Drywall Corner Bead Repair — Dented and Cracked Outside Corners
Outside corners take the hits — a vacuum, a moving dolly, a kid on a scooter. A dented or cracked corner bead does not fill; the section is replaced and refinished so it disappears.
Drywall corner bead repair fixes the outside corners that get hit: a dented metal bead, a crack along the line where the bead pulled away, a chipped bullnose. JMB Builders cuts out the damaged section, sets a new piece of bead — metal, vinyl or paper-faced to match — mud in three coats, sands, matches the texture and primes. Twin Cities metro, priced per corner, quoted from your photos within one business day.
- Priced per corner, a section or full height
- Metal, vinyl or paper-faced bead to match
- Texture matched, primed, ready for paint
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Every outside drywall corner has a bead under the mud: a metal, vinyl or paper-faced strip that gives the corner a straight, hard edge. When something hits it, metal bead dents and the mud over it cracks and falls off. Vinyl bead cracks and pops loose. Paper-faced bead tears. Filling the dent with compound works for a week, then the crack comes back along the edge of the bead, because the bead is still bent.
The repair is to cut out the damaged length, set a new piece of the same kind of bead, and refinish it. Short sections are spliced; a corner that is bent in several places gets replaced full height. The mud is feathered out onto both walls, the texture is matched, and the corner is primed.
What you supply
- A photo of each damaged corner straight on and from the side, and one from a few feet back
- Whether the corner is square or rounded (bullnose), if you know
- The wall texture if you know it: knockdown, orange peel or smooth
- Paint for the corner and the walls if we are painting — separate line, or paint it yourself
What JMB supplies
- Metal, vinyl or paper-faced bead in square or bullnose to match the corner, and the fasteners or adhesive it needs
- Cutting out the damaged bead and the loose mud around it, back to solid board
- New bead set straight on the corner, spliced cleanly to the old bead on a partial repair
- Setting compound for the first coat, two finish coats, sanded with a vacuum sander
- Texture matched to the wall, then primer over the repair
- Floor and furniture protection and cleanup
- Photos of the finished corner in your job folder
- Painting of the corner and the walls when you want it, quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per unit
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- A short dented section versus the corner replaced full height
- How many corners in the same visit
- Bullnose bead, which takes a wider repair to blend, versus square
- Metal bead that has to be pried off and refastened versus paper-faced or vinyl
- Texture to match, especially heavy knockdown
- Painting, quoted separately
Send a close photo and a wide one of each corner. If the crack runs the full height, say so; that tells us whether it is a splice or a full replacement.
How long it takes
Two visits: cut out, set bead and first coat on the first; finish coats, texture and primer on the second. Several corners fit in the same two visits.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Dented metal bead
The most common on houses from before about 2000. The dented section is cut out, a new piece of metal bead is nailed or crimped on, and the corner is recoated. Full-height replacement when it is bent in more than one place.
Cracked vinyl bead
Vinyl bead cracks and lets go of the mud along its edge. The loose section is cut back to where it is still bonded, a new piece is set with spray adhesive and staples, and the seam is mudded out.
Paper-faced bead
Paper-faced metal or plastic bead is bedded in mud, so it takes longer to fail and is easier to blend when repaired. We use it for the new piece on most repairs because it does not crack along the edge.
Bullnose corners
Rounded corners take bullnose bead. The mud around a bullnose repair is feathered wider so the curve stays even where new meets old. Texture matching matters more here because the corner catches light.
Drywall Corner Bead Repair — Dented and Cracked Outside Corners: questions, answered
Can a dented corner bead be filled instead of replaced?
Not for long. Filling puts mud over a bent piece of metal; the metal stays bent, moves when the corner is bumped again, and the crack reappears along the bead edge. Cutting out the dented section and setting a new piece takes one extra step and holds. For a very slight dent where the bead is still straight, fill can work, and we will say so from the photo.
Which corner bead is best: metal, vinyl or paper-faced?
Paper-faced bead is bedded in compound so it does not crack along its edge, and it blends best on a repair; it is what we use for most new pieces. Metal is the hardest edge and is what most older houses have. Vinyl does not dent or rust and is common in newer construction, but it can pop loose from the mud. For a repair, the new piece is matched to what is there so the corner looks the same its full height.
Why does the crack along my corner keep coming back?
Because the bead under it is loose or bent. Every bump moves the bead, and the mud on top of it cracks along the line where the bead ends. Screws driven into the corner, or fresh mud, do not fix that. The loose section has to come out and a new piece set tight to the corner.
Do you have to redo the whole corner?
Only when it is damaged in several places. A single dent or crack gets a section cut out, a foot or two, and a new piece of bead spliced in. The splice is feathered with mud and textured, and it does not show. A corner bent top to bottom is faster to replace full height than to splice three times.
Will the repaired corner match the texture?
Yes. The mud is feathered onto both walls, then the texture is sprayed or troweled to match — knockdown, orange peel or smooth — and the repair is primed. On a heavily textured wall the repair sometimes blends better if a slightly wider area is retextured, and we tell you if that is the case.
How many trips does a corner bead repair take?
Two. The first visit cuts out the damage, sets the new bead and puts on the first coat. The second visit, after it dries, does the finish coats, texture and primer. Several corners in the same house fit in the same two visits, which is why it pays to send photos of all of them.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All drywall pages
Where we work
Drywall near you
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