Drywall Crack Repair in Houston
Most drywall cracks in Houston aren't the drywall's fault. The house moves, and the drywall is the thinnest thing between the framing and your paint. It tears where the stress collects: above doors and windows, and along the seams.
We repair drywall and sheetrock cracks across Greater Houston with taped, feathered joints instead of surface filler, and we'll tell you straight when a crack is a foundation question instead of a drywall one.
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What this covers
- Settling cracks above doors and windows
- Seam and tape cracks
- Inside and outside corner cracks
- Cracks left after foundation repair
- Texture matched to the wall around it
What's the right way to fix a drywall crack?
Filling a crack from the surface doesn't hold, because whatever moved once will move again. The crack gets opened into a shallow V so there's room for new material, and any loose paper and old filler come out. Paper tape goes over it, bedded in joint compound. Then it's floated out wide in thin coats. On a textured wall, the new mud gets textured to match, so the repair doesn't show up as a smooth stripe across the room.
Wide, thin coats are the whole trick. A narrow bead of patch over a crack leaves a ridge you can see once the light hits it. We mud, we sand, we find a spot we missed, we mud again. It's a relationship.
Cracks across a ceiling follow the same rules, with gravity making the work slower. The ceiling repair page covers those, along with sagging drywall and water stains.
Why do drywall cracks keep coming back in Houston?
The clay under most of Houston swells when it's wet and shrinks in a drought. The slab moves with it, and the framing above the slab moves too. Door and window openings are where that movement concentrates, which is why the same crack can show up over the same door every summer.
The February 2021 freeze added its own round as framing moved and pipes burst across town. In Houston, your foundation is going to settle. Your drywall is just the first thing to complain about it.
If the cracks come back every summer, the cheapest prevention is outside the house. A soaker hose along the foundation during dry spells keeps the clay from shrinking as much. Houstonians water their foundations for a reason.
Is my drywall crack a foundation problem?
Usually not. A single hairline crack that stays the same width is normal movement. Be more careful when a crack keeps getting wider or runs diagonally from the corner of a door or window. If one side of the crack sits proud of the other, or doors suddenly start sticking, that points the same way.
In that case, have a foundation company look at it before you pay anyone to patch drywall. A patch over active movement is money you'll spend twice. Once the foundation work is done, the cracks get repaired properly. The guide on cracks above doors walks through the signs in more detail.
What about cracks along seams and corners?
A crack that runs perfectly straight along a seam or up an inside corner is usually the tape, not the house. Tape that wasn't bedded in enough compound can let go over time, and Houston's humidity doesn't help it hold.
The fix is to cut out the loose tape, re-tape with paper tape bedded in compound, and float it out wide so the seam disappears under paint.
How much does drywall crack repair cost in Houston?
Crack repair starts around $250 for up to 8 feet of crack. Longer runs and textured walls cost more. Send a photo and you'll get a straight number before any work starts.
Areas we serve
Serving Bellaire, Clear Lake, Friendswood, Jersey Village, Katy, League City, Manvel, Missouri City, Pearland, Richmond, Rosenberg, Stafford, Sugar Land, and The Woodlands, plus the rest of Greater Houston and Harris County.
Frequently asked questions
How much does drywall crack repair cost in Houston?
Crack repair starts around $250 for up to 8 feet. Longer runs and textured walls cost more. Send a photo for a real number.
Can I fix a drywall crack myself?
A single hairline crack in a wall that isn't moving, yes. Open it slightly and bed paper tape in joint compound. Then feather two or three thin coats out wide. It's worth calling someone when the crack keeps coming back, or when the texture match is the part that beats you.
Will the crack come back after it's repaired?
A crack that's taped and feathered out wide is much less likely to reopen than one filled from the surface. If the foundation is still moving, no patch holds for long, which is why that question comes first.
Do you repair cracks after foundation repair?
Yes. Once the foundation company says its work is done, the cracks get repaired and textured to match. If they suggest waiting for the house to settle first, it makes sense to wait and have every crack done in one visit.
Helpful resources
Get your walls and ceilings looking right.
Tell us what is going on with your drywall and you will get a straight answer and a fair price.