Good questions when:

Hiring a Stucco Contractor

• How long have you been in business?
• Are you licensed or certified?

• Most trades are licensed through a state governmental agency such as a "home improvement commission". You'll need to find the agency in your state and verify that the tradesmen is, in fact, licensed and in good standing.

• Do you install traditional three coat cement stucco or a synthetic system?

• Synthetic stucco is an elastic polymer installed over extruded foam insulation manufaturers include STO, Parex, Bonsal, El Ray, Dryvit, Master Wall, and LaHabra. Traditional stucco is a three coat process (scratch coat, brown coat and finish coat) using a portland cement based product.

• Are plaster, stucco and EIFS the same?

• Stucco is a somewhat colloquial term for portland cement based plaster. EIFS stands for exterior insulation and finish system, which is sometimes (incorrectly) called "synthetic" stucco. To complicate matters, "plastering" is the verb that describes the action of applying any of these various materials to a wall surface.

• What are common stucco finish textures?
• Can I visit stucco jobs you did three or more years ago?

• Looking at old stucco projects will tell you how the contractors work holds up over time. It takes several year for cracks to appear in stucco.

• Can I paint stucco to get the color I want?
• Can you create ornamental shapes on stucco surfaces?
• How much do you charge per square foot for stucco work?

• Depending on thickness of material, type of system and difficulty of the work expect to pay $7 - $13 per square foot.