It is common knowledge that a lot of people are resistant to change. However, refusing to change or adapt may force a worse alternative. Some plastering contractors do not like one-coat stucco. One-coat stucco was born out of the 1970 energy crisis. Codes increased the R-value for homes requiring builders to use 2x6 framing. The added cavity space allowed for more batt insulation to meet the new code. Stucco manufacturers responded with a one-coat stucco system over 1-inch rigid foam so builders could stay with 2x4s. Most plastering contractors resisted the new stucco—I know I did. We liked three-coat.
One re-occurring issue was having a builder call to request a re-bid on his project for one-coat stucco. The builder was led to believe one-coat was cheaper than three-coat and could save him money. The explanations were that there was no real savings. It seemed counter-intuitive and led them to distrust me as a contractor. After all, no scratch coat, shorter scaffold rental and less masking all had to result in a lower price, right? Not really and here is why.