What the work involves
A patch means cutting back the damaged section, backing it so the new piece has something solid to hold to, boarding it in, taping the seams, and building up three coats of joint compound before it's sanded smooth. That's a Level 4 finish, the standard surface for a wall that's about to be painted.
For larger sections or full new walls, we hang, tape, and mud the board the same way, just over more surface. Ceiling patches and ceiling installs follow the same steps, priced differently because ceiling work is slower going.
Repainting the patched wall is its own line on the quote. That keeps the color and sheen match under your control instead of bundled into the repair price.
Before we patch: what changes the scope
An active leak has to be dealt with before we close the wall back up, or the patch fails again in the same spot. If a crack has come back after a previous repair, that usually means something behind the wall is still moving, and we look at that before we commit to a patch price.
Loose or bulging plaster sometimes needs more backing or a larger cut-back than the visible damage suggests. We note all of that on the estimate so the proposal reflects what the wall actually needs, not just what's visible from across the room.
What we see in Scarsdale houses
Many Scarsdale homes date to the early twentieth century, and plaster over wood lath is common in these houses. Plaster cracks differently than drywall — it tends to crack along the lath lines and around openings, and a patch there often means working with a harder, more brittle surface than modern board.
Where drywall has been patched into an older plaster wall from a past renovation, the transition can show as a visible seam if it wasn't taped and floated correctly the first time. We treat that boundary as its own detail so the repair reads as one wall, not two.
How we price the work
Drywall repair starts at $375 for the first wall patch, with each additional wall patch at $125. Ceiling patches are priced at twice the wall rate. These are per-patch prices, not a per-room or per-visit charge.
New drywall installation — hung, taped, and mudded to Level 4 — runs $2.50 per square foot of wall surface, with ceilings again at twice the wall rate. A full standard room, about 16 sheets of board, is priced at $1,600.
Skim coating, demolition, and type-X board for garages or basements are quoted as their own lines, since they're not part of every job. We walk the space, look at what's actually damaged, and put every line item on the proposal before you approve anything.
What's included, and what's quoted separately
The patch or install price covers prep and protection — dust barriers, floor covering, furniture moved and covered — and cleanup when the job is done. Board, joint compound, tape, primer, and hardware appear as their own lines on the quote, and you approve the paint color and sheen.
Painting the repaired wall, skim coating an entire room, demolition beyond the patch itself, and type-X board are separate scopes of work, so they're quoted as separate lines.
Timing and living through the work
A patch is rarely a one-visit job. Compound needs to dry between coats, so most repairs run two to three visits over a few days, even though the working time at each visit is short.
In Scarsdale, construction work and outdoor power tools are allowed 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, with no work on Sundays or legal holidays. We schedule visits inside those windows.
If your building asks for a certificate of insurance, we send ours ahead of the visit.
Why a licensed local contractor matters here
We're licensed and insured — Westchester County Home Improvement Contractor license WC-40688-H26 — and based in Mount Vernon, serving Westchester County and the Bronx, including Scarsdale.
New requests get a 30-minute response target, and the estimate itself is free and no-obligation. What comes back is a line-item proposal, so you know what you're approving before work starts.
- First patch (walls)
- $375
- Each additional patch
- $125
- Ceiling patches
- 2× the wall price
- New install (hang + tape + mud)
- $2.50 / sq ft of wall surface
- Ceilings (new install)
- 2× the wall rate
- Full standard room (~16 sheets of board)
- $1,600
Labor rates. Materials we supply are their own lines on the quote, and the exact number comes with the free on-site estimate. See all published rates.
Recent projects near Scarsdale
Drywall Repair in Scarsdale: questions we get
Do you match the existing texture and finish?
The patch is built up to a Level 4 finish, which means smooth, sanded, and paint-ready. Repainting the wall is quoted as its own line so the final color and sheen match once the wall is painted.
How long does a typical drywall patch take?
Most patches take two to three visits because joint compound needs time to dry between coats. Each visit itself is usually short.
Can you work on plaster walls, not just drywall?
Yes. We repair plaster as well as drywall, including sections that are cracked, water-damaged, or coming loose from the lath behind them.
Is there a rule on when work can happen in Scarsdale?
Yes. Construction work and power tools are allowed 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, with no work on Sundays or holidays, and we schedule around that.
Do you provide proof of insurance for a co-op or condo board?
If your building asks for a certificate of insurance, we send ours ahead of the visit.