Is your building showing cracks at the slab lines, rust stains under the balconies or stucco that sounds hollow when someone taps it? J. Perry & Sons handles stucco building repair and commercial stucco repair on existing condo towers, apartment communities, HOA buildings, offices and retail plazas in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade. This page is about stucco restoration on buildings that are already standing and usually occupied: finding what failed, fixing the cause, matching the texture and getting the elevation painted. We are a licensed Florida general contractor (CGC1540699), we pull our own permits and we follow every city and county requirement. For the full picture of systems and finishes, start at our stucco page.
Commercial stucco repair cost on existing buildings
Boards and managers ask for a number before anything else, so here are the starting prices. Every line is a unit price, which means the engineer's repair list can be priced item by item.
| Scope | How it is priced | Starting range |
|---|---|---|
| Failed stucco cut out, rebuilt and texture matched | per sq ft of patch | $13–$21 |
| Stucco spalling repair: chip to steel, treat rebar, rebuild | per sq ft | $22–$34 |
| Cracks routed and sealed, commercial wall | per lin ft | $10–$17 |
| Reseal of joints at windows, doors and penetrations | per lin ft | $9–$18 |
| Re-stucco of an elevation, scratch, brown and finish | per sq ft of wall | $14–$23 |
| Full building re-stucco, multi-story, access included | per sq ft of wall | $15–$24 |
| Concrete spall repair behind the stucco, rebar cleaned and coated | per sq ft repaired | $105–$170 |
| Slab edge or underside repair, formed | per lin ft | $145–$225 |
| Balcony package: tile off, typical spall repair, waterproofing, new tile (100 sq ft) | per balcony | $5,250–$8,000 |
| Parapet cap and coping repair | per job | priced per job after we see it |
| Building pressure cleaning before paint | per sq ft of wall | $0.45–$0.90, $650 minimum |
| Condo exterior paint, three to six stories, lift or swing stage | per sq ft of wall | $4–$6 |
| Elastomeric in place of acrylic | per sq ft of wall, added | $1–$1.50 |
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.
Access is its own line on multi-story repairs; the full-building rate includes it. Engineering is not in these numbers. When the survey shows the whole envelope has to come off, the job becomes a full building stucco project; for new stucco on commercial buildings, see commercial stucco.
Have an engineer's report or a repair list from the board? Call (561) 556-7509 and we'll price it line by line in the same order the report is written.
What we find when we sound a building's walls
The first visit is a walk with a hammer and a camera. We tap the walls we can reach and mark every hollow or cracked area on elevation photos. What we find usually falls into a few groups.
Cracks at slab lines and openings. Horizontal cracks at each floor line and diagonal cracks off window corners. A crack that reopens in the same place tells us a control joint is missing or two materials are moving against each other.
Delamination. Stucco that has let go of the block or lath sounds like a drum when tapped. It can look fine for years, then fall in a storm. We saw-cut it back to sound material and rebuild it in coats.
Water at windows, doors and sleeves. Failed sealant, a missing sill flashing or an open air-conditioning sleeve lets rain behind the stucco. The fix for the entry point is part of the line item.
Rust stains and bulges. A brown streak or a raised blister usually means steel under the stucco is rusting. That is the next section, because it changes who does the work.
Spalling behind the stucco: when it becomes concrete restoration
Spalling means concrete breaking off because the steel inside it is rusting and swelling. On a mid-rise building it shows at slab edges, balcony undersides, columns and tie beams. The stucco cracks first, but the problem is the concrete underneath.
Shallow rust at a lintel can be cleaned, treated and rebuilt as a stucco spalling repair. Rebar that has lost thickness, or damage in a slab edge or balcony, is concrete restoration done to an engineer's details. We do that work too, and the concrete is repaired, cured and inspected before the stucco goes back over it. See our commercial concrete repair page for that side of the job, and the concrete restoration overview.
We do not do engineering. We build to the engineer's drawings and coordinate a licensed engineer when the work needs one.
Seeing rust stains under the balconies? Send us your project with a few photos and we'll tell you whether it looks like a stucco repair or a concrete one.
Balcony and parapet repair
Balconies take more water than any other part of a building. The tile and waterproofing fail, water reaches the slab edge, and the edge spalls. The repair is several trades in a row: tile off, concrete repaired, waterproofing, new tile, then stucco and paint on the edge and soffit. We carry all of them, so one crew moves each balcony through the sequence. Railings are removed and reset by the railing contractor.
