Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

How much will it cost to fix a hole in the wall?

If you have a hole in your wall, don’t despair; drywall repair professionals can patch the hole and repaint the surface and no one will be the wiser. The cost to repair a drywall hole depends on the size of the surface area of the damage, the materials and labor required, and (for a minor repair) any minimum service fee the repair company may charge. The actual labor and drywall prices may be lower than the minimum service fee, but pros must ensure their business overhead costs are met when they go out on minor jobs. To help keep costs low once the pros get there, make sure you have the right paint on hand if you want them to do to a touch up after the repair is complete, so you don’t keep them wait (and charging you for their time) while you search in the garage. Here are two examples of average prices for smaller drywall repair jobs:

Approximate cost to repair a 5-foot crack in a wall: $125 (labor $75 and materials $50).
Approximate cost to repair a 3-foot ceiling crack: $150.

What is the difference between sheetrock and drywall?

People sometimes use the terms “sheetrock” and “drywall” interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same. Drywall is the industry term for prefabricated sheets of wall, while Sheetrock is the brand name of a type of drywall. Depending on what room is being built, your drywall installation pro will select different thicknesses or grades of drywall. Standard residential drywall is ½-inch thick. Garage walls adjacent to a living space are typically ⅝-inch thick and serve as a firewall. For a garage ceiling, most contractors will use firewall-grade drywall materials to keep your home as safe as possible.

Different types of drywall can be color-coded to indicate their purpose. Purple or green drywall boards are often mold-resistant (MR) and are applied where moisture tends to accumulate, such as in bathrooms and basements or behind tile backsplashes at sinks. These mold-resistant sheets have a fiberglass instead of a paper facing finish to prevent water absorption. Regular drywall is gray or white. The drywall industry is constantly adapting with technology to provide safer and more targeted materials. You can even install soundproofing drywall to help prevent noise transfer through rooms.

How much does it cost to put up drywall?

The national average cost to hire a drywall installation professional ranges $375-$1,500, depending on the job at hand and where you are in the country. Your drywall installation cost will often be lower if the professional is installing the drywall in a new construction with open access as opposed to a remodel. The square footage of the job, the amount of materials, and the labor required also determine drywall prices. According to drywall pros, materials costs can range from 15 percent to 50 percent of your total project cost, depending on the work you’re having done. Request several quotes from drywall installation companies to find the right fit for your construction project. The quotes may be based on the company’s standard cost per square foot or a calculation of the time estimated to complete the job plus the size of the job plus materials and any travel fees. For example, drywall installation for one or two standard-size rooms could cost $900-$1,500. The cost to hang and tape an outbuilding with approximately 40 drywall sheets at 75 cents per square foot could total $1,450, including 3.75 days of labor for the drywall crew.

How much does it cost to repair drywall?

The national average price range to repair drywall is $210-$300. Drywall prices can vary greatly depending on the size of the hole or crack that needs repair, the amount of materials required, and other factors. Cracks can appear at the seams in your drywall due to uncontrollable factors like your house settling or even minor earthquakes. Drywall, although sturdy, will break with enough impact, so if a dresser falls and crashes into a wall or your have a mishap hammering in nails for artwork, you could need drywall repair. Drywall repair professionals may have a minimum service fee of $100-$150 regardless of the size of the job. This ensures that their business expenses are met anytime they send their crew out to a job. Here are some additional examples of average drywall repair prices:

Sand and texture five wall patches: $200 (45 minutes of labor and $40 of materials).
Repair a 4x8 section of wall: $225 (labor $150 and materials $75).
Replace drywall in an entire bedroom: $1,500 (price varies depending on the number of windows, whether there’s metal trim, etc.).

Mitul J.

