Installing stucco on your home can be a major undertaking and a big investment. That’s why homeowners often wonder, “How long does stucco last?” The good news is that properly installed stucco is very durable and long-lasting. Stucco has been with us since the early Roman times, and some of those dwellings are still standing! Exceptions to every rule, but it’s very safe to say that stucco is one of the more long-lasting sidings in use in commercial and residential construction today (and that’s across the country, not just in San Diego).

In general, the quick answer is 25-50 years, 60-80 years (or more) if it’s properly applied. Many of the historical buildings we’ve worked on are over the 100-year mark… Balboa Park was developed in 1915.  Homes in the North Park district began construction in 1912 – five years after the street cars began service on University Avenue. Sunset Cliffs was mostly developed in the 1950’s, and 1960’s, just to put some perspective on how long stucco lasts here in San Diego.

There are several points to consider, to make your stucco last as long as possible.

Every construction and building trade have their secrets, and the stucco trade is no different. At Nurse Stucco, we’ve been in the stucco, lath, and plaster trade for over 40 years.  We’re a family business – our family name and our reputation go on every job we do, and we care about our customers. Do the job right the first time, charge a fair price, don’t cut corners to make a profit, and stand behind your work. It’s a simple philosophy, and it works for us… and it will work for you too.

Experienced Installation. Stucco is not cheap, but it is an amazing value. When installed properly by skilled craftsmen, a stucco exterior has the ability to endure for 50, 80, or even 100 years. If you’re looking for the durability and elegance of a stunning stucco exterior that will truly protect your home, you need to enlist a company that has both experience of installing stucco and knowledge of how it behaves in our southern climate. Once installed, preventative maintenance is the next step to ensuring your stucco stays in its best condition.

Preventative Maintenance. Ideally, your stucco has never caused any problems for your home. In order to maintain that standard, you have to show your stucco some love – just like your car, the longer you put off fixing it, the bigger the problem it can turn into. This means you’ll want to become familiar with your stucco to recognize any changes that occur. After all, you’re the first line of defense to recognize potential cracking that can turn into a water leak into your home, or other issues.

If you see something different, it doesn’t hurt to ask a professional.  Most of the time those questions, along with sending a picture or two from your cell phone, and we can offer our professional opinion about your concern.

Professional Repairs. Once we give you our recommendations, we know that you may get a second opinion, and honestly, we recommend it. Whether or not you choose to do so, we feel confident that you’ll recognize the fairness and quality of our services. However, the one thing we suggest you definitely avoid is any DIY solution. Home Depot and Lowes both sell the common materials used in stucco.  They also sell various “instant” or one-step materials made by the same companies that manufacture our stucco materials to supply our trade. Unfortunately, the printed instructions on the sack or YouTube videos just don’t do the job of an experienced stucco professional. Too often, we end up being called after DIY repairs that have caused much bigger problems.

FREE ESTIMATE. At Nurse Stucco, we provide free and no obligation estimates – that REALLY ARE FREE, there’s NO OBLIGATION, and you don’t even have to be there. If we see a problem from the pictures you sent, and you decide that you want us to take a more detailed look, Great. We’ll come out, take a closer look to see what’s needed, take some measurements, and then give you our recommendations in an email (US or “snail mail” if you don’t do email) with the options we see, and some numbers. You make the decision at your own pace, and that’s good with us. Of course, you’re welcome to be there too when we’re looking at your project and we can answer your questions right away.

NOTE: We don’t put you on some telemarketing list or bombard you with annoying spam in your mailbox – WE ARE A SMALL FAMILY business, and we treat our customers like we want to be treated. It’s definitely OK for you to be there, so we can answer any additional questions you may have about your stucco project, but it works either way.

We’re often ask if we have any recommendations like installing plaster screed to help your stucco walls drain away water. It’s normal for water to penetrate into stucco between the wall and the water-resistant paper, but it needs somewhere to drain out. Homes built prior to 1965 didn’t require the plaster (weep) screed, and it wasn’t a building code requirement in San Diego, county-wide, until the mid 1970’s.

We also often get questions about quality painting companies we know and have worked with would recommend to touch-up the wood trim, landscaping companies to help you with keeping your hedges away from the walls and deal with drainage issues.  Another one is window & door installers to upgrade to new energy efficient windows or replace weather worn doors, and even about rain gutters.

We’ll help you get answers to your questions. Please reach out to us at the Office (619 561-7429) or use our website Contact Form to get in touch.

The answer is up to you. It begins with your first choice of the company you select to install the stucco. If you purchased your home from a previous owner or a new home from a home developer, then we start looking at when it was built for a better answer – building codes change over time.  Consistent maintenance, attention to necessary repairs when needed, and dealing with licensed and experienced companies all factor into the answer. When you choose Nurse Stucco, you are choosing a company that can help you with your every stucco need, no matter what the current condition of your stucco may be.