Drywall Repair Cost: By Damage Type and Room (3 References)

Drywall repair costs $200 to $550 for a typical job, with Fixr’s national average at $350³ and Angi’s at $613 across 36,945 verified projects (most pay $296 to $930).¹ The catch: most contractors charge a $350 to $650 minimum job fee, so a single small hole can cost more than a multi-room fix.² A DIY repair kit handles the smallest holes for $10 to $30.¹ Prices below are national averages* for 2026.

*National averages, not local quotes. Your price depends on damage type and size, location on the wall or ceiling, and how you bundle the work.

$613

average repair, Angi (36,945 projects)

$350

average job, Fixr

$350 – $650

contractor minimum fee, HomeGuide

$10 – $30

DIY repair kit, Angi

Quick math: per-square-foot pricing flips with scale. On a small patch, Fixr charges $60 to $80 per square foot — a 2 sq. ft. patch = $120 to $160, matching its own table.³ On sheet-replacement jobs, HomeGuide’s rate drops to $3 to $8 per square foot — a 100 sq. ft. wall section = $300 to $800.² Same metric, 10x apart, because small jobs carry the setup cost.

Cost by damage type

Damage type	Angi	Fixr	HomeGuide (with min. fee)
Small holes (under 4 in.)	$20 – $120	$60 – $200	$300 – $500
Large holes (5 in.+)	$50 – $200	—	$500 – $800+
Cracks	$60 – $400	$60 – $330	$350 – $1,000+
Dents	$20 – $150	—	—
Tears	$20 – $120	$95 – $300	—
Joints and seams	$40 – $200	$120 – $360	—
Nail pop	$10 – $60	$75 – $140	—
Ceiling	$220 – $1,300	$400 – $1,000 (vaulted)	$350 – $1,500+
Water damage	$600 – $1,550	$400 – $800	—

The three sources disagree most on the smallest jobs, and the reason is the minimum job fee: HomeGuide builds the $350 to $650 call-out minimum into its figures² while Angi and Fixr price the damage itself.¹³ Read the small-hole row as “$20 to $200 of work, plus whatever it costs to get a pro to your door.”

Cost per room (whole-house sweeps)

Rooms	Cost (Fixr, labor included)
1 room	$75 – $300
2 rooms	$150 – $600
3 rooms	$225 – $900
4 rooms	$300 – $1,200
5 rooms	$375 – $1,500
Entire house	$450 – $2,000

Bundling is the single biggest lever on small repairs: one visit for three rooms runs $225 to $900³ versus $1,050 to $1,950 for three separate minimum-fee visits² — our arithmetic, and the reason pros tell you to save up a list.

Labor and materials

Labor is 50 to 70% of the bill.² Handypeople charge $50 to $80 an hour² (Angi says about $60)¹; drywall contractors run $60 to $150² (Fixr’s typical band is $70 to $80, up to $100 for complex water damage).³ Materials are cheap by comparison: patches $7 to $10, joint compound $5 to $10, a full DIY kit $10 to $30, a new drywall sheet $10 to $25, and paint $15 to $55 a gallon.¹ Extras that sneak onto quotes: retexturing at $0.80 to $2 per square foot², repainting at $2 to $8 per square foot², debris removal around $200 on bigger jobs¹, and paint matching from $125.²

Worked examples

Example 1 — one doorknob hole. The work itself: $20 to $120 (Angi) or $60 to $200 (Fixr).¹³ Booked alone with a minimum-fee contractor: $350 to $650.² DIY with a kit: $10 to $30.¹ Same hole, three honest prices.

Example 2 — pre-sale sweep of three rooms. Nail holes and hairline cracks across three rooms in one visit: $225 to $900 (Fixr).³ The same repairs as three separate call-outs at HomeGuide’s minimum: 3 × $350 to $650 = $1,050 to $1,950.² Bundling saves $450 to $1,000, our arithmetic.

Example 3 — ceiling water damage. Cut out and replace a 10 sq. ft. ceiling section: 10 × $60 to $80 = $600 to $800, matching Fixr’s per-square-foot table and its $400 to $800 water-damage range.³ Angi’s range runs higher at $600 to $1,550 because its jobs more often include mold assessment — remediation adds $10 to $20 per square foot when mold is found.¹

FAQ

How long does drywall repair take? 1 to 2 hours for a small hole, 2 to 5 hours for larger ones, and 1 to 3 days for extensive work — joint compound needs 12+ hours to dry between coats.²

Can I repair drywall myself? Small holes, dents and nail pops are realistic DIY with a $10 to $30 kit.¹ Ceilings, water damage and texture matching are the jobs pros earn their fee on — and poorly matched texture is what makes DIY repairs visible.¹²

Repair or replace? Replace when damage covers more than about 60% of the wall, or when water damage is widespread.²

Are cracks a foundation problem? Sometimes. Hairline cracks from settling are normal, especially in newer homes; long or widening cracks deserve a foundation check before you pay to patch them twice.¹²

Why is the quote higher than the online estimate? Minimum job fees ($350 to $650), trip charges, texture matching, and paint — confirm exactly what the quote includes before booking.²

DIY shopping

DIY shopping: drywall repair kits at Home Depot (plain link, no affiliate relationship) — $10 to $30 covers a doorknob hole, versus a $350 minimum to have someone else do it.

Sources

Angi, How Much Does Drywall Repair Cost? (2026 data; average from 36,945 verified projects).
HomeGuide, How Much Does Drywall Repair Cost? (2025).
Fixr, How Much Does It Cost to Repair Drywall? (updated January 2025).