Plaster repair: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering plaster repair

Plaster repair is a skill job, and customers judge it by how invisible the patch is after paint. Win the job by finding the cause of the crack and showing the layers you will use before the work starts.

What customers ask

  • Will the crack come back after you repair it?
  • Can you match the texture on my wall or ceiling?
  • Do you have to take the whole wall down?
  • How long do I have to wait before I paint?
  • What causes the plaster to pull away from the lath?

How to win the job

  • Tap the wall on the first visit and mark every hollow area, then photograph the cracks and show the customer the sound and the unsound areas.
  • Check the cause of any crack that moves, such as framing movement or water, and note the finding in the proposal before the repair.
  • Name the bonding coat, the base coat and the finish coat in the quote, and explain the drying time for each layer.
  • Show the texture match on a test patch, and let the customer see the finish before the full repair is done.
  • Quote the lath repair or the washer securing as its own line, so the customer sees the structural side of the work.
  • Explain the paint and sheen choice on a freshly repaired area, since flat paint hides the patch better than gloss.
  • Schedule the drying time between coats and state the date the room can be painted.

What to put on your profile

  • Before and after photos of plaster repairs, with the crack and the patch visible in raking light
  • Close-up photos of the washer securing and the lath repair before the patch goes on
  • Photos of a texture match on a test patch next to the surrounding wall
  • A list of the plaster types and finishes you repair, such as lime plaster and gypsum plaster

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • A care note for the repaired area, with the first paint check date
  • A check visit after the first heating season to look at the crack line and any new movement
  • A quote for a room-wide plaster refresh, offered only if the customer asks

Licenses and permits

Plaster repair commonly does not need a license, but lath or structural work may require a permit and qualified contracting. Confirm your business registration and insurance in your state and locality before you take the job.

Questions

Should I warranty a crack repair?

Warranty the workmanship on the patch and state that the warranty does not cover new movement in the building. Explain that a crack that keeps moving needs a cause repair first.

What if the plaster is lead-containing or the wall is old?

Test before sanding or cutting, because older plaster and paint can contain lead or other hazards. Use the right methods and protection, or refer the work to a firm trained for it.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

Edit history

More remodeling, painting and floors guides for pros

Start here

About this guide

Get plaster repair requests

Customers pick you by name. Signup is free, and you pay only for leads you accept.

Join as a pro
Sign up free