Parapets are the low walls at the roof edge. Caps crack, coping joints open and water runs inside the wall. We repair the parapet stucco and reseal the joints; anything tied into the roof membrane is coordinated with the building's roofer.
Milestone inspection and recertification repair lists
Did your association just receive a milestone inspection report with a page of stucco and concrete items? Florida's milestone inspection law requires engineer or architect inspections on condominium and cooperative buildings three stories and taller once they reach a set age, and Miami-Dade and Broward also run their own building recertification programs for older buildings. The report lists what must be repaired, and the law and the local building official set deadlines for starting that work.
Here is how we help a board or manager move from the report to finished repairs:
- Price the report as written. Each item gets its own line and quantity, so the board can compare bids line for line.
- Must-do first. Structural and life-safety repairs come first; cosmetic stucco and paint can be phased.
- Permits. We pull the permit for the repair scope and schedule inspections. The engineer of record reviews the work where the report requires it.
- Unit-price changes. Hidden damage is common once walls are opened, and extra square feet are priced at the rates already approved.
- Close out. Photos of every repair location and the inspection sign-offs go to the association.
Need numbers for a budget meeting or a special assessment vote? Call (561) 556-7509 and we'll walk the building before your board meets.
Swing stage, lift and scaffold access
How we reach the wall drives a real share of the cost. Low-rise buildings and plazas get boom lifts from the parking lot. Mid-rise and high-rise condos get swing stages hung from the roof, using the building's certified anchors or davits where they exist. Pipe scaffold fits when a whole elevation is being re-stuccoed. The bid names the access method on its own line.
Working on an occupied building
Residents and tenants stay in place during almost every building repair we do.
- Notice. Management gets the stage drops and balcony dates ahead of time so residents can clear balconies.
- Entrances. Overhead protection at doors, clear ADA routes and fenced zones under the stages.
- Noise and dust. Chipping and saw-cutting stay within the hours the association or lease allows.
- One contact. A single point of contact for the manager, with a weekly update by elevation.
Texture matching and painting after the repair
Will the patch show? On bare stucco, yes, even with a perfect texture match. That is why building repairs end with paint. We match the existing finish (sand float, skip trowel, knockdown or smooth) on a sample before the finish coat goes on the wall, then float each repair to the nearest corner or joint so there is no outline.
Cement stucco cures before primer, and humidity slows that down. Then the elevation is pressure cleaned, primed and painted, often with an elastomeric coating that bridges hairline cracks. Paint follows the repair crew elevation by elevation, so the stage hangs once. See our painting page for coatings and colors.
Board wants to see the texture and color first? Call (561) 556-7509 and we'll put up a sample on the wall.
Who does what on a building repair
Ours: stucco cut-out and rebuild, crack and joint sealing, concrete spall repair, balcony waterproofing and tile, pressure cleaning and painting, permits for our scope.
By others: engineering and the milestone or recertification report, railings, windows and doors, roofing, and any electrical, plumbing or gas work, which is done by licensed trades. More on how we handle permits is on our permits and compliance page. For houses rather than buildings, see residential stucco repair.
Prefer to send photos or plans? Send us your project
Building stucco repair FAQ
What does commercial stucco repair cost on a condo or apartment building?
Cut-out patches with a texture match start at $13–$21 per sq ft, stucco spalling repair at $22–$34 per sq ft, and cracks routed and sealed at $10–$17 per lin ft. Access, concrete repair behind the stucco and paint are separate lines. Final pricing is confirmed after we review your project.
Is stucco restoration the same as concrete restoration?
No. Stucco restoration repairs the outer cement coats. Concrete restoration repairs the structure under them, such as slab edges, balconies and columns with rusted rebar, and it is done to an engineer's details. Many buildings need both, and we coordinate them as one job.
Can you price our milestone inspection repair list?
Yes. Send the report and the drawings if you have them. We price each item as its own line, in the order the report lists them, so the board can compare bids and plan an assessment.
Can residents stay in the building during the repairs?
Yes. We phase the work by elevation and stage drop, protect entrances and balconies, and keep noisy work to the allowed hours.
Do we need to paint after stucco repair?
To make the repairs disappear, yes. Bare patches show even with a matched texture. Most associations paint the full elevation once the stucco has cured.
How do I get an exact price?
Call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project with the building address, photos of the damage and the engineer's report if you have one. We walk the building, confirm the scope and access, and send a written, unit-priced proposal.
Free estimate: call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project. Licensed Florida general contractor CGC1540699. Serving Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.