J. Perry & Sons converts textured stucco to a smooth finish and changes one texture to another on homes and small commercial buildings in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Most calls are for the modern look: a 1990s knockdown or heavy sand-float house that the owner wants smooth to go with new impact windows and a flat-roof-style repaint. The work is done by our stucco and drywall finishing crews, which matters because a smooth wall forgives nothing and the base has to be floated true before the finish coat. We also go the other way, adding a skip trowel or Santa Barbara finish to a flat wall.
Smooth Stucco Cost in South Florida: $5–$9 per sq ft skim, $6–$12 per sq ft re-stucco
| Scope | Typical size | Installed range |
|---|---|---|
| Skim coat over light sand or fine knockdown to smooth | 1,500–3,000 sq ft wall area | $5–$9 per sq ft |
| Skim over heavy knockdown or Spanish lace (grind first) | 1,500–3,000 sq ft | $7–$11 per sq ft |
| Re-stucco brown coat plus new finish, any texture | 1,500–3,000 sq ft | $6–$12 per sq ft |
| Smooth finish on a single accent elevation or entry | 300–600 sq ft | $2,500–$6,000 |
| Add texture to a smooth wall (skip trowel, Santa Barbara, sand) | 1,500–3,000 sq ft | $4–$8 per sq ft |
| Whole single-story house smooth, including crack repair | 1,800–3,200 sq ft | $11,000–$28,000 |
| Prime and paint smooth finish, elastomeric or acrylic | per house | $6,000–$18,000 |
Pricing covers surface prep, repair of cracks and hollow spots, bonding agent, the skim or base coat, the finish coat and texture. Paint is separate unless we are using an integrally colored acrylic finish, in which case no paint is needed. Two-story work adds scaffold or lift cost of roughly 10–20 percent.
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 and what each takes
Smooth. A steel-troweled or sponge-floated finish with no visible aggregate. Done with a fine acrylic finish or a cement finish floated hard. It shows every wave in the brown coat, so the base is straightened with a darby before the finish goes on. Hairline checking is more visible than on textured walls, which is why an acrylic finish or elastomeric paint is standard.
Sand float. The default South Florida finish: a cement finish coat with fine sand, floated in circles. Hides small imperfections and takes paint well. Light, medium and heavy versions depend on the sand size.
Knockdown. Finish is sprayed or dashed on, then flattened with a trowel after it sets up. Common on tract homes from the 1980s through the 2000s. Easy to patch, hard to make look current.
Skip trowel. A thin finish laid on with a trowel in irregular passes so the base shows through in places. More hand-done and more expensive than knockdown. Reads as Mediterranean.
Santa Barbara. A smooth finish applied in two coats with a trowel, left with soft, subtle variations and rounded corners. Close to smooth in cost and prep.
Spanish lace and heavy dash. Thick, high-relief textures. Converting these to smooth means grinding the peaks before skimming, and it adds a day or more per elevation.
For a full comparison see stucco textures explained.
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or email jperrysonsgc@gmail.com. Send a photo of the wall and the look you want and we'll return a range the same day.
How we convert a textured wall to smooth
- Inspection and repair. Every elevation is tapped for hollow stucco and checked for cracks. Repairs come first; a skim coat over a failing base fails with it.
- Prep. Pressure wash, then grind any texture peaks higher than about 1/8 inch. Windows, doors, fixtures and the roof edge are masked.
- Bonding agent. An acrylic bonding agent is rolled on so the new coat holds to the painted or chalky old finish.
- Base or leveling coat. A polymer-modified base coat is troweled over the texture and floated with a darby to a true plane. On heavy texture this is two passes. Cure 24–48 hours.
- Finish coat. A smooth acrylic finish, or a cement finish troweled and floated hard, applied wet-edge across a full elevation so there are no lap marks. Corners are run with a corner trowel or left soft for Santa Barbara.
- Control joints. Existing joints are carried through; long walls without joints get them cut in, since a smooth wall shows a shrinkage crack that a textured one hides.
- Cure and coat. Cement finishes cure 7–14 days before priming and paint. Acrylic finishes are colored integrally and need no paint.
Smooth stucco in South Florida: sun, rain and cracking
Thermal movement. A west-facing wall in July moves more than the same wall in January. Smooth cement finishes crack more visibly than textured ones for that reason, and we recommend either an acrylic finish or an elastomeric topcoat on smooth work.
Rain and mildew. Smooth walls shed water faster and hold less mildew than textured ones, which is one of the practical reasons owners make the change. Where sprinklers hit the wall, we adjust them or the base of the wall stains regardless of finish.
Impact windows. The usual order is windows first, then smooth stucco, then paint. The stucco returns at the new frames are rebuilt as part of the skim so the whole wall is one plane. See window opening reshaping.
HOA. A texture change alters the elevation and most planned communities in Weston, Parkland, Boca Raton and Wellington want a submittal. We provide a sample board and spec.
Permits. A finish change needs no permit. Stucco over structural repairs does, and we handle it.
Related stucco and drywall services
- Stucco repair: cracks, spalling and hollow spots fixed before the skim.
- Window and door opening reshaping: square the arches before the walls go smooth.
- Drywall finishing Levels 3, 4 and 5: the interior version of a smooth wall.
- Exterior painting: elastomeric and acrylic coatings over the new finish.
- Stone veneer: accent walls and columns paired with smooth stucco.
What a smooth stucco estimate includes
- Wall area by elevation and the existing texture type
- Crack and hollow-spot repair count
- Grinding, if the texture is heavy
- Bonding agent, base coat and finish system (cement or acrylic)
- Control joints added
- Scaffold or lift for second story
- Paint or integral color
- HOA sample board, if needed
Smooth stucco finish by city
Stucco & drywall in Fort Lauderdale · Stucco & drywall in Miami · Stucco & drywall in Boca Raton · Stucco & drywall in West Palm Beach · Stucco & drywall in Weston · Stucco & drywall in Delray Beach · Stucco & drywall in Parkland · Stucco & drywall in Wellington
Planning guides: Stucco textures explained · Stucco repair cost per sq ft · Crack repair vs re-stucco · Stone veneer vs stucco and paint · Exterior painting cost guide
Smooth stucco finish — FAQ
How much does it cost to make stucco smooth? $5–$9 per square foot of wall to skim a light texture smooth, $7–$11 over heavy knockdown that has to be ground first. A typical single-story house lands at $11,000–$28,000 before paint.
Can you skim over painted stucco? Yes, with a pressure wash and an acrylic bonding agent. Peeling or chalking paint is removed first or the skim lets go with it.
Will a smooth finish crack? Smooth shows hairline cracks that texture hides. An acrylic finish coat or an elastomeric paint over a cement finish keeps them closed. Control joints on long walls help.
Do I have to paint after a smooth finish? Not if we use an integrally colored acrylic finish. A cement smooth finish needs primer and paint after it cures.
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.