How to Properly Navigate a Stucco Inspection

As homeowners, we’re always concerned with the values of our homes. This is especially true when we’re approaching the time of selling. If you have stucco on your home, there’s a good chance that homebuyers and their agents will be looking for a stucco inspection report before they even commit to seeing it in person.

A stucco inspection report is completed by a licensed specialist. Small holes are driven into the stucco on your home, primarily underneath windows and doors. Using a special probe, moisture measurements are taken, analyzed, and a report is generated. At 0:59 in the video above, you can see an example of such a report. The picture shows where moisture measurements were taken and the numbers in the small boxes represent the amount of moisture. The ones marked in red have high moisture measurements and show that the wood has a moisture content that would support rot and mold.

Knowledge and planning are key to minimizing the financial impact.

If you have stucco on your home and you’re unsure about its condition, should you have it inspected proactively, or have the buyer conduct it? It’s a valid question because the inspection itself can run $700 or more. However, I do recommend that you have an inspection done before listing your home for two specific reasons:

1. You can control the outcome a lot better. If repairs are needed, you can work with a contractor of your choice. Good contractors are busy, but those are the contractors you want. If the buyer conducts the inspection and the test fails, you won’t be able to get the repairs done in a timely fashion and won’t have as much control over who does the fixing.

2. The report can be used as part of the sales presentation. This is if your home passes the stucco inspection, that is. It shows buyers that you have adequate home maintenance.

Our team has been personally involved with hundreds of sales of stucco exterior homes. We can help you analyze all options to find the best solution. The options include, but are not limited to, full replacement, spot repairs, collecting bids for repairs, and selling the home as-is.

The issues associated with stucco are widespread and thousands of homeowners are directly affected. Knowledge and planning are key to minimizing the financial impact. My team is here to help you with guidance and finding solutions so you get the most value when selling your home.

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If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you.