Nearly every house in Miami is stucco over concrete block, and the paint on it faces strong sun, salt air and hard summer rain. A lasting job starts with washing off salt, chalk and mildew, then sealing cracks and failed caulk before any finish coat. We plan exterior work around the weather, most of all in the May to October rainy season.
Exterior painting in Miami is mostly stucco painting. Nearly every house, duplex and small building here is concrete block with a stucco finish, and the same things go wrong on all of them: paint that has turned to chalk in the sun, hairline cracks at window corners, mildew on the shaded side and rust stains under railings and light fixtures. A new coat over those problems fails early. So our quote begins with a slow walk around the building, with notes on every wall, and the repairs are written into it.
First the walls are pressure washed to take off chalk, salt, dirt and mildew, then left to dry. Cracks are opened where needed and filled with a flexible patch or sealant. Old caulk around windows and doors is cut out and replaced. Bare or chalky stucco gets a masonry sealer or primer so the finish coats can grip. Then come two coats of exterior acrylic paint, rolled into the texture so no pinholes are left for rain. Fascia, soffits, doors and metal are primed and painted with products made for each.
Weather decides the schedule. The National Weather Service counts May 15 to October 15 as the rainy season here, and storms often arrive in the afternoon. In those months we start early, stop before the rain and never paint a wet wall. The drier months give longer working days. The City of Miami lists painting as work that does not need a building permit, unless the project affects the stucco itself. If you have an HOA, a condo board or a historic district, get the color approved in writing first.
Exterior painting in Miami: common questions
How do I know if my stucco is too chalky to paint?
Rub your hand on the wall. If a white or colored powder comes off, the old paint has chalked. It can still be painted, but the chalk has to be washed off and the wall sealed first, or the new paint will stick to the powder and not to the wall.
Will paint stop water coming through my stucco walls?
Paint helps but it is not a repair. Sealed cracks, good caulk and two full coats keep driving rain out of sound stucco. If water is getting in at a window, a roof edge or a large crack, that has to be fixed first. We tell you when we see it.
Can you paint the outside of my house in hurricane season?
Yes. We paint all year. In the wet months we watch the forecast each day, work in the dry hours and pause when a tropical storm is on the way. The job can take more calendar days than in winter.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.