Understanding your result
The headline is the contractor’s price range for all the repairs together, and the line under it gives the number of repairs and the cost of the DIY materials. The tiles repeat the two and the count.
The table lists each kind of repair: the published price range for one, and 40% of it for each additional repair of the same kind, our estimate of how a single visit spreads its setup, coats and drying time over several repairs. The total is adjusted for your region.
What each repair involves, and the exact materials, is on the repair patch calculator. If the damage is large enough to replace whole sheets, the cost estimator prices new board; and matching a texture over the patch is on the texture cost calculator.
How we calculate this
The prices for one repair are from published 2025 guides: nail pops $10 to $60 each (HomeAdvisor), small holes $50 to $200 (LendEDU), medium holes $150 to $300 and large $200 to $400 (Fieldcamp, Homegnome), water-damaged sections $400 to $800 (Fixr). The 40% for additional repairs and the DIY material figures are our estimates and are labelled as such. Regions multiply by about 0.8 or 1.4 to 1.6.
The assumptions behind the numbers
| Repair | One repair | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nail or screw pop | $10 to $60 | HomeAdvisor, 2025 |
| Small hole (under 4 in) | $50 to $200 | LendEDU, Homegnome, 2025 |
| Medium hole (4 to 8 in) | $150 to $300 | Fieldcamp, 2025 |
| Large hole (8 in and up) | $200 to $400 | Fieldcamp, Homegnome, 2025 |
| Cracked joint or corner, per 10 ft | $100 to $300 | Our estimate |
| Water-damaged section | $400 to $800 | Fixr, 2025 |
| Additional repairs of the same kind | 40% each | Our estimate |
Assumptions last reviewed October 8, 2026.
The calculator does not include painting the whole wall after repairs (often necessary for an even finish), texture matching, the plumbing or roofing repair behind water damage, or mold remediation. Prices for single small repairs are often set by a contractor’s minimum charge rather than the work. How to choose the repair for each hole is in the guide to drywall repairs; repair pricing beside new work is in the guide to what contractors charge.
Two worked examples
Twelve nail pops and three small holes
- Pops: $10 to $60 for the first, 40% for each of the other 11 → $54 to $324
- Small holes: $50 to $200 for the first, 40% for the other 2 → $90 to $360
- Total: $144 to $684; DIY materials about $27
Half a day for a handyman. Done yourself, it is a screw gun, a tub of spackle and a sanding sponge.
A medium hole, a large hole and a water-damaged section, high-cost metro
- One of each: $150 to $300, $200 to $400 and $400 to $800 → $750 to $1,500
- High-cost region × 1.4 to 1.6: $1,050 to $2,400; DIY materials about $97
The water-damaged section is half the bill, and it assumes the leak is fixed and the wall dry.
Where to find your inputs
Counts. Walk the rooms with painter’s tape and mark every repair; count by type.
Hole sizes. The largest dimension after trimming loose paper.
Water damage. Any stained, soft or bulging section, counted as one section per area.
Region. Where the house is.
Common mistakes
- One visit per repair. Group repairs into one visit.
- Patching over wet board. Fix the leak and dry the wall first.
- Forgetting the paint. A patched wall usually needs repainting corner to corner.
- Ignoring the cause. Repeated pops mean framing movement; cracks at corners mean settling.
- Big repairs as DIY in strong light. The finish shows; consider a pro.
- Comparing quotes without the scope. Ask whether priming and painting are included.
Questions people ask
- How much does drywall repair cost?
- HomeAdvisor puts the average drywall repair job in 2025 at about $610, with most between about $295 and $925; Fixr's average is lower, about $350. Small jobs are often priced as a minimum service call; water damage and large areas cost the most.
- How much to fix a hole in drywall?
- Published guides put small holes under about 4 in at roughly $50 to $200, fist- or doorknob-sized holes at $150 to $300, and holes of 6 to 8 in and up at $200 to $400. Several holes in one visit cost less each.
- How much does it cost to fix nail pops?
- HomeAdvisor gives $10 to $60 per nail pop, and other guides quote $75 to $140 as a visit for a few. A row of a dozen pops in one ceiling is mostly one visit's work.
- How much does water-damaged drywall cost to repair?
- Fixr lists about $400 to $800 for a water-damaged section with labour; other guides go to $2,000 or more where insulation and framing are affected. Fixing the leak and drying the wall come first.
- Should I repair drywall myself?
- Nail holes, dents and small holes are easy DIY repairs with spackle or a patch kit for under $30. Ceilings, water damage, large holes and walls in strong light, where the finish shows, are worth a professional.
- Why do repairs cost so much for so little drywall?
- Because a repair takes several visits' worth of time: patching, then coats of compound with drying in between, sanding, priming and often matching a texture and paint. The material is a few dollars; the time is the cost.