Stucco repair costs in Charlotte

North Carolina learned about synthetic stucco the hard way. In the mid-1990s, homes in New Hanover County on the coast turned up with serious moisture behind their EIFS, from soaked sheathing to outright rot. A 1998 National Research Council of Canada paper passes on a report that all 3,200 EIFS homes there seemed to need some repair.

That history follows the product to every corner of the state. North Carolina Realtors tells its agents that EIFS on a house is a material fact they have to disclose. That holds even when the seller checks "No Representations" on the state disclosure form. A house that used to have it, in whole or in part, counts too.

Selling a stucco house in Charlotte? The buyer's side may well want a stucco inspection, so think about getting one first so nothing surprises you. Buying one? Find out whether it's synthetic or traditional hard-coat stucco before you fall in love, and get the walls tested by someone who probes, not just someone who looks.

Doing work on one? Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement keeps a Stucco Finish Compliance Statement among its permit forms. Ask your contractor whether your job needs one, and who signs it, before the new finish covers up the work underneath.