A stucco inspection report tells a buyer or owner what kind of cement or foam-based skin is on the house, where water could be getting behind it, and whether any testing was done to find out. This template identifies the cladding first, then walks the walls one elevation at a time, looks hard at windows and doors, and records moisture readings with their method only when a scan or probe was actually done. You can fill it in here and download a finished PDF without creating an account.
Hard-coat stucco or EIFS — find out first
Traditional stucco is a hard cement plaster on lath, often in three coats, and it tolerates some water because it can dry out. EIFS — exterior insulation and finish system — is a thin finish over foam board. Older barrier EIFS has no way to drain water that gets behind it, which is why it earned its reputation; newer drainage EIFS has a channel behind the foam.
From the curb they look alike. Tap the wall: hard-coat sounds solid, foam sounds hollow and gives a little under a firm thumb. Look where the cladding ends at the bottom, around a damaged spot, or at a cut-out for a light — foam shows. Record how you identified it, because everything else in the report is read in that light.
One elevation at a time
Water damage behind stucco follows the water: below windows, beside roof-to-wall joints, under decks fastened through the wall, at the base where the wall meets soil or paving. Walking each face of the house in turn — front, one side, back, the other side — and recording the same items on each makes the pattern obvious, and the report shows the buyer exactly which wall needs attention.
Visual survey or moisture testing
A home inspection looks at the cladding without touching it. Moisture testing is a separate service. Non-invasive scanners and infrared cameras show where a wall is behaving differently, but they do not measure the sheathing. Invasive probing drills small holes, usually below windows and at other likely spots, and reads the moisture in the wood behind; the holes are sealed afterwards, and it needs the owner's written permission.
The form asks which you did. Choose visual only and the readings table never appears, so a visual report cannot be mistaken for a tested one. When readings are recorded, each one carries its method, because a surface scanner score and a probe reading are not the same kind of number.
Telling the client what it means
A crack or a stain is a symptom; a high probe reading under a window is evidence. Keep the two apart in the summary. Where the visual survey raises concern and no testing was done, the honest recommendation is testing by a stucco specialist before closing — not an estimate of hidden damage nobody has measured.
Common questions
What should a stucco inspection report include?
The cladding type and how it was identified, the scope (visual, scanned or probed), a survey of each elevation — cracks, staining, bulges, sealant, bottom terminations, kick-out flashing — window and door perimeters, moisture readings with location and method if any were taken, the limitations, and clear recommendations.
Does a home inspection include stucco probe testing?
No. A home inspection describes the wall covering and reports what it can see. Probe testing drills into the wall and needs the owner's permission and the right meter, so it is ordered separately, usually from a stucco testing specialist.
How do I tell EIFS from traditional stucco?
Tap it — foam sounds hollow and feels soft under a firm press, hard-coat sounds solid. Look at the bottom edge, at penetrations and at any damaged spot for foam board. Builder records or a disclosure may settle it. If you cannot tell, say so: the form has a "Could not determine" answer.
What moisture reading is too high behind stucco?
Probe meters reading wood moisture content are commonly read as dry in the low teens or below, elevated in the high teens, and wet enough to support decay from about 20 percent and up. Compare against a reading from a dry reference spot on the same house, and record the meter and scale with each reading.
Can I use this report for EIFS as well as stucco?
Yes. Choose the cladding type at the top; the elevation survey, perimeter checks and readings work the same for both, and the hints point out where EIFS differs.