PLASTER REPAIRS
IN CANBERRA,
FLUSH AND FINISHED.
Holes, cracks, popped screws and ceiling joints repaired flush and ready for paint, across Canberra and Queanbeyan. Fixed price, quoted from photos before we start.
A hole from a door handle. A crack that has run along the ceiling joint since the last wet winter. A screw head that has popped through the paint and left a small bump you keep running your hand over. They are small jobs that sit on a list for months, and they are the first thing an inspector, a buyer or a house guest notices.
Polytechnitis repairs plaster and plasterboard across Canberra and Queanbeyan. We do the repair itself, sanded flush so it disappears, and we are straight about the jobs that need a specialist instead. A patch is only as good as what it is fixed to, and a crack is only fixed if the reason it opened is dealt with.
Plaster and plasterboard repairs Polytechnitis covers
Polytechnitis covers 8 kinds of repair in ordinary Canberra homes and rentals, on standard plasterboard walls and ceilings. Each repair is finished sanded and primed, ready for paint.
- Holes from door handles, furniture, hooks and anchors
- Larger damaged sections cut out and replaced with new plasterboard
- Cracks at door frames, window corners and wall joints
- Cracks along ceiling joints and at the cornice
- Popped screw and nail heads, set and filled
- Open or lifting joint tape re-taped and set
- Chips and impact damage to corners and edges
- Patches left primed, or primed and painted, your choice
Repair methods by size of damage
Polytechnitis repairs plaster by size across 4 cases, small holes, fist-sized holes, cracks and ceilings, because a small fill and a cut-out patch are different jobs, and treating a small fill like a cut-out patch is how repairs fail.
Small holes and dents
Nail holes, picture hooks and small dents are filled, sanded and primed. They are quick, and they are usually done as part of a longer list on the same visit.
Holes the size of a fist or bigger
A larger hole is a different problem. Gyprock's own maintenance guidance notes that where there is a hole the plasterboard core is weakened. Filling over it leaves a patch with nothing behind it. Polytechnitis cuts back to sound sheet, fixes a new piece to a solid backing, then tapes, sets and sands it flush. If the hole came from a door swinging into the wall, the door can be sorted on the same visit under door repairs, which covers hinges, handles and sticking doors.
Cracks, and when a crack is telling you something
A hairline crack at a cornice or above a door frame is cosmetic, and it is repaired by opening it, reinforcing it with tape and setting it flush. A crack that reopens after repair, or that keeps growing, is a different matter. It means something is moving, and filling it again is just paying for the same job twice. Polytechnitis will tell you which of the 2 you have, and a crack that runs through brickwork or looks structural is a question for an engineer, not for us.
Ceilings
Standard plasterboard ceilings are within scope: joint cracks, cornice cracks, popped fixings and small patches. Ceiling work is slower than wall work, because the patch has to be held up while it sets and sanded overhead. A sagging section of ceiling is something else, and we will want to see it before quoting.
Is it safe to repair plaster in a home built before 1990?
Polytechnitis asks the age of the house at the quote stage, because in an older Canberra home the wall or ceiling sheet itself can be the hazard. WorkSafe ACT applies its asbestos advice notice to all homes built in or before 1990, and in the ACT it is given to new owners and tenants as part of sale and tenancy paperwork.
Cutting, sanding or drilling suspect material is not handyman work. If a sheet in an older house could contain asbestos, we stop, tell you why, and point you to a licensed assessor. We would rather lose a quote than put dust in your house and our lungs. A build date on the quote settles which side your home falls on.
How much does plasterboard repair cost in Canberra?
A plaster patch or hole repair in Canberra typically costs $165 to $310 per job and a crack repair $88 to $330, according to What's The Damage in October 2026. Polytechnitis quotes every plaster repair individually from photos, with a fixed price before any work starts and no call-out fee.
| Source | What it measures | Published figure |
|---|---|---|
| What's The Damage, Canberra | Patch or hole repair, per job | $165 to $310, $255 typical |
| What's The Damage, Canberra | Crack repair, per job | $88 to $330, $185 typical |
| What's The Damage, Canberra | Plasterer hourly rate | $55 to $130, $85 average |
A single source is a thin basis for a range, so treat these as a guide to scale rather than a rate card. What moves a real quote is the size of the repair, whether the ceiling is involved, how many separate repairs there are, and whether you want the wall painted afterwards. For what other handyman work costs around town, our handyman prices in Canberra page sets out the market data job by job.
Should you book plaster repair on its own or with painting?
Polytechnitis does both, and the split is simple, with 1 page for each. If the damage is the job, a hole to close or a crack to fix before the tenants return, this is the page. If the repair is part of a repaint, a room being refreshed or a wall being finished, painting and wall repairs covers the prep and the paint together.
When the same team repairs and paints, the patch is sanded with the final finish in mind, and the join is where a repair shows if it is not. Tell us at the quote stage which you want and we will price it that way.
Landlords, agents and end-of-lease holes
Polytechnitis repairs plaster for landlords and property managers as well as owner-occupiers, because holes and cracks are easy to see on a condition report. A tenant moving out, an inspection booked in 2 weeks, a new tenant arriving on the Monday: that is when plaster repairs get booked.
