Drywall patching and small repairs
The holes, dings and dents that come with living in a house — filled, sanded flush and blended in before the paint goes on. Not smeared over and hoped for.
This is part of painting, not a separate upsell
Every house that has been lived in has a wall full of small damage. Picture hooks and anchor holes. A dent where a chair back hit the wall. A door handle that punched through behind a doorstop that fell off years ago. Screws that popped as the house settled through a few Minnesota winters.
Normal patching like this is included in an interior repaint. I'm not going to hand you a separate line item for filling the holes your pictures were hanging on.
What I patch
- Nail holes, picture hook holes and drywall anchor holes
- Dents and dings from furniture, doors and daily life
- Popped drywall screws and nail pops
- Hairline settling cracks, especially above door frames
- Small holes up to roughly the size of your hand
- Corner bead dings on outside corners
- Old tape seams that have started to lift
How a patch is actually done
The difference between an invisible patch and one you can find from across the room is entirely in the sanding and the priming.
- Fill, then let it dry properly. Compound shrinks as it dries. A deep hole needs a second pass after the first one sinks, or you get a dimple.
- Feather it wide. A patch that's built up in a tight blob will always catch light. It gets spread out well past the damage and tapered to nothing.
- Sand flush with the wall. Not "close to flush." Run your hand over it with your eyes shut — if you can feel it, you'll see it under paint.
- Prime the patch. Bare joint compound is far more absorbent than the painted wall around it. Skip the primer and the patch drinks the paint, dries a different sheen, and shows as a dull spot forever. This is the step that gets skipped most often, and it's why you can spot other people's patches.
The honest limit
On a smooth wall, a properly done patch is genuinely invisible once painted. On a heavily textured wall, a good patch blends closely but texture is never a perfect match — anyone who promises otherwise is overselling. I'll tell you which one you have before I start, not after you've paid.
What I won't take on
Painting over a real problem doesn't fix it, and I'm not going to be the person who covers it up so it becomes the next person's discovery.
- Large holes and full sheet replacement — you want a drywall contractor
- Water-damaged drywall — the source has to be fixed and the area dried first, and damaged board usually has to come out
- Anything with mold behind it — that's a remediation contractor, full stop
- Ceiling replacement or large ceiling repairs
- Texture matching across a whole ceiling or wall
- Anything structural, electrical or plumbing-related
If you show me one of these I'll tell you straight, and I'm happy to come back and paint once the right trade has fixed it.
What counts as a small repair?
Nail and screw holes, anchor holes, dings from furniture, small dents, popped drywall screws, hairline settling cracks, and patches up to roughly the size of your hand. These are normal parts of a repaint and are usually included.
What will you not take on?
Large holes, water-damaged drywall, ceiling replacement, texture matching across a whole ceiling, and anything involving structure, plumbing, or mold. I will tell you plainly that you need a drywall or restoration contractor first rather than painting over a problem.
Will the patch be invisible?
On a smooth wall, yes — patched, sanded flush, primed, and painted, and you will not find it. On a heavily textured wall, a good patch blends closely but a textured surface is never a perfect match. I will set that expectation before I start, not after.
Thinking about repainting? Let's talk about it.
Free estimates, honest pricing, and a straight answer about what your project actually needs. Call or text and I'll usually get back to you the same day.