Ready to lose the arches? Arched windows and entry doors date a house to the 1990s, and they are the first thing owners want gone when new impact windows go in. "Squaring off" means we reshape the curved top of the opening into a flat head, rebuild the stucco around the new frame, and close the interior returns. It is a residential stucco job at heart, so it sits under our residential stucco work and the main stucco hub. We do it in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade for homeowners who want a clean finish, not foam and a rough frame.
What squaring off costs: $1,250–$2,000 per window, $2,000–$3,000 per arched entry
| Scope | Typical size | Installed range |
|---|---|---|
| Square off an arched window top (block infill, stucco, interior finish) | 3–5 ft wide arch | $1,250–$2,000 per opening |
| Square off an arched entry or door head | 6–8 ft wide | $2,000–$3,000 per opening |
| Close a window opening completely (block, stucco, drywall both sides) | 3x5 ft window | $1,750–$3,000 per opening |
| Reduce an opening's height or width (new sill or jamb infill) | per opening | $1,250–$2,000 per opening |
| Stucco returns and sill after an impact window, exterior only | per opening | $425–$700 per opening |
| Interior drywall returns, sill and casing after an impact window | per opening | $350–$575 per opening |
| Taller or wider than the existing lintel (engineered) | per opening | $3,500–$5,750 or more |
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.
Prices include demolition, infill, matching stucco, interior drywall and finish, and hauling away debris. The window, paint and any new precast sill are separate. Entries cost more because of the width and the block that comes out.
Counting arches around the house? Text a photo of each to (561) 556-7509 and we'll price them.
How an arched window becomes a square opening
We cut the arched top back to the first full course (row) of block. The curve is filled with block, or with a framed and lathed infill, and a flat head is formed at the height of the new window's rough opening. Outside, we rebuild the stucco and texture it to match. Inside, the returns get drywall, corner bead, three coats of compound and a new sill. Our cost guide to squaring an arched window walks through the cases.
The key question is what sits above the arch. If it is cosmetic infill under a square lintel (the beam over the opening), the job stays in the price ranges above. If the arch is a poured curved lintel and the new square head has to sit higher, the lintel or tie beam changes. That is structural: it needs an engineer's letter, a permit and inspections. We do not do engineering; we build to the engineer's drawings and coordinate a licensed engineer when the work needs one. Read about raising a window header before you commit to the taller look.
Not sure what's above your arch? Call (561) 556-7509 and we'll check it on a short visit.
Order of work: windows, then stucco, then paint
- Size to the window. We take the rough opening from the window maker's drawing, not from the old window, and lay out the new head to match it.
- Protect and open. Interior finishes are covered, the old unit comes out and the stucco is cut to a straight line 4 inches past the new edge.
- Infill. Block goes in with Type S mortar and is tied to the wall with masonry anchors every other course.
- Set the unit. The infill cures before the frame is anchored. If another company supplies the window, we work to their date.
- Exterior stucco. Scratch and brown coats over bonding agent or lath, each cured 48 hours, then a finish coat textured to match.
- Interior returns. Drywall, bead, compound sanded to Level 4, then sill and casing.
- Seal and cure. Polyurethane sealant at the frame; stucco cures 7–14 days before paint.
Returns after impact windows
Did your window installer set the frames, foam the gaps and leave? What's left is a broken stucco return, a chipped sill and torn drywall where the old frame came out. If your arches are staying, we do the same scope without the infill, with exterior and interior returns priced per opening in the table above. If you want a flatter, more current front elevation, pair squaring with a smooth stucco finish so the wall reads as one plane, and fix cracks near the old arches first through stucco repair. More on the window side is in impact windows and doors.
Local conditions
Block construction. New block ties into old block well, but it hides poorly. The outside texture match is where the work shows or disappears, so we test it on a sample first.
HVHZ. A new or resized opening in Broward or Miami-Dade must take a window with a Notice of Acceptance or Florida product approval, anchored per that approval. The rough opening has to be right to the eighth of an inch or the anchors miss the block.
Permits. Closing or reducing an opening is usually permitted with the window work. Enlarging always is. We pull the permit and schedule inspections.
HOA review. Changing the look of your front elevation often needs community approval in places such as Weston, Parkland and Wellington. We supply an elevation sketch and product data for your submission.
Hurricane season. From June to November, an opening should not sit boarded up for more than a day. When the window is on site, we schedule removal and set-in for the same day.
Worried about an open wall in storm season? Send your window delivery date through our project form and we'll plan around it.
What the estimate lists
- Opening count, existing size and new rough-opening size
- Infill method: solid block, block, or framed with lath
- Whether the lintel changes, and the engineer and permit if so
- Exterior stucco coats and texture match
- Interior drywall returns, finish level, sill and casing
- Sealant at the frame, paint if included, HOA package if needed
Squaring off by area
Boca Raton · Fort Lauderdale · Weston · Wellington · Palm Beach Gardens · Pompano Beach · Hollywood · Delray Beach
Planning guides: Cutting a new opening in a CBS wall · Impact window permits in Broward and Miami-Dade
Workmanship warranty on every job; materials carry the manufacturer's warranty. Terms are in your written contract.
Lath, bead and coats around the new opening
Once the arch is filled and the new head is framed or blocked in, the stucco around the opening has to be built so it does not crack at the seam between old and new work:
- Bond the old to the new. Where new block meets the original wall, we apply a bonding agent and fasten a strip of metal lath across the joint so the scratch coat spans it.
- Set the casing bead. Galvanized or vinyl casing bead goes around the new square frame. It gives a crisp edge, holds the stucco back from the window, and leaves a clean joint for sealant.
- Scratch coat. Applied over the fill area and scored, then cured before the next coat.
- Brown coat. Floated flush with the existing wall plane so the patch does not read as a bump from the street.
- Finish coat. Matched to the existing texture, whether smooth, sand float or knockdown, and feathered out past the repair line.
- Seal and paint. Sealant at the frame, then primer and paint on the full elevation so the color is even.
Prefer to send photos or plans? Send us your project
Squaring off arched openings FAQ
How much to square off an arched window? Windows and arched entries each have a starting range per opening in the cost table above, with block infill, stucco match and interior finish included. The window unit and paint are separate. Final pricing is confirmed after we review your project.
Do I need a permit? In most Broward and Palm Beach municipalities, yes, and it is normally pulled together with the window permit. We handle it.
Do I need an engineer to make the opening taller? Yes, if the new head goes above the existing lintel. The lintel or tie beam must be redesigned, which means an engineer's letter, a permit and inspections.
Will the filled-in arch show from the street? With a texture match and a full repaint of that elevation, no. A patch painted by itself always reads as a patch, so plan to paint the whole wall.
How do I get an exact price? Text a photo of each arch from outside and inside, plus the window size if you know it, to (561) 556-7509, or send them through our project form. We confirm whether the lintel moves during a short visit, then send a written 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.