Stress in thin films is a critical issue that affects the performance and lifetime of coatings. Multiple parameters have been shown to affect the stress evolution, including the growth rate, temperature, grain size and gas pressure. In addition, the deposition method (e.g., evaporation, electrodeposition, sputtering) is known to have an influence. To develop a unified picture of the processes controlling stress, a kinetic model has been developed that includes the role of different processing parameters and the microstructural evolution. Results are shown from applying the model to numerous published results for transition metals deposited by different methods. Trends in the fitting parameters are discussed in terms of the values expected from the physical mechanisms included in the model.