In This Article
Florida is one of the most demanding environments on the planet for exterior building systems. Between June and October, Northeast Florida receives the majority of its 52 annual inches of rainfall — often in intense bursts that drive water horizontally into every opening in your home's exterior. Add hurricane season, daily humidity above 70%, and UV exposure that degrades sealants and coatings in a fraction of the time it would take in other climates, and the conditions for stucco water intrusion are nearly ideal.
The problem is that most homeowners don't realize water is behind their stucco until the damage is already serious. By the time a soft spot or visible stain appears, water may have been entering the wall assembly for months or years.
Understanding how water intrusion happens — and what to do about it — is the most important thing a Florida stucco homeowner can know.
How Water Gets Behind Stucco
Stucco is not waterproof. It's water-resistant, and it relies on a properly installed moisture barrier, correctly applied flashing, and sealed penetrations to keep water moving to the exterior rather than inward. When any part of that system fails, water finds its way in.
Cracks in the stucco surface. Even small cracks — particularly those wider than 1/16 inch — allow water entry during Florida's wind-driven rain events. The pressure differential during storms actively forces water through openings that would be inconsequential in a light drizzle. Cracks from settling, thermal movement, or impact damage are the most common entry point.
Failed caulking around windows and doors. Every window, door, and penetration (electrical outlets, hose bibs, light fixtures) is a potential water entry point. The caulk that seals these transitions degrades in Florida's UV exposure, typically needing replacement every five to seven years. Once caulk cracks, separates, or pulls away, water channels directly into the gap between the frame and stucco — right to the moisture barrier below.
Flashing failures. Window and door flashing — the metal or membrane installed to direct water away from the opening and to the exterior — is one of the most critical and most commonly failed components in stucco systems. Improper original installation, fastener corrosion, or storm damage can compromise flashing integrity. When flashing fails, large volumes of water enter the wall every time it rains.
Improper or clogged drainage. Three-coat traditional stucco and EIFS systems both rely on water that does infiltrate the first layer being able to drain out at the bottom of the wall. If weep screed is clogged, painted over, or improperly installed, water that gets in cannot get out. It accumulates behind the stucco, saturates the sheathing, and rots the framing.
Warning Signs of Stucco Water Intrusion
Because water damage builds slowly and out of sight, Florida homeowners need to know what surface signs indicate a problem developing beneath.
Dark staining or discoloration. Irregularly shaped dark stains on stucco — especially below windows, around doors, or along the bottom of walls — indicate moisture moving through or behind the finish coat. This is often one of the earliest visible signs.
Efflorescence. This white, chalky deposit on stucco surfaces is caused by water carrying soluble salts through the material and depositing them on the surface as it evaporates. Efflorescence is a reliable indicator that liquid water is moving through your stucco, not just over it.
Bubbling or peeling paint or finish. When paint or the finish coat bubbles, blisters, or peels away from the stucco beneath, trapped moisture is the typical cause. The moisture vapor pressure behind the coating forces it away from the surface.
Soft spots or spongy areas. Press gently along your exterior walls, particularly below windows and near corners. Stucco should feel hard and solid. A soft or flexing area indicates the substrate beneath — typically OSB sheathing or wood framing — has been compromised by moisture. This level of damage requires immediate attention.
Musty smell inside the home. One of the most telling signs is not visible at all. If interior rooms adjacent to exterior walls develop a persistent musty or earthy smell, mold growth inside the wall cavity is the likely cause. Mold requires moisture. Moisture in an interior wall cavity almost always means an exterior intrusion pathway.
Why Florida Homes Are Especially Vulnerable
It is worth stating plainly: Florida's environment is uniquely damaging to stucco water management systems, and the consequences of intrusion are worse here than in most of the country.
Rainy season delivers repeated high-intensity rainfall events, not the slow steady rains that allow water management systems to handle load gradually. Hurricane season brings wind-driven rain at pressures that penetrate systems designed to handle vertical gravity-driven water. Year-round humidity above 70% means that any moisture that enters a wall cavity does not dry out easily — it simply stays there, feeding mold and degrading wood.
In Northeast Florida specifically, coastal proximity from St. Augustine Beach to Ponte Vedra adds salt air to the equation. Salt accelerates the corrosion of metal flashing, fasteners, and lath. It degrades caulk and sealants faster than inland environments. And it exacerbates the natural weathering of stucco finish coats.
The Repair Process: How Stucco Water Intrusion Is Fixed Correctly
There is no shortcut to properly repairing water-damaged stucco. Applying a patch or recoating over active water intrusion will fail. The repair process must work from the inside out.
