Common questions about our services, coverage area, and process. If you don't see your question, get in touch.
Small crack repairs run $150 to $400. Mid-size patch jobs of 2 to 8 sq ft are typically $400 to $900. Larger sections with water damage or delamination often fall in the $900 to $3,000 range. Full re-stucco on a Tucson home starts around $8,000 to $12,000 depending on square footage. The cost guide breaks these ranges down by repair type.
Small cosmetic cracks can be DIY-patched with premixed stucco, but color matching and texture replication are difficult without experience. Pima County's monsoon seasons also introduce moisture behind stucco walls that requires proper substrate assessment before patching. Improper repairs often hold moisture and lead to more damage within 1 to 2 seasons. For anything beyond a hairline crack, professional assessment is worth the investment.
October through May is the best window. Plaster sets faster in hot, dry, sunny conditions, and Tucson averages 158 days a year at 90 degrees F or hotter, so summer coats can dry before they cure properly. The monsoon then brings storms from around early July into September. Small repairs can happen year-round; multi-coat jobs and color coats are best left for the cooler months.
That's efflorescence: mineral salts from alkaline soil and hard water, carried into the stucco by moisture and left on the surface when the water evaporates. On its own it's cosmetic, but it shows the wall base is staying wet. Find the source first (sprinklers, downspouts, the grade against the wall, an open crack), then clean the surface.
Don't wait. Tucson's monsoon rain hits hard and fast. Even hairline cracks allow water behind the stucco layer; once in, it migrates through the wall system. The combination of UV heat and overnight cooling that follows monsoons widens cracks by thermal expansion and contraction. Schedule an inspection in September or October, after monsoon season ends, for the best repair weather.
Like-for-like patching and cosmetic repairs generally don't require a permit in Pima County. Structural repairs, changes to wall assembly, or repairs tied to a remodel typically do. When in doubt, contact the Pima County Development Services Building Safety Division. The estimate visit is the time to ask whether your scope is likely to need a permit under current county guidelines.
A single crack repair or a small patch can typically be completed in one visit. Jobs that need a base coat, a finish coat, and color matching usually take two visits: one for the patching and scratch coat, and a second after curing for the finish layer. Larger water damage repairs that involve removing compromised sections, drying the substrate, and rebuilding from the wire or foam board up often take three to five days depending on scope and cure times.
Usually, yes. Texture and color matching is part of any proper repair. The most common finishes in Tucson are sand finish, dash, skip-trowel, and smooth. Pigments are mixed to match your existing color coat, or a fog coat goes over the full wall when a blended approach will produce a cleaner result. Older stucco that has faded under years of Tucson UV takes more care, so the surface and the size of the repair should be assessed before anyone recommends an approach.
Yes. Tucson has a significant stock of homes with EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems), also called synthetic stucco or Dryvit. EIFS relies on continuous foam insulation board and a fiberglass mesh layer, so it needs a different repair approach than three-coat stucco. Water in EIFS is especially damaging because the foam can hold moisture against the sheathing. Compromised sections come out down to solid substrate and are rebuilt with compatible EIFS materials.