Full-building stucco is the scope where the whole envelope is handled in one contract: every elevation sounded, every failed area cut out, and every wall rebuilt or recoated to one finish. It sits under our commercial stucco work and is written for owners, property managers, association boards and the GCs who bid them. J. Perry & Sons prices each line per square foot of wall (see the pricing table below), and height, access and condition decide where your building lands.
When a whole building beats elevation-by-elevation patching
Has your board already paid for patches twice and the cracks keep coming back? A patch campaign makes sense when the failures are local: a few windows, one corner, a column. It stops making sense when sounding turns up hollow stucco on every elevation, when cracks repeat after each repair, or when the money keeps going into the same walls. At that point a full re-stucco costs less per square foot than patching, and your building ends up with one uniform surface instead of a quilt.
Signs the full scope is the right call:
- Hollow sound on a hammer sweep across more than about a third of the wall area
- Stair-step cracking that follows block joints on several elevations
- Rust stains and spalling (concrete breaking off over rusted steel) at lintels, tie beams and balcony edges
- Repeated water entry at window heads in different units or suites
- A coating that has peeled or blistered from trapped moisture
- A planned repaint, so a failed substrate is fixed once before the new coating goes over it
Not sure whether your building is a patch job or a full re-stucco? Call (561) 556-7509 and we'll run a hammer survey and show you the numbers both ways.
Full-building stucco pricing: from the drawings, unit-priced
| Scope | How it is priced | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Re-stucco of an elevation, scratch, brown and finish | per sq ft of wall | $14–$23 |
| Cut-out and rebuild of failed areas inside a recoat | per sq ft of patch | $13–$21 |
| Spalling repair: chip to steel, treat rebar, rebuild | per sq ft | $22–$34 |
| Smooth skim over existing texture | per sq ft | $7–$10 |
| Full building re-stucco, multi-story, all elevations, access included | per sq ft of wall | $15–$24 |
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.
On repair and single-elevation lines, scaffold, swing stage or lift rental is a separate line so the access cost is visible and comparable; the full-building rate already carries it. Protection for storefronts and landscape, and the paint, are separate lines. The more height and the fewer ground-level staging areas, the higher in the range a job lands.
Send the elevations, the address or a few photos of each side through our project form. A free unit-priced bid comes back within 48 hours.
How we run a full-building stucco scope
- Hammer-sound survey. Every elevation is sounded from grade, and from lift or scaffold where height requires. Findings are marked on a photo set so the board or owner can see what is hollow, cracked or stained.
- Cause review. Open joints, missing flashing, failed sealant, clogged weeps and rusted steel are listed with the stucco work, because stucco rebuilt over an active leak fails again.
- Demolition. Failed stucco is saw-cut to clean edges and removed to sound material or to the block, with dust control and debris chutes where occupants are below.
- Substrate and accessories. Block is cleaned and bonded. On frame walls, weather barrier and lath are repaired or replaced. Weep screed, casing bead, control joints and corner bead are corrected to the drawings.
- Scratch and brown coats. Cement stucco in the coats and thicknesses the specification calls for, with the cure time between coats that our humidity requires.
- Finish coat. The texture is matched to the approved sample board and floated in full runs from corner to corner or joint to joint, so there are no visible laps.
- Cure and coating. The wall cures before it is primed. The coating crew follows on a schedule set with ours.
- Closeout. Inspection sign-offs, product data, a punch walk and the warranty paperwork.
Phasing a full building around tenants, residents and guests
Will your tenants or residents have to put up with a construction zone for months? Not the whole building at once. Occupied buildings are the normal case, not the exception. We split the building into work zones, usually by elevation or by bay, and finish each zone, including cure and cleanup, before we move to the next. Entrances, ADA routes, fire lanes and loading areas stay open or are rerouted with signage you approve in advance.
Things we plan with the property manager before day one:
- Which elevations face pools, patios or storefronts and need protection first
- Quiet hours for cutting and mixing, and where the mixing station sits
- Parking and dumpster locations for the crew and debris
- Notice letters to tenants or residents with start dates per zone
- Window washing, signage and landscape that must be moved or covered
- Elevator or loading dock reservations in condo and mixed-use properties
Boards and associations get one more deliverable: a sample panel of the proposed texture and color on the actual building, so the approval vote is on something physical.
Want a zone-by-zone plan before your board meeting? Call (561) 556-7509 and we'll walk the property with your manager.
Full-building stucco in South Florida: block, frame and weather
Block buildings. Concrete block with stucco applied directly is the common case on older plazas and warehouses. Bond to the block is the weak point, so cleaning and wetting the substrate decide how long the new wall lasts.
Frame and lath buildings. Newer mixed-use and some multifamily buildings use stucco over lath and a weather barrier on wood or metal frame. Here the barrier laps, the lath fastening and the weep screed matter more than the coats on top.
Salt air. Buildings near the coast get galvanized or PVC accessories and coated fasteners, because plain steel bead rusts and stains the finish within a few seasons.
Summer cure. August humidity slows cure. We stage coats a day or more apart and don't paint a wall that hasn't reached the moisture reading the coating manufacturer requires.
Storm season. Loose stucco at height is a hazard in a wind event. Where a survey finds it, we remove it and make the area safe first, then schedule the rest.
Permits. Whole-elevation scopes, work at structural steel or any change to an opening may need a permit and inspections. We pull them. For engineered repairs we do not do engineering; we build to the engineer's drawings and coordinate a licensed engineer when the work needs one.
Workmanship warranty on every job; materials carry the manufacturer's warranty. Terms are in your written contract.
Related commercial stucco services
- Commercial stucco: the overview for GCs, property managers and boards.
- Commercial stucco column repair: entry, storefront and structure columns.
- New construction stucco: ground-up and addition scopes.
- EIFS and high-build stucco: when the wall is not cement stucco.
- Residential stucco: for single-family homeowners.
Full-building stucco by city
Cities where we bid whole buildings: Delray Beach · Jupiter · Wellington · Miami · Fort Lauderdale · Boca Raton
Prefer to send photos or plans? Send us your project
Full-building stucco FAQ
How much does it cost to re-stucco a commercial building? Re-stucco of a wall runs $14–$23 per square foot, with failed areas cut out and rebuilt at $13–$21 per square foot where they are counted separately. A full multi-story building re-stucco runs $15–$24 per square foot of wall with access included, and spalling repair $22–$34 per square foot. The final total comes from the drawings or a walk, since height, access and the amount of lath and accessory work change it. Final pricing is confirmed after we review your project.
How long does a full-building re-stucco take? It depends on size and phasing, so we give a schedule with the bid. The coats are not rushed: each one cures before the next, and the wall cures before it is coated. Phasing by elevation lets occupants keep using the building.
Do we need to repaint after full stucco? Yes. New cement stucco is primed and coated after it cures, and the coating is what makes the repaired and new areas read as one wall. We schedule paint behind the stucco, or coordinate with your painter.
Can the building stay open during the work? Usually yes. We protect entrances and ADA routes, work in zones, and shift noisy tasks outside business hours when the manager or lease requires it.
How do I get an exact price? Send the elevations, a photo set or the building address through our project form, or call (561) 556-7509. After we confirm access and scope, the unit-priced bid is ready in 48 hours.
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project. Licensed Florida general contractor CGC1540699. Serving Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.