Step 1: Full inspection to identify all entry points. Before any repair begins, every point where water may be entering must be identified. This includes probing for soft spots, moisture testing behind the stucco, checking flashing conditions at every window and door, and inspecting drainage at the base of walls. Repairing one entry point while missing two others accomplishes nothing.
Step 2: Remove damaged stucco to access the substrate. The extent of removal depends on the extent of damage. In some cases a localized section can be opened. In severe cases, large wall areas must be removed to fully assess substrate condition.
Step 3: Repair or replace damaged structural components. Rotted sheathing, compromised framing, and corroded lath are replaced before any new stucco is applied. Stucco applied over damaged substrate will fail again, and will hide the ongoing problem from view.
Step 4: Reinstall or repair the moisture barrier. New building paper, house wrap, or the appropriate membrane for the stucco system is installed and properly lapped and taped to create a continuous drainage plane. Flashing at windows and doors is repaired or replaced.
Step 5: Seal all penetrations and transitions. Every window, door, and exterior penetration gets properly caulked with a product rated for Florida's UV exposure and thermal movement. This is not a detail — it is a primary water management strategy.
Step 6: Apply new stucco and finish. New stucco is applied in the correct coat sequence for the system being repaired. The finish coat is textured to match the surrounding surface.
Step 7: Color matching. This is where many repairs fall apart visually — and where our expertise is most apparent. Color matching aged, weathered stucco in Florida's sun is a specialized skill. We use fog coat, texture coat, and direct color matching techniques that result in repairs that blend seamlessly with the original surface, rather than standing out as obvious patches.
What Stucco Water Damage Repair Costs in Florida
Cost depends heavily on how far the damage has progressed by the time repair begins. This is the core reason early detection matters.
- • Localized water intrusion repair (caulking, minor crack sealing, surface treatment): $200 to $500
- • Moderate damage (flashing replacement, section removal and re-stucco, substrate repair): $800 to $2,000
- • Significant water damage restoration (large area removal, sheathing replacement, full re-stucco and color matching): $1,500 to $5,000 or more
Schedule a Free Stucco Inspection
Stucco Home Repair provides free stucco inspections throughout St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, Palm Coast, Flagler, and surrounding communities in Northeast Florida. If you have seen any of the warning signs described in this article — or simply want to know the condition of your stucco before rainy season — our team will give you an honest assessment and a clear recommendation.
With 20 years of experience in Florida stucco systems and a written warranty on our work, we find problems other contractors miss and repair them so they stay fixed. Contact us to schedule your free inspection.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Stucco Water Intrusion in Florida
Q: How can I tell if I have water intrusion behind my stucco? A: The most reliable early signs are dark staining or discoloration below windows and around door frames, white chalky efflorescence deposits on the stucco surface, and bubbling or peeling finish coat. More advanced damage shows as soft or spongy areas when you press on the exterior wall — which means the sheathing beneath has been compromised. Inside the home, a persistent musty smell in rooms adjacent to exterior walls often means mold is already growing in the wall cavity. Any of these signs warrants a professional inspection before Florida's rainy season arrives.
Q: How much does stucco water damage repair cost in St. Augustine? A: Cost depends entirely on how far the damage has progressed. Localized repairs — caulking, minor crack sealing, surface treatment — run $200–$500. Moderate repairs involving flashing replacement, section removal, and substrate work run $800–$2,000. Significant restoration with large area removal, sheathing replacement, and full re-stucco runs $1,500–$5,000 or more. A problem caught in spring and repaired for $400 can become a $3,000+ restoration if left through another hurricane season. Early detection is the most cost-effective strategy.
Q: Can you repair water-damaged stucco without removing large sections? A: Sometimes, but only if the damage is truly localized and the substrate is intact. A full inspection — including moisture testing and probing — determines the actual extent of damage, which is often larger than visible surface signs suggest. Attempting to repair over active moisture intrusion or damaged substrate without full removal always fails, and typically makes the eventual repair more expensive. We never recommend cosmetic patching over compromised systems.
Q: How long does a proper stucco water intrusion repair take? A: A localized repair (single window, small crack repair, sealant replacement) typically takes one day. Moderate repairs requiring substrate access, flashing work, and stucco re-coat take 2–4 days including cure time. Larger restorations across multiple wall sections may take 5–10 days. Color matching requires proper curing before the final assessment — we don't rush this step, because a repair that's structurally correct but visually obvious isn't a finished job.