If you own a home long enough, something is bound to dent, crack, or punch a hole in your drywall. Doorknobs get blamed the most, but we’ve also seen damage from furniture, foundation settling, and plain old moisture. The price range for drywall repairs is wide—$150 to $2,000.
We had a contractor out to our Northern Indiana home last November to fix several spots that had been bugging us. The list included dents from furniture, a few cracked corner beads, screw pops throughout the hallway, and one hole my 3-year-old created. She bumped her head on the wall and then picked at the resulting dent for weeks until it became a real problem. Our total was $350—not bad for the amount of work involved.
This guide covers drywall repair costs by damage type, compares DIY and professional work, and offers financing options when the bill gets bigger than you planned.
Costs in this article are sourced from contractor estimates via Angi.
Table of Contents
Drywall repair cost at a glance
| Repair type | Typical cost range |
| Small holes (under 4 inches) | $50 – $200 |
| Medium holes and cracks | $150 – $400 |
| Large holes or multiple areas | $400 – $900 |
| Ceiling repairs | $200 – $1,300 |
| Water damage repairs | Up – $1,550 |
| National average | $600 |
How much does drywall repair cost?
Expect to pay $150 to $2,000 for professional drywall repair. The national average hovers around $600, though your rate depends on the scope of the job. Your contractor will either quote per square foot ($50 to $100) or per hour ($50 to $100)—ask which method they use before work starts.
What really moves the needle is the damage itself. Where it is on your wall or ceiling matters, too. A doorknob hole in a hallway is a quick fix compared to water damage creeping across a bathroom ceiling.
Our November 2025 repair addressed a bunch of damage types at once—dents, corner-bead cracks, screw pops, and one toddler-excavated hole. We would’ve paid more than $350, but our contractor spotted the sealed paint cans we’d kept in the garage from the 2022 build. No need to buy or color-match anything new.
Cost by type of damage
That doorknob hole in your hallway? Probably $50 to $200 for a pro to fix, as long as it’s under 4 inches. Furniture dings and settling cracks are a step up—$150 to $400.
Bigger jobs add up fast. If you have large holes or damage spread across multiple areas, expect to pay $400 to $900. Ceiling repairs are their own beast, ranging from $200 to $1,300, because it’s much harder to work overhead. Your contractor needs ladders, maybe scaffolding, and everything just takes longer when you’re working above your head.
Water damage is where bills really climb, up to $1,550. The soaked drywall has to come out, then the contractor checks for mold and pulls any wet insulation before new material goes in. If mold does show up? That’s a separate mold inspection before the drywall work can even start.
Cost by pricing method
Contractors price drywall work in several ways. Some charge $50 to $100 per square foot. Others bill $50 to $100 per hour.
Here’s what trips people up: the minimum service charge. A lot of contractors charge $100 to $200 just to show up. A repair that should cost $75 in labor ends up at $175 once you add the trip charge. Some contractors tack on a cleanup fee of up to $200 for bigger jobs, too.
Additional costs to consider
Paint is the expense people forget to budget for. A quart runs $15 to $25 if you’re rolling it on yourself, or $20 to $50 for a full gallon. Bringing in a painter adds $50 to $150 per hour to the drywall bill.
Got textured walls? Matching finishes like orange peel or knockdown cost about $1 to $2 per square foot. And if the damage happened near wiring, you may need an electrician at $50 to $100 per hour to check things out before the drywall goes back up.
Mold makes everything more expensive. Getting rid of it costs $400 to $7,000, and sometimes more if it’s spread behind multiple walls. The CDC’s mold cleanup guidelines are worth a read before you agree to any remediation plan.
On the paint front—dig through your garage before buying new cans. Our leftover cans from the 2022 build were still good three years later, which saved us at least $20 to $50.
DIY vs. hiring a professional
A few dents and nail pops? Grab a putty knife and some spackle—those are easy weekend fixes. Once you’re dealing with ceiling damage, water issues, or mold, hand it off to someone who does this for a living.
I’ve patched nail pops and small dents myself plenty of times. But for our November 2025 repairs, which included corner bead cracks and my daughter’s expanding damage, I called a pro. The texture matching alone made it worth every dollar of that $350.
When to DIY
Small holes, tiny cracks, and a few nail pops are Saturday afternoon fixes. A repair kit runs $10 to $30—patch, putty knife, spackle, and sandpaper all in one box.
If you’d rather pick your own materials, expect to spend about $50 on drywall, spackle, sandpaper, and screws. The tradeoff is worth it: less money out the door, and you fix things when it’s convenient. Just be honest about the finish—mud and tape take practice to get right.
When to hire a professional
Water damage or mold? Don’t try that yourself. The EPA recommends professional help once mold spreads past about 10 square feet. Ceiling repairs, large holes, anything structural, and texture work in rooms where people will notice—all pro jobs.
