Drywall & Plaster Repair
Invisible patches, flat walls, no callbacks.
Drywall & Plaster Repair covers the single most requested handyman job in the country. It proves you can cut, hang, tape, mud, texture, and blend a repair so the customer cannot find it once the paint dries. Everything below is free — no login, no paywall. Work through the skill areas, drill them in Study Mode, and when you're ready, prove it with the certification exam.
Your readiness to certify
Drill all 0 concepts in Study Mode. Mark each one “Got it” once you know it cold. When every concept is cleared, you're ready for the DRY exam.
What you'll be able to do
- Drywall types and thickness: standard, moisture-resistant, mold-resistant, Type X fire-rated
- Patch methods by hole size — from nail pops to full sheet replacement
- California (butterfly) patch and backer-block techniques
- Taping: paper tape vs mesh, and where each one fails
- Joint compound families — taping, topping, all-purpose, and setting-type hot mud
- Coat sequence, feathering, and sanding without gouging
- Corner bead repair: metal, vinyl, and paper-faced
- Texture matching — knockdown, orange peel, skip trowel, smooth level 5
- Plaster and lath repair in older homes
- Dust control, containment, and negative-air setup
Skill areas
Jump to any area — each lesson teaches the system from the ground up, then recaps the key takeaways you'll drill in Study Mode.
Studied the material? Get DRY certified.
The Drywall & Plaster Repair exam turns what you just learned into a verifiable credential drivers and shops can look up. 45 questions · 60 minutes · 75% to pass · $19.99.
Studying here is free forever. There's no obligation to take the exam.
Real-world cost guides for this system.
See what customers pay for the jobs this track teaches — parts, labor hours, and state-by-state ranges from our repair cost estimator.