Stucco repair costs in Youngstown

Whether your stucco job needs a permit in the Mahoning Valley can depend on exactly where you live. Ohio's residential code is a uniform statewide rule in any area with a building department certified by the state to enforce it. A department needs its own certification to handle repairs and alterations to existing homes, not just new ones. And where no certified department has jurisdiction, the code itself says the owner isn't required to submit plans, seek approvals or request inspections.

Youngstown's houses have been standing a long time. About 39 percent of homes in the city were built before 1940, and fewer than one in twenty went up in 2000 or later, Census estimates put it. Across the whole metro, only about 9 percent of homes are from 2000 or later.

So before a crew starts, find out who enforces the residential code at your address. The answer tells you whether anyone will inspect the work besides you.

If nobody is coming, your own eye matters more. Before the new coat goes on, ask the contractor to show you the paper and lath, or photograph them yourself, while they're still visible.