Trying to decide which stucco should go on your house? Our answer is always the same: three-coat Portland cement stucco. Below is what it is, why it suits a South Florida home, and how it compares with other systems. It belongs to our residential stucco section and the wider stucco hub. Commercial buildings sometimes need a different system, covered under EIFS and high-build stucco.
What Portland cement stucco is
It is a mix of Portland cement, sand, lime and water, put on wet and cured hard. On block it goes on in three coats: a scratch coat (scored so the next coat grips), a brown coat that straightens the wall, and a finish coat that carries the texture and color. Over wood or metal framing, lath (a metal mesh) and paper go on first. Each coat cures before the next one. What you end up with is a rigid mineral shell about as hard as concrete, bonded to the wall behind it.
Why it fits a South Florida home
- Hardness. It resists impact, foot traffic, ladders and a thrown ball. A foam-backed system dents.
- Moisture behavior. Cement stucco is porous enough to dry out, and it bonds to block rather than trapping water against foam.
- Fire and salt air. It does not burn, and with galvanized or PVC accessories it stands up near the coast.
- Paintability. It accepts masonry primer, acrylic and elastomeric coatings. See best exterior paint for Florida stucco.
- Repairability. Any competent plasterer can patch it and match texture, which is not true of every proprietary system.
- Finish range. Smooth, sand float, dash, skip trowel, knockdown, lace and orange peel are all done with the same base.
How it compares
| System | Strength | Repair | Our view for a house |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland cement, three coat | Hard, dense | Simple; blends well | Recommended |
| One-coat | Thinner, faster | Harder to correct a wavy wall | Only where specified |
| EIFS (Dryvit) | Soft; foam core | Specialist; moisture risk | Avoid on new homes; repair existing |
| Synthetic acrylic finish | Flexible, thin | Matching is hard | Fine as a finish over a hard base |
That doesn't make the others wrong everywhere. EIFS works well for commercial shapes and reveals, and an acrylic finish makes a smooth modern wall. For your family home, though, the base should be cement. See EIFS (Dryvit) repair vs hard-coat stucco.
Mix, thickness and why shortcuts show up later
The mix matters as much as the system. Too much water makes stucco craze (fine surface cracking) and chalk. Too little cement makes it soft. Dirty or overly fine sand weakens the bond. A coat that goes on too thin cracks along the lath or block joints within a season, and a coat put over a dusty or sealed surface sounds hollow when you tap it.
Most of the failing stucco we're called to fix wasn't a material failure. It was a skipped cure day, a missing weep screed or a brown coat floated in a hurry. That's why our estimate spells out the coats, the cure time and the accessories, instead of just naming a bag of product.
Worried your walls were built with shortcuts? Call (561) 556-7509 and we'll come check them.
What it costs
Re-stucco with scratch, brown and finish coats typically starts around $14–$23 per square foot, and texture-matched patch repair around $13–$21 per square foot. A smooth skim over sound existing stucco typically starts around $7–$10 per square foot, and a whole single-story house around $25,000–$40,000 before paint, all confirmed after we see the project. Paint, scaffold on two-story homes and permits are itemized separately in your written estimate. For the whole-house route see full-house stucco, and for patches see stucco repair.
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.
Want to know where your house falls in those ranges? Send photos of each side through our project form and we'll give you a first read.
How we build it
- Prepare the substrate. We clean and wet the block, or fasten lath and paper over framing.
- Fix the water path. Flashing, sealant, weep screed and bead go in before the first coat.
- Scratch coat. Applied and scored, then cured.
- Brown coat. Floated flat so the wall is true. This coat sets the final look.
- Finish coat. Applied in the chosen texture, worked wall by wall to avoid lap lines.
- Cure. Cement stucco cures 7–14 days before primer. In summer we mist and shade as needed.
- Protect. Primer and paint follow. An elastomeric coat closes fine hairlines.
What can go wrong, and what we check
Before we quote, we tap your walls for hollow areas, look at the base for missing weep screed, and check the window heads for sealant that has pulled away. Efflorescence (white salt on the surface) means water is moving through the wall. Rust stains below a window point to lath or lintel steel. Cracks that follow the block joints point to movement. Each of these has a fix, and we list each one as its own line so you see what the repair covers.
Care and maintenance
Seeing hairline cracks in the first year? That's the wall shrinking and settling. They're cosmetic and get sealed at the next paint cycle. To keep your stucco healthy, aim sprinkler heads away from the wall, keep soil and mulch below the weep screed, and keep the sealant at windows intact. Pressure wash gently before painting and look for staining that signals a leak. Read hairline stucco cracks: when to worry for what to watch.
Permits and approvals
New or replaced stucco over lath needs a permit, and J. Perry & Sons pulls it for you. If you change texture or color, your HOA has to approve it, and we prepare the sample boards. Rated or engineered wall assemblies are built to the engineer's drawings. 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.
What goes into the wall: materials list
A three-coat cement system is more than a bag of mix. These are the parts that go on a typical home and what each one does:
- Base mix. Portland cement, lime and clean sharp sand for the scratch and brown coats, or a bagged stucco premix when the batch has to be consistent. Quikrete or Sakrete products cover small repairs.
- Bonding agent. Brushed or sprayed on smooth block or old stucco so the scratch coat grabs instead of sliding.
- Metal lath. Required over wood framing or sheathing, with a water-resistive barrier behind it. Over clean block it is used only at joints between different materials.
- Casing bead. Gives a straight, finished edge at windows and doors and leaves room for sealant.
- Weep screed. Runs along the base of the wall so water inside the stucco can drain out.
- Control joints. Break large walls into panels so shrinkage cracks land in the joint, not across the wall.
- Finish coat. Cement finish, or a synthetic finish from Sto or Parex when you want deeper color.
- Paint. Elastomeric coatings such as Sherwin-Williams Loxon bridge fine hairlines.
Each item appears on your estimate by name.
Have a materials list from another contractor? Send it through our project form and we'll tell you if anything is missing.
Prefer to send photos or plans? Send us your project
Portland cement stucco FAQ
Is Portland cement stucco the same as hard-coat stucco? Yes. Hard-coat, traditional or three-coat stucco is the cement system. It differs from EIFS, which has a foam layer, and from thin acrylic finishes, which are a finish layer rather than a wall system.
How long does cement stucco take to cure? Between coats it needs a day or more, depending on weather, and the finished wall needs 7–14 days before primer. Rushed paint over wet stucco peels and blisters.
Will cement stucco crack? Fine hairlines are normal, because cement shrinks as it cures. They are cosmetic and are closed by an elastomeric coat. Wider cracks or cracks at corners of openings point to movement or water and are repaired at the source.
Can it go over my existing wall? Over sound block or sound existing stucco with a bonding agent, yes. Over EIFS, foam or painted surfaces, we assess and may remove or lath first.
How do I get an exact price? Send photos and the wall sizes, or book a site visit where we tap the walls and check the water path. You get a written line-item estimate. Call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project.
Free estimate — call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project. Licensed Florida general contractor CGC1540699. Serving Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.