How to Estimate a Stucco Job | Reddit & LinkedIn

Traditional three-coat stucco over metal lath runs $10 to $18 per square foot installed. It is the durable, code-familiar choice and the standard on new lath. One-coat synthetic systems run $8 to $13 per square foot, cure faster, and suit re-coats and milder climates.

Quote the system the wall and climate need. On a new build or a full tear-off, three-coat over paper and lath is the workhorse. On a sound existing substrate, a one-coat re-coat can save the client money without cutting corners. Price the system as a named line so the bid is clear.

Square footage is only half the estimate. A single-story ranch prices very differently from a two-story with gables and dormers, because scaffolding, staging, and the slower pace of high work all add labor. Scaffolding rental and setup can add $1.50 to $4 per square foot on a two-story elevation.

Walk the elevations before you quote. Count the gables, note the roof pitch that forces staging, and check for landscaping or grade that complicates access. Two jobs with the same wall area can differ 20 percent on access alone.

Repairing failed stucco is not the same job as a fresh application. Cracking, delamination, and moisture intrusion behind the wall each need their own scope: cut-out, moisture barrier repair, re-lath, and blend. Price remediation by the affected area and the depth of the failure, separate from any full re-coat.

Moisture behind stucco is the hidden cost. If the paper and sheathing are compromised, the repair grows fast. Note on the estimate that concealed damage is priced as a change order once the wall is open, so the client is not surprised.

Photograph each elevation, dictate the wall areas, system choice, and access notes, and the AI drafts lath, coat, scaffolding, and labor lines from your own rates. Every line shows its source, so the numbers are yours, not invented.

You send an itemized estimate the client can accept on their phone, keep remediation as a clearly separate line, and run the job with photos and milestone billing. The platform fee is 2% per job, capped at $250, with no per-lead fees.

Most stucco failures are water failures behind the wall, not surface cracks. The drainage plane is what protects the job: a weep screed at the base, two layers of building paper or a proper water-resistive barrier, and correct flashing at every window, door, and penetration. Skip one and water gets trapped, and the callback shows up as staining or rot a year later.

Put the drainage details on the estimate as named scope. A client comparing your bid to a cheaper one should see that you are pricing a wall that drains, not just a coat of stucco. It also protects you, because a moisture callback on stucco is expensive to chase once the wall is finished.