What’s in these numbers

Each total is a typical repair, priced the way a contractor’s estimate is priced:

  • A patch or two: a hole, a dent or a cracked seam patched and finished, ready for paint. Small repairs come in at the drywall trade’s minimum charge, which covers getting set up for the job.
  • A wall section or a room’s walls: 1/2 inch drywall torn out and replaced, hung, taped and finished, ready for paint.
  • Overhead and profit: 20%, the standard markup on a contractor’s estimate.
  • Sales tax on the materials, at the state’s average rate.

Not in them: paint, matching a wall texture, moving outlets, insulation behind the wall, and the cause of the damage, such as a leak.

Patch or replace

  • Patch small holes, dents, popped nails and cracked seams.
  • Replace a section when the damage is bigger than a patch, the drywall is soft from water, or it’s cracked across the board. Moldy drywall comes out under containment first; the mold remediation cost guide prices it.
  • After water, wet drywall is often cut out a couple of feet up the wall and the wall dried before it’s replaced; the water damage restoration guide covers the drying.

Common questions

How much does it cost to patch drywall?

About $450 to $775 for a patch or two, typically $600, at the minimum charge, before paint.

How much to replace a section of drywall?

About $550 to $875 for an 8 by 12 foot wall section, 96 square feet, typically $675.

How much to redo a room’s walls?

About $1,400 to $2,100 for the walls of a 12 by 12 room with 8 foot ceilings, 384 square feet. The drywall cost guide prices new drywall by the square foot.

Why does one patch cost as much as two?

A small repair is priced at the trade’s minimum charge, which covers getting set up for the job whatever the size of the patch.