Stucco repair
Stucco Repair in San Jose, the South Bay and the Peninsula
Cracked, bulging or stained stucco does not usually need a full re-stucco to fix. We repair damaged stucco section by section, correct whatever let water or movement in behind the wall, then match the patch back into the surrounding texture. Jose Dominguez ran plastering crews on commercial buildings for twelve years before starting this company, and the same standard goes on every wall here, house or apartment building.
Free estimates, two year warranty against water intrusion, CSLB #1044105, Class B and C-35. Se habla español.
- 5.0 across 57 Yelp reviews
- Yelp Verified License
- 4.8 across 25 Google reviews
- 10 minute response time, 100 percent response rate
- CSLB #1044105, Class B and C-35
The signs that mean it is time for stucco repair
Not every crack means the same thing. A fine crack that follows the texture of the wall is usually cosmetic. A crack you can catch a fingernail on, one that steps like stairs at a corner, or one that keeps opening back up after being painted, is telling you something behind the wall is moving or taking on water.
Bulging or soft sections, and stucco that sounds hollow when you knock on it, point to repair work rather than a cosmetic touch up. So do staining that runs down from under a window or the eaves, chipped or missing patches, and small holes.
What is actually causing the crack
Stucco cracks for a handful of reasons: normal house settling, movement at a corner or an opening, impact damage, or water getting behind the assembly and swelling or rotting what is underneath. Patching only the visible crack without finding which of those caused it is why a patched crack can reopen while the cause is still there.
Water intrusion is the one that costs the most if it gets missed. Once water is behind the stucco, it can sit against the sheathing and framing long enough to cause damage that has nothing to do with the crack you called about. That is why a free estimate includes a look at what is around the crack, not just the crack itself.
What a stucco patch repair involves
A repair starts with removing the damaged stucco back to sound material, not skimming over the crack. If the lath behind it was damaged by whatever caused the failure, that gets replaced before any new stucco goes back on. Then the wall gets built back up in coats and finished to match the surrounding texture.
Major repair versus a simple patch
Most stucco repairs stay contained to a section or a single elevation. A major stucco repair, one that opens a large area of wall or exposes framing, gets treated more like a small construction job. Framing gets inspected while it is exposed, and anything found gets priced and approved before the wall closes back up.
Water damage and weep screed repair
A weep screed is the strip at the base of a stucco wall that lets water drain back out instead of getting trapped behind the assembly. When it is missing, damaged, or was never installed correctly, water backs up behind the wall and shows up later as staining, bulging, or stucco that stays soft near the bottom of the wall.
[...] The repair work included approximately 36 Ft. of weep screed installed as the stucco was cracking and bulging on that side and 2 access doors installed; also 1 other wall was restuccoed. [...] There is office support that responds immediately to the questions we had along the way; was actually able to speak to a live person!
Matching the existing texture and color
Color is the part that catches people off guard. Sun fades stucco pigment unevenly over the years, so a section that is a perfect texture match can still look like a patch next to a wall that has weathered for a decade. We match texture against the surrounding wall, and you will hear up front when color is going to be the harder half, before the work starts rather than after.
If a visible patch would bother you, painting the full elevation once the repair is finished will match it better than blending an unpainted patch into faded stucco.
When patching is not enough
A patch fixes a section. It is not the right answer when cracking is spread across more than one elevation, when water has been behind large sections of wall for a long period, or when the stucco is old enough that matching a patch into it is no longer realistic. At that point resurfacing the whole wall, or a full re-stucco, is the more honest recommendation, even when a patch would be the cheaper thing to sell.
You will hear which category your house is in during the walkthrough, before anything is priced. If your project is new construction, a full re-stucco, or converting existing siding to stucco, that work is covered on our new stucco and re-stucco page.
Not sure which side of that line your house is on? A free walkthrough will tell you.
What repair work can uncover behind the wall
Opening damaged stucco means seeing what has been happening behind it. Dry rot and termite damage in the framing or sheathing turn up often enough on older homes that it is worth expecting rather than treating it as a surprise. When that turns up it is quoted as dry rot work in its own right, not folded into the stucco line.
Exterior repairs sometimes reach into the house. If opening the wall from the outside damages the interior finish, that repair and the painting that follows are scoped and priced with the stucco work. See drywall repair for how that work runs. And when a repair involves patching stucco back around a window, the patch back is scoped with the window work, not after it.
Permits for stucco repair
Most stucco repair does not require a permit, because it repairs what is already there and does not change the structure. Requirements vary by city and by scope. We confirm with your local building department before we quote, so you are never guessing.
How a stucco repair estimate works
For most repairs we ask for photos first. That gives you a realistic sense of scope before anyone drives out, and the visit is a confirmation, not a first look. Small repairs can sometimes be quoted from photos and a call. Anything larger gets a full walkthrough, usually the same day or the next.
After the walkthrough the scope, the material, the finish and the price come back to you in writing. There is no obligation to sign on the spot, and if a permit is needed we start that before locking a start date. See the full five step process.
The warranty on repair work
Every exterior stucco repair carries a two year warranty against water intrusion, covering material and labor. It is the same warranty that applies to a full re-stucco, because the standard for keeping water out does not change because the job is smaller. The full terms are in writing before work starts.
Where we repair stucco
This crew works on houses and apartment buildings across Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, concentrated in the South Bay and the Peninsula. See the full list of cities. Stucco repair is often one part of a larger exterior project, up to a whole exterior refresh, from demo to paint.
[...] Jose is very professional and timely with communication, making Plastering Solutions easy to work with. The crew is also very hardworking and respectful. Jose is fast with providing a consultation and quote at a reasonable price. I was really surprised by the fair price, especially in this economy. [...]
Questions
Questions people ask about this work
If yours is not here, ask us on the phone. It is a better use of your time than guessing.
Is stucco repair covered by homeowners insurance?
We have not worked a stucco repair as an insurance claim, so budget for it as a direct project and do not count on insurance covering it. If your situation involves a specific covered event, your insurer is the one who can tell you whether it qualifies.
What can a photo settle, and what needs a walkthrough?
A photo settles whether it is small enough to price from the picture. It does not show whether the lath behind it is still sound, how far water traveled once it got in, or whether framing was affected, which are the things that actually set the scope and the price.
How long does a patch need to cure before it can be painted?
Every coat needs time to cure before the next step, whether that is another coat or paint. Because cure time depends on the size of the repair, the material and the weather, we work that out for your specific job and put the real schedule in your written proposal.
Do you repair stucco damage around a leaking window or door?
Yes. Patching stucco back around an opening after a leak is common work. If resealing will not be enough and the window or door itself needs replacing, the stucco patch back is scoped with the replacement, not booked afterward.
Who do I call if a repaired section fails, and how fast do you come out?
Call the same number you called the first time. Yelp calculates our response time at 10 minutes with a 100 percent response rate, and a warranty call gets looked at in person, not diagnosed over the phone. If it traces to the stucco assembly we repaired, the correction is covered for material and labor. Full terms are on our warranty page.
What if the crack comes back?
If a repair treated only the visible crack instead of the cause, that is a legitimate concern with any contractor. Our warranty covers water intrusion on the exterior stucco assembly for two years. If a crack reopens from normal house movement, we will look at it and tell you whether it needs another repair.
Related work
Other things we do on the same house
Free estimate
Send photos. Get a straight answer.
Most consultations are scheduled the same or next day, and the scope, the material, the finish and the price come back in writing after it.
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Se habla español.
CSLB #1044105, Class B and C-35. Two year warranty against water intrusion on exterior stucco.