Hail pocks and flicker holes, explained as a process: document the damage, get a written scope, repair, then match the finish. Independent Calgary stucco contractors quote you directly.
Hail pocks and the holes northern flickers drill are two kinds of sudden damage a Calgary stucco wall can take. Sandstone Stucco Co is an advertising service that puts Calgary homeowners in touch with independent stucco contractors, who inspect the wall, write the scope and quote you directly. This page explains how each type of damage is assessed and repaired.
The two problems are handled differently. Hail is usually an insurance question first and a repair question second, so photos and a contractor's written scope matter. Flicker holes are a repair-plus-deterrence job with a federal bird-protection rule attached. This page is an advertisement: Sandstone Stucco Co is paid by contractors, and the contractor who quotes your job holds the contract, not this site. For general repairs, see stucco repair in Calgary.
An independent contractor inspects the wall and writes a repair scope by area. You can give that written estimate to your insurer.
IBC advises assessing and documenting hail damage, and says photos help. Photograph each elevation before any cleanup.
A patch with reinforcement, matched to the surrounding finish, on cement stucco or foam-backed EIFS walls.
Flickers are federally protected. Covering the area with wire mesh and using non-harmful scare devices are the routes the federal guidance allows.
Imasco, a finish maker, says colour can vary with weather, texture and application, and advises one batch number per job. One Calgary firm says some aged finishes cannot be matched perfectly.
Contractors quote and contract directly with you. This site does no stucco work and does not handle insurance claims.
The City of Calgary describes Calgary as sitting in 'hail alley' and says all communities within Calgary are equally exposed to hail. It also says stucco will hold up well to flying debris in moderate wind and hail, but severe storms can cause damage. Two recent storms show the scale. The 13 June 2020 storm was put at almost $1.2 billion in insurance losses in IBC's first estimate, and Environment and Climate Change Canada later cited about $1.3 billion across 63,000 claims. The 5 Aug 2024 storm reached CAD 3.349 billion in CatIQ's final estimate, with more than 130,000 claims and nearly 60,000 homes affected, according to IBC.
On a stucco wall, hail leaves a recognizable set of marks. A contractor looks for dimples and small craters in the finish, chips where the finish has broken away, and hairline fractures running out from an impact point. Martini Stone Masonry, a Calgary contractor, describes golf-ball-sized hail as leaving 2-5 mm indentations that break the moisture barrier. Treat that as the firm's own claim, not a test result. Whether a mark stops in the finish or reaches the base coat is something the contractor confirms on the wall.
How the wall is built changes the scope. One Calgary contractor, Calgary Parging, said in 2024 that cement stucco with an acrylic finish is its main product on over 87% of residential properties (its own job mix, not a city survey). Traditional three-coat stucco is specified by manufacturer Imasco at a combined thickness of 19 mm, and foam-backed EIFS is a different build again. A good scope names your system before it names a fix, and it explains when refinishing a whole elevation makes more sense than chasing individual patches, as covered under re-stucco in Calgary.
IBC advises documenting hail damage, and photos help. A contractor's written scope is then the document you compare between bidders. Alberta.ca advises a written contract, written estimates from more than one business, and confirming that the contractor and tradespeople have Workers' Compensation Board coverage. The City of Calgary says contractors are required to have a valid City business licence, which you can confirm by calling 311. Ask each contractor to put the following on paper.
For scale, Calgary Parging publishes small patch repairs (chips, cracks, colour match) at $550 to $1,125 ex GST, medium repairs of two or three areas at $1,250 to $2,650 ex GST, and a minimum service call of $550 to $690 ex GST. On that firm's list, scaffolding for upper-storey or peaked sections typically adds $4,000 to $12,900 ex GST, and colour matching adds $230 to $575 ex GST. These are one firm's published figures, not a Calgary average; the contractor who quotes your job sets its own price after seeing the wall. More detail is on the stucco repair cost in Calgary page.
