Stucco is not one material. The three systems we install daily have different strengths, and choosing between them is most of the design conversation. Here is the honest tour.
Traditional cement stucco
Three coats over lath: scratch, brown, and finish, roughly an inch of real masonry. It is the most impact-resistant option, the right answer for matching older homes, and the foundation of Southern California's Spanish and Mediterranean look. It will hairline crack as it ages; that is character, and a re-coat resets it.
Acrylic color-through finishes
A polymer finish coat, usually over a cement base or as a re-coat on existing stucco. Huge color range, flexible enough to bridge hairlines, fade-resistant for decades. This is our default recommendation for re-coats and for owners tired of repainting.
EIFS: insulation plus finish
Foam insulation board, reinforced base coat, acrylic finish. The building wears a thermal blanket, which is why energy-conscious commercial projects specify it. Modern drainage EIFS handled the moisture problems of older systems, but installer quality is everything with EIFS.
Which one is yours?
Matching an existing home: traditional. Refreshing a tired exterior: acrylic re-coat. New commercial construction with energy targets: EIFS. Unsure: that is what the free estimate is for, and we install all three, so we have no favorite to sell you.