The repair is normally 1 line on a longer list, so it is booked with the rest as a rental repairs visit rather than a separate call-out. The hole behind the door, the cracked cornice in the hallway and the loose door stop all get done together. For the small items on the same list, small jobs covers what we bundle in.
Plaster jobs Polytechnitis does not take on
Polytechnitis lists the plaster jobs it does not take on, so they are not discovered halfway through a quote.
- Sheeting and plastering whole rooms, or skim coating whole walls
- Ornamental, heritage or decorative cornice and ceiling rose work
- Rendering, Venetian plaster and specialty finishes
- Cutting, sanding or drilling any sheet that could contain asbestos
- Structural cracking, which needs an engineer's opinion first
- Fixing the leak behind water-damaged plasterboard, which belongs to a licensed trade
If your job is on that list, we will say so when you send the photos and point you to someone better placed to do it.
Fixed price. Quoted before we start. What you are quoted is what you pay.
Sources for the figures and rules on this page
Polytechnitis publishes the source behind each figure and rule on this page. All 3 were read on their own pages on 8 October 2026 rather than lifted from a search result.
- Canberra patch, crack and hourly figures, What's The Damage, plastering cost in Canberra, marked updated October 2026
- Asbestos advice notice covering homes built in or before 1990, WorkSafe ACT, new ACT asbestos advice notice, in use from 1 July 2023
- Weakened core where there is a hole, and annual inspection advice, Gyprock, plasterboard maintenance
What our customers say
Google reviews that mention plaster and wall repairs.
"We’ve had a few handymen in the past, but Steve was by far the best. He repaired some plaster damage and helped hang shelves. The finish looks great. Felt comfortable having him in our home, which means a lot."
"I recently had Steve from Polytechnitis fix up some shelving and patch up walls after a plumbing job went wrong. He was prompt and very professional, and the price was extremely reasonable. He cleaned up after himself too. Definitely will call again."
"Steve had a tight schedule and wasn't able to take our job, but he made the effort to come to our house to check the job and give us a quote. He finally squeezed the job in his schedule and finished it. He was very honest and clean with his job. Paid attention to every detail. We are very happy with the job that his ve done! job description ( patch and paint gyprock, restore three of our doors and install new locks)"
Common questions
How much does plasterboard repair cost in Canberra?
Published Canberra figures put a patch or hole repair between $165 and $310 per job, with $255 typical, and a crack repair between $88 and $330, with $185 typical. Polytechnitis quotes every job individually from photos, with a fixed price before any work starts and no call-out fee. The size of the hole, whether the ceiling is involved and whether you want it painted afterwards are what move the number.
Can you repair a hole where a door handle went through the wall?
Yes. A hole that size weakens the sheet around it, so Polytechnitis cuts back to sound plasterboard, fixes a new piece to a solid backing, then tapes, sets and sands it flush with the wall. A quick fill over the top would crack within months. Send a photo and the approximate width of the hole and we will quote from that.
Do you repair cracks in ceilings?
Yes, on standard plasterboard ceilings, including cracks along the joints and at the cornice. Polytechnitis opens the crack, reinforces it with tape and sets it flush. A crack that reopens within a season, or one that keeps growing, is telling us the structure is moving, and we will say so rather than fill it again. Ornamental and heritage plaster cornices are specialist work and outside what we take on.
Will the repair be invisible once painted?
It should be, and that depends on the sanding more than the filling. Polytechnitis sands each repair flush with the surrounding wall, so there is no ridge to catch the light. A repaired patch that is painted on its own can still show as a slightly different sheen, so a whole wall or ceiling repaint gives the cleanest result. Tell us at the quote stage which you want.
Can you do the repair and the painting in 1 visit?
Yes. A plaster repair needs time to dry between coats, so a hole repair and repaint is normally a 2 visit job or a long single day, and Polytechnitis will confirm which when it quotes. If you only want the repair done and plan to paint it yourself, we will leave it sanded and primed or ready for your own primer, whichever you prefer.
My house was built before 1990. Is it safe for you to cut into the walls?
Not until we know what the sheet is. WorkSafe ACT applies its asbestos advice notice to all homes built in or before 1990, so Polytechnitis asks the build date at the quote stage. If a wall or ceiling sheet in an older home could contain asbestos, we stop, tell you, and refer you to a licensed assessor rather than cut, sand or drill it.
Do you fix plasterboard that has gone soft or stained from a leak?
Only once the leak is dealt with. Soft or stained plasterboard means water has reached it, and a new patch over a source that is still leaking will fail. Polytechnitis will tell you if the problem looks like plumbing, a roof or a gutter, and refers you to a licensed trade for that part. Once the source is fixed, the damaged section can be repaired.
Tell us what needs doing.
No charge for the quote. No obligation. We'll call back the same day and book a time that suits you.
- Free, no-obligation quote
- A local team, no subcontractors
- Fully insured + police cleared
HOLE IN THE WALL OR A CRACK THAT KEEPS COMING BACK?
Send a photo of the damage with your address and the approximate size, and we will come back with a fixed price.