How much does it cost to repair plaster?

When the plaster walls and ceilings in your home are damaged, it can cause various practical problems, as well as decrease your home's value. To fix this eyesore, you'll need to repair the plaster.

It is recommended to have plaster repaired shortly before a new paint job so that the marks left by the repair can be concealed. Plaster can be an alternative to, or applied on top of drywall. It’s possible to DIY minor to moderate plaster repairs, but in this cost guide, we examine the cost of hiring professionals to repair plaster walls and ceilings.

Labor

You can hire a handyman to repair plaster ¹. Handymen generally charge $60-$90 per hour, or an average flat fee of $100-$300 for minor to medium jobs. Most will provide the materials, but some may charge extra fees for raw materials like spackling ² ($5-$10 per quart).

Because factors like extent of damage can influence costs, professional plaster ¹ repair services will likely want to assess your repair needs before giving you a price quote. Some offer limited-time warranties that allow you to have touch-ups done, if necessary.

Common problems

The table below shows some of the most common problems that call for plaster ¹ repair, and their causes.

Repair methods

• Minor cracks are usually repaired by opening them slightly with a tool and filling them with spackling ². Chips can also be repaired this way. If they are cyclical cracks (meaning they will return within a few seasons), they call for a more advanced repair using drywall ⁴/fiberglass ⁵ tape and joint compound ⁶.
• Small holes can easily be filled with spackling ². Larger holes will need new plaster ¹ reinforced with wire lathes.
• Sagging plaster ¹ can be reinforced with plaster ¹ washers.
• Water-damaged plaster ¹ and crumbling plaster ¹ may need to be replaced entirely.
• Plaster ¹ stuck with unsightly tile adhesive can be filled and covered to create a smooth surface, then plastered over anew. Removing tile adhesive is excessively time consuming and unnecessary.
• Ornamental plaster ¹ repair requires advanced skills, and can sometimes not be done onsite. A professional plaster ¹ specialist may have to take some of your old plaster ¹ sections to be repaired and/or remanufactured in a plaster ¹ shop.
• Repairing ceiling plaster ¹ can be more effortful and dangerous because the plaster ¹ can be heavy, and there’s a risk of a portion of the ceiling collapsing if it’s too damaged.

Extensive damage

Some plaster ¹ damage can be so extensive that it’s not only a matter of plaster ¹ repair, it’s a matter of rebuilding the section of wall. For historic plaster ¹, this process is often referred to as "partial restoration".

Enhancement and improvement costs

• Normal plaster painting costs between $0.50 and $1.60 per sq.ft. of wall area.
• Painting decorative finishes on plaster ¹ costs an average of $12-$14 per square foot. These finishes add an aesthetically pleasing texture and visual sophistication to your walls.

Remodeling Terms Cheat Sheet

¹ Plaster: A paste composed of sand, water, and either lime, gypsum, or cement, which forms a smooth hard surface on walls, ceilings, and other structures upon drying

² Spackling: A paste, composed of gypsum plaster, glue, and water, used to repair holes and cracks in plaster before painting or wallpapering

⁴ Drywall: Type of plasterboard, commonly used to build walls and ceilings, composed of gypsum that is layered between sheets of heavy paper

⁵ Fiberglass: Plastic that is reinforced with glass fibers. The fibers may be mixed randomly throughout the plastic, or come in the form of a flat sheet, or be woven into a fabric

⁷ Caulk: A chemical sealant used to fill in and seal gaps where two materials join, for example, the tub and tile, to create a watertight and airtight seal. The term "caulking" is also used to refer to the process of applying this type of sealant