Stucco gets sold as low maintenance. That is fair. It is not the same as no maintenance.
The gap between those two ideas is where most expensive stucco problems start.
Walk the walls once a year
Pick a day in early spring, after the freeze and thaw season. Walk the full perimeter of the house and look at the wall, not the yard.
You are looking for cracks wider than a credit card edge, chips, soft spots, and staining. Take photos. Next year you will want something to compare against.
Pay attention to the bottom of the wall
The bottom edge of stucco has a metal piece called a weep screed. It lets water that gets behind the wall drain out.
It only works if it is clear. Mulch piled against the wall blocks it. So does a raised flower bed or a new patio poured too high. Keep several inches of clearance between soil and the bottom of the stucco.
Watch the roof edges
Where a roof line ends against a wall, there should be a small piece of flashing that kicks water away from the stucco. It is called kickout flashing and it is missing on a surprising number of houses.
If you see a dark vertical stain running down a wall from a roof edge, that is the sign. Anyone can compare their own house against published stucco detail drawings that show how these junctions are supposed to be built.
Clean it gently
Dirt and algae come off with a garden hose, a soft brush, and mild soap. That is usually enough.
Skip the pressure washer. High pressure drives water into cracks and can strip the finish coat off older walls. If you must use one, keep it under low pressure and stay well back.
Seal cracks before winter, not after
Water in a hairline crack freezes and expands. Every freeze makes the crack a little wider. Sealing in fall costs almost nothing. Waiting until spring means you get to watch it grow all winter.
When to call someone
Hollow sound, bulges, rust bleeding through, or cracks that keep reopening are not maintenance items. Those need a look behind the wall.
Homeowners who schedule stucco maintenance services on a regular cycle tend to catch these while they are still repairs. The ones who wait for something obvious usually end up replacing a wall instead of patching one.
Recoating buys you time
An elastomeric or acrylic finish coat can be applied over sound stucco. It bridges hairline cracks and refreshes the color.
It is not a repair. Coating over a wall with moisture behind it makes drying harder, not easier. Confirm the wall is dry before anyone puts a coating on it.
Keep a simple record
Photos from each yearly walk. Dates of any repairs. Notes on where you sealed cracks.
This takes ten minutes and it pays off twice. It shows you whether a crack is growing or stable, and it gives a buyer confidence when you eventually sell.