimum because setup and texture matching take the same time whether the patch is 10 or 40 square feet.
Can you match my existing stucco texture? Yes. We match smooth, sand, knockdown, skip trowel, Santa Barbara and Spanish lace by working the finish coat while it is still open and feathering past the patch edge. On a repaint the patch disappears; on an unpainted wall there can be a slight color difference until the stucco weathers.
How much does it cost to square off an arched window? $900–$2,500 per opening for framing, lath, stucco and interior drywall, depending on the span and whether the header or lintel has to change. Any structural change needs an engineer's letter and a permit, which we handle.
What is a Level 5 drywall finish and do I need it? Level 5 is a full skim coat over Level 4 so no joint or fastener shows under raking light, dark paint or satin sheen. It adds $1–$2 per square foot. We recommend it for ceilings, walls across from large windows and any wall going to a deep color or a smooth modern look.
Do you do the stucco around new impact windows? Yes. Stucco returns after impact windows are one of our most common jobs. We pack and lath the return, stucco in two coats, seal the frame joint and match the texture, usually within a day or two of the window install.
How do I get an exact price? Call (561) 556-7509 or email jperrysonsgc@gmail.com with photos and rough dimensions. A written estimate is typically ready within 24–48 hours after a site review and scope confirmation.
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or email jperrysonsgc@gmail.com. Licensed Florida general contractor CGC1540699. Serving Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Permits and compliance handled. J. Perry & Sons pulls the permit, schedules the inspections, and builds to the city and county codes that apply — Broward and Palm Beach municipal building departments, HVHZ requirements where they apply, and HOA/condo association rules. Licensed Florida general contractor CGC1540699.
Free Estimate
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or email jperrysonsgc@gmail.com with project photos, the city, approximate dimensions, and material selections.