Stucco exterior

Systems we install

  • Traditional three-coat cement stucco — scratch, brown, and finish over metal lath. The standard for custom residential and high-end commercial work.
  • One-coat fiber-reinforced — single 3/8-in. base coat with integral fiber, followed by an acrylic-modified finish. Faster schedule, lower cost, suitable for production and multifamily.
  • Stucco over CMU — direct-applied scratch and brown over masonry, no lath required.
  • Re-stucco / patching — color and texture match-to-existing for additions, retrofits, and remediation work.

Where most stucco jobs fail

Stucco is forgiving of almost everything except water that gets behind it. Most failures we get called in to fix trace back to one of these:

  • Weep screed buried in dirt or paving — no drainage path
  • Window flashing run over the WRB instead of integrated with it
  • Penetrations sealed at the surface instead of at the substrate
  • Control joints missed where deflection or movement was inevitable
  • Coats applied too fast, without enough cure between

Every one of those is preventable at the lath / paper stage. Which is why we install both — and why our pre-coat walkthrough is non-negotiable.

Stucco is forgiving of almost everything except water that gets behind it. Get the substrate right and the cement does its job for the next forty years.

Finish options

  • Sand-float — the SoCal residential workhorse
  • Smooth hand-trowel — for contemporary architecture
  • Santa Barbara smooth — Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial
  • Dash and lace — common in tract and production builds
  • Custom match-to-sample for additions and tie-ins

Color

We work with both integral-color cement stucco (color mixed into the final coat) and field-applied acrylic color coats. The choice depends on the building, the budget, and how the GC wants the exterior to weather over time. We'll talk you through both options on the bid.

The spec,
for the bid sheet.

3-Coat SystemScratch / brown / finish per ASTM C-926, 7/8 in. nominal total
1-Coat System3/8 in. fiber-reinforced base + acrylic finish, ICC-ES approved
Substrate3.4 lb galvanized self-furring lath over 2 layers Grade-D paper (3-coat) or sheathing-direct (1-coat)
Cure7-day minimum moist-cure between brown and finish (3-coat)
Control JointsEvery 144 sq ft or 18 LF, per ASTM C-1063
Weep Screed26-ga. galvanized, 4 in. above earth / 2 in. above paving (CBC §2512.1.2)
ColorIntegral or field-applied acrylic; field samples for approval
Warranty2-year workmanship; 10-year material per manufacturer

"

The stucco on our oceanfront builds takes a beating — salt air, sun, fog. The Richartz finishes still look fresh after a decade. That tells you everything about how they detail the substrate.

— General Contractor · Hermosa Beach

Stucco scope coming up?

Send the plans and
your elevation count.

Request a Bid