Verified review

Amin helped me mount a 50" TV on a brick & mortar fireplace. Amin impressed me because this wasn't a straight forward job because of the brick and the studs that prevented an easy through the drywall type of mounting. He was very responsive, timely, and had all the right tools and training as a civil engineer to help us select the best configuration to conceal our cables. His pricing is very reasonable and transparent and he offered me other great tips on where to find reduced price electronics. Amin finished the job and cleaned up in a little over two hours. It was a great learning experience for myself and a pleasure working with Amin.

Jennifer B.

As fairly new homeowners, during the first big rain of the season we found ourselves with a leak in our daughter's bedroom and lots of worries. I quickly requested some quotes from local contractors and was immediately contacted by Stephen. He was quick to schedule a day to come and evaluate repairs and get back out to get repairs done. Our drywall had to be replaced and we also found ourselves with another leak in the kitchen. His follow up was outstanding and we couldn't be happier with the service we received from Stephen, Jerry and their drywall contact. The repairs were completed in a timely manner and very professionally. Thank you again Box Construction!!!

Larry M.

Mr. Yekta was a very skilled Workman. He fixed the drywall of my ceiling. The plumber left a large hole as a result of fixing a leaking pipe. The repair looks good. He also did a good job cleaning up I plan to use him again.

Sharon M.

River was very professional and arrived at the time we set. I hired them to repair some plaster that had water damage along side the bathtub. He analyzed the area and found that the bathtub seal was deteriorated so water was leaking into the walls. He fixed the leak which we wouldn’t have known about, applied a fast drying plaster, and painted the area with some left over paint we had in the garage. Basically he did more than I initially thought I needed in less time than we had planned. Very reasonable pricing and quality work. I would hire them again.

Victor V.

I had extensive repairs done to my patio cover as many pieces of wood were damaged and needed to be removed and replaced. Robin was friendly and courteous and did an excellent job, which will allow me to enjoy the patio cover for several more years. He did a good job of cleaning up each day and hauling away all the debris and old scraps of wood. Overall, I am very satisfied with the work he did on our patio.

Moselle L.

Vincent did an excellent job painting my daughter's room, putting in some tile flooring, and other tile and drywall work. He was very eager to help with other things as well such as putting together furniture, moving furniture Etc. I highly recommend him.

Henry K.

American Castles Mike To the RESCUE!!! The water heater at my rental property burst on a Friday afternoon causing some major damage to the house. The renters were furious because their items got damaged and the house wasn't inhabitable after that. On the inside, the bathroom wall and under stairway closet were all soaking wet and drywall/carpet/padding had to be removed immediately to prevent mole build up. On the garage side where the water heater located, the entire wall was destroyed. so I called my home insurance who provided me with their preferred plumber who quoted an additional $540 out of pocket on top of what the insurance was going to cover just so he can bring up the water heater installation to code! He told me that it will take him 1+ week to order the water heater (duh...get one from Home Depot take only 1hr...which is what Mike did) and that he can install a temporary water heater and will charge $137/wk! He also referred me to a water damage restoration company which I was not too happy with either. Since it was an emergency and I went with that company. They came in and ripped out all the wet drywall without caring for any molding; especially for garage doors and closet doors! It seemed like what ever the water heater didn't damage, they did. They also broke my water heater intake shut off valve. damage the water heater over flow copper pipe. All I can say is I will not use them again! Back to the plumber, something was smelling fishy about his quote and so I called and questioned this plumber. His response was "Well, I will need to flush out the gas line and calibrate your water pressure...upgrade to the new California safety quote...put in earthquake straps...install new vent line since the new water heater nowaday don't use the old vent line!". I was not convinces so I started to Google for good local contractor and AMERICAN CASTLES (Mike Tay is the owner) came up from Thumtack along with few others from other websites. I contacted them and they came in and provided me quotes. Mike was the last one I contacted. He arrived within 30min. He checked out the damages and explained to me what needs to get done sequentially to get everything back in proper operation for my tenants. Mike is very knowledgeable and very patient in explaining things. I told him what the plumber had said, he laughed and told me the whole thing was a rip off and a scam! Another crock of bull**** and advised me against it. He told me to call my insurance company to inquire about using other plumber. Sure enough I was offered the "cash out" option which I didn't even know was available. I took that option and went with Mike for the repair. Mike knows how important it is for my tenants to get the hot water running again once the water damage restoration company completed the clean up/dry out the area (took 1 week). As soon as that company removed their equipment, Mike had his crew come in the next day (Saturday) to repair the garage dry wall and finished the installation of the new water heater and brought it up to code on safety on Sunday! He even added the water pan and installed drain pipe for me. I didn't even know such a thing exists (talk about quality...he treats it like repairing his own home!). The best part is his charge for the whole job including new water heater, earthquake straps, valve, drain pan, vent and new connection is far way less than what that plumber was going to charge me. I loved the fact he took the time to show me how things should be done up to code and what works for my situation instead of just giving a price and walking away. He did an awesome job! Unfortunately my landlord insurance's deductible was so high, I asked Mike to give me a quote for fixing the damage in the garage and inside the house. Mike's quote was very competitive and the best part is he is always willing to work with me knowing my situation (thx Mike). My bathroom paint is 16 years old so it was a challenge to match the paint for the new wall. After only quoting me for painting a small wall inside the bathroom, Mike decided on his own to paint the entire bathroom without charging for it. Now that what I call TAKING PRIDE IN YOUR WORK AND STICKING TO YOUR WORD!!! My summary is, Mike successfully completed the entire job and installation in four days. I would highly recommend Mike to anyone and will definitely be using and referring him to everyone I know.

