How do I know if my stucco has failed?

The clearest signs are cracks around windows, dark staining running down the wall, soft or spongy spots, and damp or musty exterior walls inside. A moisture inspection confirms how far it has spread, since much of the damage is hidden.

How much does stucco remediation cost in Philadelphia?

It depends on how much of the wall is affected and how much water damage is behind it, which is why we test first. A targeted repair and a full-house remediation are very different numbers. You get a written estimate after the inspection.

Do you remediate the whole house or just the bad spots?

Whatever the moisture testing shows. If the damage is isolated, we remediate those areas. If it's widespread, a full remediation is the lasting fix. We don't tear off more than the wall needs.

Will you fix the water damage behind the stucco, or just re-coat it?

We fix what's behind it. Re-coating over rotted sheathing just hides the problem while it gets worse. Remediation repairs the structure and rebuilds the drainage so the wall actually stops taking on water.

Do you inspect and moisture-test before quoting?

Yes. We meter and probe the walls before we scope anything, so the estimate matches the real condition of your stucco instead of a guess from the curb.

Stucco Remediation in Philadelphia

Q: What is stucco remediation?

Remediation is the full fix for failing stucco. Instead of patching the surface, we remove the stucco, repair the water-damaged wood underneath, correct the flashing and drainage that caused the failure, and re-clad the wall. It solves the cause, not just the symptom.

Stucco doesn't just fail on the surface. By the time you see cracks and stains, water has usually been getting behind the stucco for years, rotting the sheathing and framing underneath. APS Masonry does stucco remediation across Philadelphia, Bucks County, and Montgomery County: we remove the failed stucco, fix the water damage behind it, correct the flashing and drainage that caused it, and re-clad so it doesn't happen again. Licensed and insured since 2017 (PA #139378).

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Failed stucco removed to expose water-damaged sheathing on a Philadelphia home

Remediation vs. Repair: What's the Difference?

This is the difference that saves you from paying twice. Stucco repair patches the surface, filling cracks and re-coating, and that's fine when the problem is truly cosmetic. Stucco remediation is the real fix: we take the stucco off, repair the water-damaged wood underneath, correct the flashing and drainage that let water in, and re-clad the wall. If your stucco is failing because of trapped moisture, a repair just hides it while the damage keeps going. We test first so you're not paying for a patch when you need a remediation, or a remediation when a repair will do.

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Re-clad wall with new flashing after stucco remediation in Philadelphia

Our Philadelphia Stucco Remediation Services

Full Stucco Remediation

For homes with widespread moisture damage, we remove the stucco down to the sheathing, repair the structure, rebuild the drainage and flashing, and re-clad the wall.

Targeted Stucco Repair

When testing shows the damage is isolated, we remediate the affected areas instead of the whole house.

Moisture Testing & Inspection

We probe and meter the walls, especially around windows, rooflines, and penetrations, to find where water is getting in and how far it's spread.

Window & Flashing Correction

Most stucco failures trace back to windows and flashing. We reset the flashing, kickouts, and window details so the wall drains the way it should.

Signs Your Stucco Has Failed

Failed stucco hides its worst damage inside the wall. From outside, watch for:

Cracks, especially stair-step cracks and cracks radiating from window corners
Dark staining or streaks running down from windows, trim, or the roofline
Soft, spongy, or hollow-sounding spots when you press or tap the stucco
Bubbling paint, damp drywall, or a musty smell on the inside of exterior walls
Rotted or soft window sills, trim, or the bottom edges of the wall
Missing or wrong flashing where a roof meets a wall (no kickout flashing)

Why Stucco Fails on Philadelphia-Area Homes

A lot of homes built around here in the 1990s and 2000s went up with hard-coat stucco or EIFS applied right over the sheathing, with no drainage plane behind it and missing flashing at the worst spots. Stucco is not waterproof. Water always gets behind it, and without a gap and a path to drain out, it soaks into the wood and stays there. Add Philadelphia's rain and freeze-thaw, and the sheathing rots from the inside out while the surface still looks fine. That's why remediation, done right, rebuilds the drainage instead of just re-coating the wall.

Our Stucco Remediation Process

Moisture Inspection

We meter and probe the walls to map where water is getting in and how far it has traveled, then put the findings and scope in writing.

Tear-Off

We remove the failed stucco down to the sheathing so we can see and fix what's underneath.

Structural Repair

We replace rotted sheathing and framing so the wall is sound before anything goes back on.

Flashing & Drainage

We install proper flashing, kickouts, and a drainage plane so water that gets behind the wall has a way out.

Re-Cladding

We re-clad in stucco or the finish you choose, detailed to shed water and last.

Why Philadelphia Homeowners Choose APS

We're a local crew, licensed, and we've been doing stucco and masonry work across Philadelphia since 2017 out of our shop in Huntingdon Valley.

Licensed and insured, PA #139378
Home Advisor Top Rated, Screened & Approved
We test and inspect before we quote, so you fix the real problem
We rebuild the flashing and drainage, not just the surface
Free, written estimates with a clear scope

Before you call, see the work. Browse recent stucco jobs in our gallery and read our Google reviews. We'd rather you hire us because you've seen what we do.

Stucco work often ties into bigger exterior repairs. See our Philadelphia masonry services and exterior renovation.

Areas We Serve

We handle stucco remediation across Philadelphia, Bucks County, and Montgomery County, including Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, Manayunk, Roxborough, Germantown, South Philly, Glenside, Jenkintown, Cheltenham, Gladwyne, Ambler, and Huntingdon Valley.

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