Corner bead is another one I’d leave to someone with experience. I watched our contractor feather those joints until they vanished, and I know I couldn’t pull that off. Once you notice a bad blend, you can’t un-see it.
One more thing—homes built before 1978 may have lead paint hiding under newer coats. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program states that only certified contractors can disturb lead-based paint.
As for what you’ll pay: handyperson rates sit around $50 per hour, while a licensed drywall contractor will bill closer to $100.
How to find a reputable contractor
Collect two to three written estimates before you commit to anyone. Check that each contractor has the proper license and insurance for your state, and actually call their references—don’t just skim them.
Don’t pay everything upfront, either. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends avoiding home improvement scams by paying in stages and getting all work details in writing before the project starts.
How to pay for drywall repairs
Under $200? Pay from savings or put it on a credit card you’ll zero out that month. Between $200 and $1,000, you might set aside money from a couple of paychecks or look into a small personal loan. Past that—especially when the drywall work is wrapped into a bigger renovation—financing through your home’s equity starts to make more sense.
For our $350 repair, we paid out of pocket. But if we’d been dealing with water damage on top of the drywall work—where costs can spiral past $2,000 fast — I might have looked into one of these options.
Home improvement loans
Unsecured personal loans designed for home projects work well for repairs in the $1,000 to $10,000 range. You don’t need home equity to qualify, and funds are often available within a few business days. Home improvement loans let you cover repair costs without putting your property on the line.
RenoFi focuses specifically on renovation lending. Its angle is underwriting based on your home’s after-renovation value rather than its current appraisal, so loan amounts can be higher. Useful if the drywall work is just one line item in a larger remodel.
Home equity loans
If you know the total repair bill upfront, a home equity loan might be a good fit. You borrow a fixed-rate lump sum against the equity you’ve built, then repay on a set schedule.
LendingTree is useful here—you can compare offers from several lenders at once instead of calling around. Most lenders want 15% to 20% equity before they’ll approve you.
Home equity lines of credit (HELOCs)
Not sure yet what the full bill will be? A home equity line of credit works well for phased spending—fix one room now, tackle the basement next month, draw funds as each bill comes in.
HELOCs usually carry variable interest rates, though some lenders now offer fixed-rate options. LendingTree also provides HELOC comparisons to help you shop rates across multiple lenders.
Home equity agreements
For homeowners with credit scores below 700, a home equity agreement can be a stronger option than traditional equity products. You sell a portion of your future equity in exchange for cash now, with no monthly payments. You repay when you sell the home or at the end of the agreement term.
Hometap works on this model—lump sum upfront, and you settle up when you eventually sell or refinance.
FAQ
Does homeowners’ insurance cover drywall repair?
It depends on what caused the damage. A burst pipe or storm damage? Your policy will likely cover that. But if the damage built up slowly from a long-term leak or general neglect, most insurers won’t pay. Check your policy before scheduling any work, and file any claims before repairs begin—not after.
How long does drywall repair take?
Figure an hour or two for a small patch, then give it a day to dry before you sand and paint. Bigger repairs? Block out half a day to a full day for the labor alone. Water damage with mold? Could be days or weeks, especially once the contractor starts opening up the wall.
Can I paint over repaired drywall right away?
Not yet. The joint compound needs 24 to 48 hours to dry before you can sand it smooth. Then, prime the patch—I learned the hard way that skipping primer makes the repair visible, no matter how close your paint color is.
How do I know if drywall damage is serious?
Press on suspicious areas. Anything that gives or feels soft probably has water behind it. Cracks near doors and windows that keep showing up after you patch them? That’s often the foundation shifting. Don’t just slap mud over it—get a pro in to tell you what’s actually going on.
Article sources
At LendEDU, our writers and editors rely on primary sources, such as government data and websites, industry reports and whitepapers, and interviews with experts and company representatives. We also reference reputable company websites and research from established publishers. This approach allows us to produce content that is accurate, unbiased, and supported by reliable evidence. Read more about our editorial standards.
- Angi, How Much Does Drywall Repair Cost? [2026 Data]
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Mold Cleanup in Your Home
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program
- Federal Trade Commission, How to Avoid a Home Improvement Scam
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mold Clean Up Guidelines and Recommendations
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About our contributors
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Written by Jonathon JachuraJon Jachura is a home improvement enthusiast and engineer with more than a decade of experience in HVAC systems and hands-on home projects. He enjoys helping homeowners understand, plan, and budget for upgrades that make their homes more comfortable and efficient.
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Edited by Amanda HankelAmanda Hankel is a managing editor at LendEDU. She has more than seven years of experience covering various finance-related topics and has worked for more than 15 years overall in writing, editing, and publishing.