Amy N.

My experience hiring Sean was positive. I needed an electrician for wiring, outlet and breaker changes. Sean messaged me quickly with a detailed breakdown of costs. Communication was good. On the day of my appointment, he arrived with all the correct equipment, worked diligently without complaints despite it being a hot day and my A/C was broken, explained his work when asked, and was overall nice. I'd hire again for more electrical jobs.

YuhasChris Y.

I’ve had Jay work on several projects for my home primarily paint, drywall, and baseboards and he’s done great all 5 years we’ve been working together. He very neat and cleanly. Highly recommend.

Mimi B.

Brendon did an amazing job! Not only did he show up on time, he was early!! Very rare these days. He is a complete professional and a very nice guy. He did some drywall work for me and it looks fantastic, matched it to the existing texture as well. I will definitely hire him again! Thanks Brendon!

Cindy S.

Jerry was one of several who bid a job to repair masonry, stucco and paint a wall for me. I am extremely pleased that I hired him. He was punctual and polite in his responses and consistently showed up early or on time for the promised work. His work was neat and respectful of others, as well as professionally done. I definitely recommend him.

Kathy R.

We hired Jerry to do some drywall work and to build a bookshelf in a pony wall and paint. He was very easy to communicate with, was always very prompt, often arriving early. He took pride in his work and did a good job.

Michael D.

I was in the middle of a painting project when I called Menifee Drywall Construction. Jesse was quick to respond and was able to make the requested drywall patch repairs the same day. I appreciate his prompt and quality work. I will definitely call again for future drywall needs.

Teri S.

Richard did an amazing job! He is truly “jack of all trades”… he was hired for a small drywall patching job and completed it with some electrical issues we had pertaining to the job and with his expertise he took care of all of it! His communication before and on the job was excellent and he showed up exactly the time he promised!! He’s a great honest hire for all your home services! Will hire him again!!

Domenic C.

Gerald did an awesome job of all the following for me: Installing granite kitchen countertops and back splashes;; Patching, priming, painting of multiple apartment units, Installing stainless steel sinks; Installing kitchen faucets, drains, water lines, Patching of exterior with matching colored plaster; Patching/replacing damaged interior walls (drywall); Scraping/removal/smoothing of "popcorn" ceilings!

Marla J.

Edwin is amazing and very conscientious about his work. He goes above and beyond. He arrives on time and works hard to complete the work. My bedroom looks amazing after the paint job. We now hired him to repair a basement door.

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