Drywall Repair — Holes, Cracks and Doorknob Dents Patched to Match
A doorknob through the wall, a crack that keeps opening over a door, a hole where the old TV mount was — patched, textured and primed so nobody can find it after paint.
Drywall repair is priced per unit — per patch. JMB Builders cuts the damage back to clean board, adds backing or a California patch for small holes and a stud-to-stud piece for big ones, tapes with paper or mesh, mud in three coats, sands with a vacuum sander, matches the texture and primes. Cracks get V-cut, taped and refinished so they do not come back. Twin Cities metro, quoted from your photos within one business day.
- Priced per patch, several patches in one visit
- Three coats of mud, sanded and primed
- Texture matched so the patch disappears
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Most drywall damage is small: a doorknob through the wall behind a door, a hole from an old mount or a moved outlet, a crack over a doorway, a nail pop line across a ceiling, a corner that got hit by a couch. The patch itself is quick. What takes the time, and what separates a repair you can find from one you cannot, is the finishing: three coats of mud feathered wide enough, sanded flat, and the texture matched to the wall around it.
We repair per patch and group them into one visit, because mud has to dry between coats anyway. On day one the damage gets cut out, backed and taped with the first coat on. A day or two later, the finish coats, sanding, texture and primer. Painting is quoted as its own line, or leave it primed and paint it yourself.
A crack that has been spackled three times and keeps coming back is a movement problem, usually at a corner of a door or window opening or along a ceiling seam. Filling it does nothing. We cut it into a V, tape it, and finish it, so the joint is reinforced rather than just filled.
What you supply
- A photo of each spot with something for scale, plus a wide shot of the wall
- Furniture pulled away from the wall, or tell us and we will move it
- Your paint, if you want us to paint the patched wall — quoted as its own line
What JMB supplies
- Damage cut back to clean board and the edges squared
- Backing strips, a California patch, or a new piece of board screwed to the studs, depending on the size
- Paper or mesh tape, setting compound for the first coat, finish compound for the next two
- Corner bead replaced on a damaged outside corner
- Vacuum sanding, texture to match, and primer so the patch does not flash through paint
- Nail pops reset with a screw on each side and finished
- Photos of the finished repair in your job folder
- Painting of the wall 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:
- Number of patches in the same visit — the first one carries the trips, the rest are cheap
- Size: a doorknob hole vs. a hole that needs a new piece of board between studs
- A crack that needs cutting and taping vs. a dent that needs a skim
- Outside corner with damaged bead, which takes more time than a flat wall
- Texture match: smooth is fastest, knockdown or orange peel adds a step
- Ceiling repairs, which are slower to finish overhead
- Painting the repaired wall corner to corner, quoted as its own line
Send a close-up of each hole or crack with a tape measure or your hand in the shot, and a wide photo of the wall so we can see the texture and the light on it.
How long it takes
Two short visits: cut out, patch and first coat on day one; finish coats, sanding, texture and primer a day or two later. Several patches in the same house go in the same two trips.
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
Doorknob and small holes
A self-adhesive or California patch for holes up to a hand's width, three coats of mud feathered out, textured and primed. A door stop goes in so it does not happen again.
Large holes and damaged sections
Holes from a moved outlet, a removed vent, or a bigger impact. The damage is cut back to the nearest studs, backing or a new piece of board goes in, and it is taped and finished like a new seam.
Cracks over doors and windows
Cut into a V, filled with setting compound, taped with paper tape and finished. The tape is what stops the crack from reopening; spackle alone never holds.
Nail pops and popped seams
The popped nail is driven back or pulled, a screw goes in an inch to each side, and the dimples are filled and finished. A row of pops along a ceiling seam is done all at once.
Drywall Repair — Holes, Cracks and Doorknob Dents Patched to Match: questions, answered
How big a hole can be patched before the whole sheet has to be replaced?
Almost any hole can be patched. Small holes get a backing strip or a patch; anything bigger gets cut back to the studs on each side and a new piece of board screwed in, then taped and finished like any seam. Replacing a whole sheet only makes sense when most of it is damaged, soft from water, or the damage runs along a corner or a whole seam.
Why do drywall cracks keep coming back?
Because they were filled, not taped. A crack at the corner of a door or window, or along a ceiling seam, is where the house moves a little every season. Spackle in the crack breaks the first time the joint moves. We cut the crack open, bed paper tape in setting compound across it, and finish over the tape so the joint has something holding it together.
Do you paint the patch?
Every patch is primed so it does not flash through the paint. Painting is quoted as its own line: the patch alone, or the whole wall corner to corner, which is the only way a patch is truly invisible on an older paint job. Or leave it primed and paint it yourself.
How many trips does a drywall repair take?
Two. Mud has to dry between coats, and a setting compound first coat still needs the finish coats to dry before sanding. Day one is the cut-out, backing, tape and first coat. A day or two later is the finish coats, sanding, texture and primer. We schedule both when you book.
Can you fix nail pops?
Yes. A nail pop is a nail that worked loose as the framing dried. We drive it back in or pull it, set a screw an inch away on each side so the board is held, then fill and finish the dimples. If there is a line of them along a ceiling seam, we do them all in one pass.
Can you patch a wall that has a textured finish?
Yes. The patch is finished smooth, then the texture is sprayed or hand-applied to match what is there: orange peel, knockdown, or a sanded finish. Texture matching is its own skill and we test the match on cardboard first. On a heavily textured wall the whole area between corners sometimes gets retextured so it blends.
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.
Related jobs we do
Drywall Texture Matching — Knockdown, Orange Peel and Skip Trowel
The patch is flat but you can still see it, because the texture around it is not — matched and blended by hand or hopper so the wall reads as one surface after paint.
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New trim is only finished when it is painted. We do that part too: fill, caulk, prime, enamel, and the doors sprayed flat, sequenced with the carpentry so the room is done once.
Read moreBasement Drywall Installation — Hung, Taped and Finished for Paint
The basement is framed, wired and insulated — now the drywall goes up, gets finished flat, and the room becomes a room, with the painting as its own line if you want it.
Read moreGarage Drywall Installation — Hung and Fire Taped, or Finished
A garage with bare studs and insulation hanging out, or one a builder left fire taped and you want it finished — hung, taped and done to the level you want, with the separation from the house done to code.
Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All drywall pages
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