How to Patch Drywall

Whether your hole is tiny or bigger than a breadbox, there's more than one effective way to patch the hole in your drywall.
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By Bob Vila

Updated on Jun 28, 2024 3:03 PM EDT

Woman uses mesh drywall tape to cover a hole in drywall.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

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Sooner or later, most of us need to patch drywall, whether for purely cosmetic reasons—filling nail holes, for example—or for comfort or safety—say, a hole has left wiring exposed. Although accomplishing the latter requires a greater investment of time, rest assured that a do-it-yourself solution exists, no matter the scale of the repair. Read on for guidelines for patching drywall in small-, medium-, and large-size projects.

Patching a Small Area

A small hole in drywall that's painted light blue.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

The smaller the hole, the easier it is to patch. This DIY should only take you a few minutes, not including drying time.

SUPPLIES

Sandpaper or sanding block
Spackling paste
Putty knife

Step 1: Start the process by sanding the area smooth.

Woman using a sanding block to sand a small hole in drywall.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Step 2: Load a bit of spackling paste onto your putty knife and apply the product directly to the hole. Work in enough of the paste so that it leaves a small mound over the hole, then press the flat side of the knife firmly against the mound in order to flatten it.

Step 3: Finally, swipe the blade in a broad motion across the repaired area, leaving the filled-in hole perfectly level with the finished drywall.

Woman swipes a putty knife over a drywall hole filled with joint compound.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Step 4: Allow the spackling sufficient time to dry. Dry times vary, so refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for an accurate estimate. Sand lightly when dry.

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Patching a Medium-Size Area

Drywall tape, sanding block, putty knife, and joint compound on a table.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

If you want to patch a somewhat larger hole—an area with a diameter of 1 or 2 inches—the process becomes slightly more complicated, if only because it involves a material you might not have on hand: mesh tape. (You can buy mesh tape either as a roll or as a precut square.)

SUPPLIES

Sandpaper or sanding block
Putty knife
Joint compound
Drywall mesh tape

Step 1: Sand the area to be patched with sandpaper or a sanding block.

Woman uses a sanding block to sand a medium-sized hole in drywall.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Step 2: Completely cover the hole with mesh. This now becomes the base to which you’ll add joint compound, a product that goes on like spackling paste but achieves a stronger result.

Woman covers a hole in drywall with drywall mesh tape.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Step 3: As you spread the joint compound, pay special attention to the seams where the mesh tape meets the surrounding drywall. Once you can no longer see the tape, use the putty knife to flatten the mounded joint compound, then scrape the surface in wide, smooth side-to-side movements that create an even finish.

Woman uses putty knife to spread joint compound over mesh drywall tape.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Step 4: Finally, allow the joint compound to dry for about 8 hours—consult the manufacturer’s directions for guidance on the product you’re using—before sanding and repainting the wall.

Patching a Large Area

A larger patch involves a commensurately greater commitment of time and effort to complete. In fact, the patching process here is not very different from the one that was used to install your drywall in the first place.

SUPPLIES

Screwdriver, joint compound, drywall saw and other drywall repair materials on a table.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Drywall panel
Utility knife
Drywall saw
Drywall screws
Screwdriver
Drywall mesh tape
Putty knife
Joint compound
Sandpaper or sanding block

Step 1: Use a drywall saw to cut evenly around the problem area. You should be left with a hole that’s rectangular in shape. Use a utility knife to clean up the edges, if necessary. If possible, make your hole big enough to expose one of the wall studs. Failing that, you’ll need to run a wooden member horizontally between the two closest studs. Why? You’re going to fill the hole in the wall with a piece of new drywall, and that piece needs a surface to which it can be securely attached.

Woman uses drywall saw to cut a square around large hole in drywall.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Step 2: Use a drywall saw to cut out a section of the drywall panel. Measure and cut carefully, as the piece must fit perfectly into the rectangle you’ve cut in the wall. Once you’re certain that you’ve got a snug fit, use drywall screws to attach the new drywall to the stud (or horizontal member).

Woman uses drywall screws to attach drywall patch to wall stud.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Step 3: Apply mesh tape over all the seams between the patch and the existing drywall.

Woman tapes edges of a drywall patch with drywall mesh tape.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Step 4: Load your putty knife with joint compound and proceed to cover the mesh completely. (Don’t forget to smooth compound over the drywall screws, too.) Use the blade of the putty knife to flatten out the compound in any spots where it’s mounded, then scrape across the seams in wide strokes, either side-to-side or top-to-bottom, depending on the orientation of the mesh.

Using joint compound to cover a patched hole in drywall.
Photo: Tom Fenenga for Bob Vila

Step 5: Allow the compound to dry for about eight hours before you begin the final stage: sanding the patched area and repainting the freshly repaired drywall.