The building's raincoat, brick veneer, stucco, EIFS (synthetic stucco), vinyl, or wood siding. Cladding failures are water-intrusion findings wearing a costume: what starts as a failed mortar joint or a cracked stucco panel ends up in the basement or inside the wall assembly.
Repointing $10 to $25/sq ft; spalling repairs $500 to $8,000+; stucco repair $8 to $20/sq ftAddress soonExteriorStructure
The ten second check
What else is typical in a house this age?
You are reading the exterior cladding page. Type the year the house was built and I will tell you what else tends to be true at that age, what it costs, and what to ask. One number, ten seconds.
Free. No account. Educational and impartial, not a home inspection.
Why it matters
Face-sealed stucco and EIFS are the material family at the heart of BC's "leaky condo" crisis, CMHC's 1996 survey of building-envelope failures in coastal BC found exterior moisture (mainly wind-driven rain) initiated about 90% of the failures studied, with stucco assemblies dominating the problem walls. The fix was rainscreen construction; pre-2000 face-sealed walls in coastal BC deserve real scrutiny. In the GTA, the freeze-thaw equivalents are spalling brick (faces popping off), failed mortar, and rusted steel lintels over windows.
How to spot it
On brick: popped or flaking brick faces (especially near grade), powdery mortar joints, bulging veneer sections, rust staining at the lintels over windows and doors, sealed-over weep holes at the base course. On stucco/EIFS: staining or rust streaks below windows, cracked or patched panels, caulk-heavy joints, stucco running down into the soil. On any wall: one freshly painted patch on an otherwise weathered elevation is the exterior version of the stain cover-up.
What it costs
GTA masonry: repointing $10 to $25/sq ft; spalled-brick replacement $25 to $60 per brick (small sections $500 to $1,500, large areas $3,000 to $8,000+); stucco repair $8 to $20/sq ft. A full EIFS re-clad on a two-storey home is a $44,000 to $70,000 project, which is why systemic failure is a High flag.
What to do
Address soon when localized, small masonry fixes deferred become rebuilds. In BC, ask the era and whether walls were rainscreened; systemic EIFS problems need a building-envelope professional, not a painter.
Education and triage, not a home inspection. Casaroo reads the elevation photos for the tells; a mason or building-envelope specialist confirms what's behind them.
Common questions
Is stucco or EIFS a reason to be cautious in BC?
Pre-2000 face-sealed stucco and EIFS walls in coastal BC deserve real scrutiny, because that material family sat at the centre of the leaky condo crisis. Ask the construction era and whether the walls were rainscreened, and bring in a building-envelope professional rather than a painter if the answer is unclear.
What is spalling brick and how serious is it?
It is brick faces popping off, driven by freeze-thaw once water gets into the masonry. Small sections are a modest repair and large areas run into the thousands. GTA masonry pricing: Repointing $10 to $25/sq ft; spalling repairs $500 to $8,000+; stucco repair $8 to $20/sq ft. Deferred, small masonry fixes turn into rebuilds.
Why does one freshly painted patch matter?
Because on an otherwise weathered elevation, it is the exterior version of the fresh paint over a water stain. It may be nothing. It is still the first place to point a professional.
Who should look at cladding, a general contractor or a specialist?
A general contractor only reads the surface. Systemic stucco or EIFS problems, and anything that looks like water is getting into the wall assembly, need a mason or a building-envelope specialist, because the failure is behind what anyone can see.
Last reviewed 2026-07-10.
This guide is general education, not a home inspection and not advice for your specific property. Always
consult the appropriate licensed professional, and get a licensed home inspection before you remove conditions
or buy. Cost ranges are 2026 estimates that vary by region, size, and access; confirm specifics with a
qualified professional.