Drywall Repair Cost in Los Angeles (2026 Guide)

Small holes and dings: $80–$180

About half of LA drywall calls are small — a doorknob hole, a cracked corner where a chair hit, a 2-inch gash from moving a couch, or the half-dollar-sized hole left when a wall anchor tears out. For anything under 4 inches across in modern Sheetrock or USG drywall, expect $80–$140 for a single repair. If a pro is patching three or four small holes in one visit, the per-hole price drops to $50–$80 because the dust setup, mud mixing, and cleanup happen once.

What's included at this price: cutting a clean square around the damage, installing a backing strip or California patch, two coats of joint compound (typically USG Sheetrock 90 or 20-minute setting type), sanding flush, and a basic knockdown or smooth-finish texture match. Paint is usually not included unless you've supplied a matching can — the pro can prime the patch, but blending paint into an aged wall reliably is a separate skill and adds $40–$80 if requested.

What pushes the price toward $180: dark-painted walls (where any patch reads visible until repainted edge-to-edge), high-traffic visibility like a hallway near a front door, or knockdown/orange-peel texture that needs a hopper sprayer rather than hand application.

Medium repairs: $200–$350

Medium-scope drywall is where most water leaks, doorknob breakthroughs, and accidental tool damage land. Think a 6–18 inch section that needs a real patch piece cut and screwed into the studs, taped, three coats of mud, sanded, textured, and primed. In modern LA construction — DTLA condos, Playa Vista townhouses, post-2000 single-family in the Valley — this is straightforward Sheetrock work and prices stay in the $200–$280 range.

Where the quote climbs toward $350: the patch crosses a corner (inside or outside), the existing texture is heavy knockdown that takes two passes to match, or the wall is in a stairwell or above 10 feet where the pro needs ladder setup. Bathroom walls also push higher because moisture-resistant green-board (or cement board behind tile) is more expensive per sheet and the cuts are tighter.

Most medium repairs are a same-day job in LA — pro arrives morning, mud sets through midday, second and third coats by afternoon, sanding and texture by end of day. If you need a 24-hour turnaround for a real estate showing or move-in, mention that when you book; some pros use rapid-set compound (USG 5-minute or 20-minute) that compresses the job into 4–5 hours.

Water damage and ceiling repairs: $300–$600

Water-damaged drywall is the scope that catches LA homeowners off guard. A bathroom leak from the unit above, a roof leak after January rains, or a slow pipe drip behind a kitchen wall almost always damages more drywall than the visible stain suggests. The wet area has to be cut out fully back to dry, framing inspected for mold, the cavity left open to air-dry for 24–72 hours, and then patched in a second visit. Total scope typically runs $300–$600 depending on size.

Ceiling water damage adds another layer of cost because gravity works against the patcher — every coat of mud has to set fully before the next, the pro is working overhead the whole time, and texture matching on a popcorn or skip-trowel ceiling is genuinely hard. Popcorn ceiling patching specifically: many LA homes built before 1980 have asbestos-containing popcorn texture, and a responsible pro will recommend a tested sample before scraping or disturbing it. Testing runs $30–$60 through a local lab and is worth doing before any ceiling work in a pre-1980 home.

What you should expect to be told up-front: if the leak isn't fixed at the source (roof, supply line, drain), patching the drywall just hides the problem until it returns. Most LA pros will refuse to patch over an active leak and will recommend a plumber or roofer first.

Lath-and-plaster: a different price entirely

Pre-1950s LA neighborhoods — Silver Lake bungalows, Pasadena Craftsman homes, Highland Park Victorians, Hancock Park Spanish-revivals, and most of the original West Adams housing stock — were built with wood lath strips and three coats of hand-applied plaster, not modern drywall. Plaster repair is a different trade with different prices.

A small plaster crack or hole in one of these homes typically runs $180–$320, roughly double what the same-size hole costs in modern Sheetrock. The reasons are real: plaster has to be repaired with bonding agents (Plaster-Weld, USG Plaster Bonder) so new material sticks to old, the texture match is custom rather than off-a-roller, and the cure time is longer. A 12-inch plaster section repair usually runs $300–$500.

What's important if you live in one of these homes: ask the pro specifically whether they've worked on lath-and-plaster before, not just drywall. The materials, fasteners, and technique are different enough that a Sheetrock-only pro can crack the surrounding wall while trying to patch. A pro experienced with original LA plaster will use stainless or corrosion-resistant lath screws to stabilize loose sections, key the new plaster into the existing lath, and feather the edges so the repair disappears.

Texture matching: where the real skill shows

Texture matching is the part of drywall repair that separates a $120 patch from a $200 patch. LA homes have at least five common textures, each requiring different application:

• Smooth Level 5 finish (modern luxury condos, custom remodels): every imperfection visible — pro skim-coats the entire patched area and feathers 12–18 inches beyond.
• Light orange-peel (most post-1990 LA single-family): sprayed with a hopper at low pressure — easy to match if the pro has the right tip.
• Knockdown (most 1980s–2000s tract homes in the Valley and South Bay): sprayed then knocked down with a flexible blade at the right wet-time. Tricky to match — the knockdown timing has to be the same as original.
• Skip-trowel / Spanish lace (mid-century LA, Hollywood Hills, hand-applied): pro applies mud with a trowel and skips it across — visibly hand-done. A skilled pro can match this; a rushed pro can't.
• Popcorn (pre-1980 ceilings): sprayed with an aggregated texture. Asbestos test recommended before any work.

Dust control: the add-on most LA homeowners want

Drywall sanding is the dustiest part of any indoor repair. A standard repair without dust containment will spread fine joint-compound dust through 1–3 rooms; in a Hollywood Hills home with open floor plans, that means dust on every surface and HVAC filters that need replacement.

Most LA pros now offer a dust control add-on for $40–$100 that includes plastic sheeting on doorways, drop cloths on floors, and either a HEPA-equipped sander (Festool, Mirka) that captures most dust at the source or a portable HEPA air scrubber running during sanding. For repairs in finished living spaces — especially anywhere with electronics, art, or kids — this is worth requesting up-front rather than discovering you need it after the fact.

If you have an active HVAC system, ask the pro to tape off return-air vents in the work area. Otherwise the system pulls dust through the ducts and redistributes it.