Florida exterior paint is a different beast. We recommend Sherwin-Williams Duration or Emerald Rain Refresh for stucco, Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior for trim and detail work. Pick satin or low-luster finish, not flat. Always pressure-wash and prime first — most failures are prep failures, not paint failures. Expect a 7–10 year repaint cycle on coastal homes.
Every homeowner in South Florida eventually has the same conversation with us. The exterior paint that looked great five years ago is chalky, fading, or peeling at the bottom of every wall. They want to know: should we just repaint, or is this a bigger problem?
Usually the answer is "both." The paint failed, but it failed because of three things: wrong product, wrong prep, or wrong finish sheen for our climate. Here's how to avoid the same mistake.
What Makes Florida Different
- UV intensity — Florida UV is roughly 30% more intense than the national average. Cheaper paints fade and chalk within 2–3 years.
- Humidity — average humidity 75%, which means paint cure times are longer and trapped moisture causes blistering if you paint too soon after rain.
- Salt air (coastal) — anywhere within ~5 miles of the coast, salt deposits accelerate paint breakdown. Coastal Fort Lauderdale, Pompano, and Hollywood homes face this hardest.
- Wind-driven rain — horizontal rain forces water into hairline cracks and through any failed caulk joint. Substrate matters more than coat thickness.
- Mildew pressure — humid air + warm temperatures = mildew growth on shaded north walls within 12 months without mildewcide-loaded paint.
Our Recommended Paints
For Stucco Bodies
Sherwin-Williams Duration Exterior ($75–90/gal) — our long-time workhorse. Lifetime warranty (homeowner-applied lifetime, contractor-applied 25 years), self-priming, mildew-resistant. Goes on thick, holds color well.
Sherwin-Williams Emerald Rain Refresh ($90–105/gal) — premium tier. Excellent UV resistance, exceptional washability. Worth the upgrade on a high-visibility home or one near the water.
Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior ($95–115/gal) — best-in-class color retention for darker colors (charcoals, navys, deep greens). Slightly thinner application than SW Duration, but the finish is gorgeous.
For Wood Trim, Soffits, Fascia
Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior in Satin — flexible enough to handle wood movement, gorgeous flat-but-not-flat finish.
Sherwin-Williams Emerald in Satin — equivalent quality, slightly different feel.
For Metal (Garage Doors, Railings)
Sherwin-Williams DTM Acrylic or Benjamin Moore DTM Acrylic Semi-Gloss — direct-to-metal formulations. Skip rust-converting primer unless you have active rust.
Finish Selection: Skip Flat Outside
Flat exterior paint is almost never the right call in Florida. Flat hides surface imperfections but it also holds dirt, mildew, and salt and is harder to wash. The light-reflectance and washability of satin or low-lustre keeps the home looking clean between repaints.
- Stucco body: low-lustre or satin (avoid flat unless the stucco is rough and you want to hide it)
- Trim, doors, shutters: satin or semi-gloss
- Front door (focal piece): semi-gloss
Florida sun bleaches darker colors faster. If you love a deep navy or charcoal exterior, plan to repaint 6–7 years rather than 10. Whites, off-whites, and warm beiges hold color the longest — and reflect heat, lowering your AC load.
Prep Is Everything
Most exterior paint failures we see are prep failures, not paint failures. The right paint applied over bad prep will fail in 18 months. The right prep extends the same paint to 8–10 years.
The Florida Prep Sequence:
- Pressure wash the entire exterior at 2,500–3,000 PSI with a mildewcide solution. Let dry 48–72 hours.
- Scrape all loose or peeling paint to firm edges.
- Patch stucco cracks > 1/16" with elastomeric patching compound. Hairlines < 1/32" can be bridged by the paint itself.
- Caulk every window, door, and trim joint with high-quality polyurethane or hybrid caulk (not silicone — silicone won't take paint).
- Spot prime bare or patched areas with a bonding primer.
- Apply two full coats of body paint by spray-and-back-roll (sprayed for coverage, back-rolled for adhesion).
How Often to Repaint
With proper prep and premium paint:
- Inland Broward / Palm Beach (5+ miles from coast): 9–12 years
- Coastal (within 1 mile of ocean or Intracoastal): 6–8 years
- Direct beachfront: 5–7 years
South-facing walls and west-facing walls fail first (more UV). North walls and east walls last longest. Plan to do touch-ups on the worst walls every 4–5 years.
What It Costs
Real numbers for a full exterior repaint in Broward/Palm Beach:
- Single-story home, 2,200 sqft footprint: $4,200–$7,500
- Two-story home, 3,000 sqft: $6,800–$11,500
- Large estate or coastal home with substantial trim: $11,000–$22,000+
Numbers include premium paint (SW Duration or BM Aura), pressure wash, prep, caulking, and two coats. Add 15–20% for darker colors (extra coat to achieve coverage), add 25–35% for distinctive architectural features (lots of trim, multiple stories, intricate detail).
Ready to Refresh Your Exterior?
Exterior paint is one of the highest-ROI renovations you can do. Schedule a free walk-through and we'll talk through paint products, color options, prep scope, and a fixed-price quote.