IBC says damage from hail and wind is typically covered by home insurance policies, so check your own policy. Its steps, once it is safe, are to assess and document the damage, call your insurance representative or claims department to report it, assemble proofs of purchase, photos, receipts and warranties if possible, keep detailed notes, and keep all cleanup receipts. The City of Calgary adds that before you do any repair work, you should contact your home insurance provider.
After you report, the insurer assigns an adjuster, who may ask for a Proof of Loss form. A written repair estimate from a stucco contractor is a document you may give to your insurer, and photos of each elevation taken before cleanup make it easier to tie the estimate to the damage. IBC's consumer line is 1-844-227-5422.
This site explains the process only. It does not file, manage or negotiate claims, does not deal with your adjuster, and cannot say whether a claim will be approved. Under Alberta's Insurance Act, acting or offering to act as an adjuster for pay requires an adjuster's certificate of authority, and this site holds none. The contractor who quotes your job writes a repair scope; the settlement stays between you and your insurer.
Northern flickers are woodpeckers, and they are protected under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 and the Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022. Without a federal permit, you must not capture, kill, injure or harass a flicker, and you must not disturb an egg or a nest holding a live bird or viable egg. So repair starts with confirming a hole is not in use, and a contractor should not patch over one that is. An empty hole can be repaired.
Why do they drill stucco? Calgary Parging says flickers work Calgary stucco hard, especially on west and south elevations in spring. It adds that EIFS attracts them because the foam behind the finish is much softer than concrete and gives the hollow resonance birds associate with insects. Both are one contractor's observations, not a city survey.
A flicker repair is normally a patch with reinforcement rather than a simple fill. Calgary Parging quotes a typical single-woodpecker patch plus reinforcement at $600 to $800, and its 2024 price list separates $600 on the first storey from $800 on the second storey and up. Martini Stone Masonry lists $250 to $350 per hole on EIFS, depending on height and access. GST is not stated on either page, so ask each contractor to state it in the quote.
Deterrence is the part that stops a repeat. Environment and Climate Change Canada's guidance says measures may be taken to discourage a bird, as long as they do not disturb or harm it, such as covering the area with a tarp or wire mesh. The Regulations also allow equipment other than aircraft or firearms to scare migratory birds causing, or likely to cause, damage to agricultural, environmental or other interests. Anything beyond that, including removing a bird, needs a federal permit, and the stucco repair is best done after nesting ends. See stucco repair in Calgary for the wider repair process.
IBC says damage caused by hail and wind is typically covered by home insurance policies, but it does not name stucco, so check your own policy. Call your insurer before any repair work, as the City of Calgary advises. The 5 Aug 2024 storm produced more than 130,000 claims and a final CatIQ industry loss of CAD 3.349 billion. This site explains the process only and does not file or negotiate claims.
Calgary Parging quotes a typical single-woodpecker patch plus reinforcement at $600 to $800, and its 2024 list has $600 for the first storey and $800 for the second storey and up. Martini Stone Masonry lists $250 to $350 per hole on EIFS, including its own warranty. GST is not stated on either page. The contractor who quotes your job sets the price after seeing the wall.
Not by harming it. Flickers are protected under the Migratory Birds Regulations, 2022, which bar capturing, killing, injuring or harassing a migratory bird without a permit. Covering the area with wire mesh and using non-harmful scare devices are allowed. Leave any hole with eggs or chicks alone, and repair it after nesting ends.
Imasco's guide specification for traditional stucco says to do no stucco work below 4°C for 24 hours before, during and after application, and ADEX base coat bulletins require 5°C for at least 24 hours. Calgary Parging gives April through October as the season and says off-season repairs need heated hoarding. Winter is still a good time to photograph the damage, call your insurer and collect written scopes from more than one contractor.
The City of Calgary says most repair or replacement work does not need a development or building permit. Siding in a different material needs a building permit, and larger or smaller windows or doors need development and building permits. Call 311 to confirm the rules for your project before work starts.
No-obligation quotes from independent Calgary stucco contractors.
