Stucco repair costs in Pittsburgh

Wet years are hard on Pittsburgh stucco. The three wettest in the city's official weather records, which start in 1871, are 2018, 2004 and 2019.

Nearly half of the city's homes were built before 1940. That overlaps the stretch, from about 1890 into the 1940s, when stucco was a national craze. On a house that old, the coat may sit right on brick or on wood lath. Once a crack lets rain in, the next freeze pries it wider, and lath behind it can rot or rust.

Hillsides add a twist. Southwestern Pennsylvania has by far the highest concentration of landslides in the state, the state geological survey says. On a steep Pittsburgh lot, a wet year works on the hill and the wall at the same time.

In a city historic district, the Historic Review Commission reviews any exterior work you can see from a street, or even an alley. Get the Certificate of Appropriateness before the crew shows up.