Small holes and dents
Holes from wall plugs, hooks and screws, and dents from bumps, filled and sanded smooth.
Plasterboard patching and repairs
Holes, dents and cracks in plasterboard walls repaired, sanded and ready for paint. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, charged by time, small jobs only.
How it’s priced
Charged by time, at our painting and repair rates
One person comes with the plasterboard offcuts, compound, tape and sanding gear. You pay $139 for the first hour on a weekday, which includes travel within Zone A, then $19 for each 15 minutes. The rates are the same in all three cities and are listed on our prices page.
Bigger patches need a few coats of compound, each left to set before the next. Our typical times allow for that. If a repair needs a second visit to finish, we’ll tell you before we start and put it in your written quote.
We confirm the price in writing by SMS, WhatsApp or email before the job. If the damage turns out bigger than the photos showed, we stop, show you and re-quote before carrying on.
What we repair
Small plasterboard repairs
Most damage comes from door handles, wall plugs, furniture on moving day or old fittings taken down.
Bigger holes
A hole up to about 30 cm, such as one from a door handle, cut back and patched with a new piece of plasterboard, then set and sanded.
Cracks along joints and cornices
Hairline cracks at sheet joints and where the cornice meets the wall, raked out, taped where needed, set and sanded.
Ready for paint
We leave repairs sanded and ready to paint. We can paint them too, as a separate item on the same visit or a later one.
Licence limits
Which plastering jobs we can take in each state
We only take plasterboard repairs below each state’s limit. The limit applies to the whole job, and we don’t split a bigger job into smaller bookings to get under it.
Sydney (NSW)
Plastering worth more than $5,000, labour and materials including GST, needs a contractor licence. We keep plastering jobs under that.
Brisbane (QLD)
Plastering worth more than $3,300 needs a QBCC licence. The value is what a licensed contractor would reasonably charge for the whole job, including labour, GST and all the materials, even ones you buy yourself. We keep plastering jobs well within that.
Melbourne (VIC)
Plastering on its own doesn’t need building registration. A job that combines trades, such as plastering and painting, and costs more than $10,000 needs a registered builder, as does work that needs a building permit. We keep every job under that.
New walls, whole ceilings or a full room of new sheeting? We’ll tell you straight away and suggest you book a licensed tradesperson, or a registered builder in Victoria. Check their licence or registration on your state’s public register before work starts.
Plastering jobs we don’t take
- Sagging or water-damaged ceilings. A sagging ceiling can fall, so keep people out of the room and call a builder
- Sheets that might contain asbestos. Older homes can have fibro or other sheeting with asbestos in it, and we won’t cut, drill or sand it. Get it tested first
- Damage from a leak, until the leak is fixed by a licensed plumber
- New walls, partitions and whole ceilings, and anything structural
- Solid or wet plaster, render, and waterproofing in bathrooms and laundries
- Cracks that keep coming back or are wider at one end. These can be a sign of movement, so have a builder look first
Not sure where your job fits? Send us a photo and we’ll tell you straight. See all the jobs we don’t take.
Price estimator
Estimate your plasterboard repair
Choose the repairs and how many of each to see a price range, worked out from the same rates as the price box above. It won’t show a price above $4,000 in Sydney, $4,000 in Melbourne or $2,000 in Brisbane. Jobs that size are close to the licence limits, so we check them with you first.
The price estimator needs JavaScript. Every rate is listed on our prices page, or ask us for a quote.
Estimated total
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This is an estimate, not a quote. We’ll confirm your total price in writing before the job. All prices include GST.
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Plasterboard repair questions
How much does it cost to fix a hole in plasterboard?
We charge by time: $139 for the first hour on a weekday, then $19 for each 15 minutes. A small hole or dent usually fits in the first hour, so it’s $139. A hole up to about 30 cm that needs a new piece cut in is usually about $215–$291. All prices include GST, and we confirm your total in writing before the job.
Can you patch and paint in the same visit?
For small holes, usually yes, once the filler is dry. Bigger patches need several coats of compound, so painting may have to wait. We’ll tell you when we quote.
Does a plasterer need a licence?
It depends on the state and the size of the job. In NSW, plastering worth more than $5,000 (labour and materials, including GST) needs a contractor licence. In Queensland, it’s more than $3,300, and the job needs a QBCC licence. In Victoria, plastering on its own doesn’t need registration, but a job combining trades that costs more than $10,000 needs a registered builder. We only take small repairs below these limits.
How do I know if my wall has asbestos?
You can’t tell by looking. If your home is older and you’re not sure what the sheeting is, have a sample tested before anyone cuts, drills or sands it. We won’t work on sheeting that might contain asbestos.
I’m moving out. Can you fix the holes from my wall plugs?
Yes. Take a photo of each wall and send the list. Check with your agent or landlord first about what repairs and paint they expect. We can’t tell you what your final inspection will accept.
Hole in the wall?
Send us a photo with something for scale, such as a hand or a tape measure, and we’ll confirm the price in writing before the job.