What's included
For a hairline crack, we open it slightly so the patch has something to grip, clean out the dust, and fill it with an elastomeric patch that stays flexible as the wall heats and cools. Then we texture over it to blend with the wall around it and touch up the paint.
For caulking, we cut out old, cracked caulk around window and door frames, clean the joint and run a new bead of exterior sealant that bonds to stucco and takes paint.
- Hairline and small settlement cracks in stucco over block
- Elastomeric patch and texture match
- Touch-up paint over the repairs
- Recaulking window and door perimeters
- Sealing around hose bibs, dryer vents, and pipe and cable penetrations
- Caulking joints where stucco meets trim
Common South Florida problems
Most homes here are concrete block with stucco on the outside. Hairline cracks are common, and many are cosmetic, but any open crack lets water behind the paint, and that is where peeling and stains start.
Sun and UV break down caulk faster than people expect. On sunny walls, caulk dries out, shrinks and pulls away from the window frame, leaving a path for rain during summer storms. Near the coast and the Intracoastal, salt air is hard on paint and sealants too.
Some cracks are not cosmetic. A stair-step crack following the block joints, a crack that keeps getting wider, stucco that sounds hollow when tapped or is coming loose, and spalling where concrete is breaking away all point to a bigger problem. We refer those out.
In homes built before 1978, scraping old paint around a crack can release lead dust. We check painted surfaces for lead before disturbing them, and if it tests positive, we refer the job to an EPA lead-safe certified firm.
How a visit works
Text photos of the cracks to (561) 816-5974 with something for scale, like a coin or a tape measure, plus the windows and doors you want recaulked. We'll tell you if it looks like our kind of job or one that needs a closer look by someone else.
On site our tech taps the stucco around each crack to check for hollow spots, cuts out old caulk, makes the repairs and textures them. Paint goes on once the patch has dried, which can be the same day or a return trip, depending on the weather.
Spring, before the rainy season starts in late May, is a good time to book. Snowbirds can have it done before they head north. During the rainy season we schedule around afternoon storms, since patch and caulk need a dry wall.
What affects the price
Small jobs start at $199 for a small set of cracks or a few windows or doors. The price grows with the amount of work and how hard it is to reach.
- Number and length of cracks
- Height: second-story walls take more ladder work
- Texture type, since some finishes take more work to blend
- How many windows and doors get recaulked, and how much old caulk has to come out
- Leftover paint from the last paint job, which helps the touch-up match
- Materials: patch, sealant and paint we buy at cost plus 20%
What we don't do
We don't repair large or widening cracks, stair-step cracks in block, delaminating or hollow stucco, spalling, or anything structural. We also don't re-stucco whole walls or replace windows and doors. For those, we'll point you to a licensed contractor who can assess the wall.
Our caulking is exterior only. If water is already showing up inside, the source needs to be found first, and that may be a roof or window issue we don't handle.
Questions we get about stucco crack repair and exterior caulking
Are hairline cracks in stucco normal?
Yes, they are common in stucco over block. Many are cosmetic. They are still worth sealing, because water that gets in through a crack leads to peeling paint and stains.
When should I worry about a crack in my stucco?
Watch for cracks wider than a hairline, cracks that grow over time, stair-step patterns along the block joints, stucco that sounds hollow or is coming loose, and concrete breaking away. Those need someone to assess the wall, and we refer them out.
How often should exterior windows be recaulked in Florida?
There is no fixed schedule. Check the caulk each spring before the rainy season. If it is cracked, shrunk or pulling away from the frame, it is time to redo it.
Will the patch match the rest of my wall?
We match the texture as closely as we can, and it blends well from normal viewing distance. Touch-up paint rarely matches a sun-faded wall exactly, so some owners repaint that wall from corner to corner later.
Should stucco cracks be fixed before painting the house?
Yes. Cracks should be patched and recaulking done before new paint goes on, so the paint covers the repairs instead of bridging open gaps.
Where we do this most
We do stucco crack repair and exterior caulking across Palm Beach and Broward. These are some of the cities where we get asked for it most.