Stucco Repair guides
Working out what you are looking at, before you talk to anyone.
How to tell whether a stucco crack needs attention
What to look at before deciding whether cracking can wait until spring.
Read it →Traditional or synthetic stucco: how to tell what your home has
The two systems look alike from the curb and fail in completely different ways.
Read it →Getting stucco ready before monsoon season
A short walk-around that costs nothing and catches the problems that heavy rain finds.
Read it →What these guides are for
Most stucco problems are noticed well before anyone is called. A crack appears after a storm, a stain shows up under a window, or a patch of wall starts to sound hollow, and the first question is whether it can wait. These guides are written for that stage. They explain what different kinds of damage look like, what tends to cause them in a high-desert climate, and which details are worth noting before you speak to anyone about a repair.
Start with what is on your walls
Two different systems get called stucco in New Mexico: traditional three-coat cement stucco, and synthetic finish systems often called EIFS. They look alike from the street but take on water, show damage, and get repaired in different ways, so knowing which one your home has makes everything else easier to read. If you are not sure, the guide on traditional and synthetic stucco covers the quick checks.
What the guides do not do
None of this replaces someone looking at the wall in person. The guides describe what damage can look like, not what it means on your particular home, and they do not cover prices, since those depend on conditions a contractor has to see. When you are ready, describe what you found in the quote form and your request goes to a local contractor serving Albuquerque, Los Lunas, Rio Rancho, Corrales, Bernalillo, Santa Fe, and Los Ranchos, who follows up directly.