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Carpenter Next Door

Drywall repair

A pro patches holes and cracks in drywall and sands them smooth for paint.

Half a day, often across two visits on siteLead-safe work if the home is pre-1978

What this job involves

Small holes get a patch and a few coats of joint compound. Bigger holes get a new piece of drywall screwed to backing, then taped and mudded. Each coat has to dry, so this takes two or three short visits or one long day with a fast setting mud. The pro sands the patch flush and primes it. Water stains mean a leak, and the pro will check that the source is fixed before patching.

What to have ready

  • Photos of each spot with something for scale, like a hand
  • How many spots and which rooms
  • Whether the wall is smooth or textured
  • The paint color or a leftover can, if you want it painted

What a fair price looks like

Most homeowners in our area pay between $150 and $450 for this job. Labor and patch materials for a few spots. Painting the patch is included if you have the paint. Homes built before 1978 may need lead safe practices.

This is a range to help you judge a quote, not a quote. The pro you are matched with gives you their own price, in writing for anything over $1,000, and you pay them directly. We charge the pro a small flat fee only after the job is done. We never ask you for payment.

What a good pro will ask you first

  • How big are the holes?
  • Is the wall textured?
  • Is the damage from water, and is the leak fixed?
  • Do you have matching paint?

People often add

Walls, ceilings, and paintPatch and textureA pro repairs a textured wall or ceiling and blends the new texture so the patch disappears.Half a day, often across two visitsWalls, ceilings, and paintInterior painting by roomA pro preps, cuts in, and rolls one or more rooms with two coats of paint.One day per roomWalls, ceilings, and paintSkim coat wallsA pro spreads thin coats of joint compound over a whole wall to make it smooth.Two to three days per room