Most hairline cracks in Melbourne homes are cosmetic, caused by seasonal movement in reactive clay soils, timber shrinkage or normal settling. Cracks that are wider than about 5 mm, stepped through brickwork, growing quickly, or accompanied by doors and windows sticking can indicate structural movement — in that case we'll recommend a structural engineer's assessment before we repair, so the fix lasts.

Yes. A single hole, one cracked cornice join or a patch after removing a wall-mounted TV are all jobs we're happy to take on. We do apply a minimum call-out charge for very small jobs, which is always disclosed in the quote, and we'll often suggest bundling a few small repairs into one visit to keep the cost down.

We leave every repair sanded and paint-ready as standard. Painting itself is quoted separately. We can either arrange a painter for you or leave the surface prepared so your own painter can finish it. For patch repairs we always recommend painting wall-to-wall or corner-to-corner rather than spot painting, because a spot touch-up will usually flash under natural light.

Small patches are usually a single visit. Most repairs involving new sheeting or render need two visits: one to cut out and fix the material, and a second after the compound or render has cured to sand and finish. Setting compound generally needs 24 hours between coats, and cement render needs longer — often several days in cooler Melbourne months — before it can be painted.

As a guide, a small plasterboard patch such as a doorknob hole typically runs about $150–$350, a section of water-damaged ceiling around $400–$900, and a full single-room ceiling replacement roughly $1,200–$2,500. Render crack repairs usually start around $300–$800 depending on length, height and access. Prices vary with access, scaffolding, finish matching and how much painting preparation is required, so we always provide a fixed written quote before starting.

Solid plaster is a wet mix — usually sand and cement, or lime-based in older homes — trowelled directly onto a masonry surface such as brick or block. Plasterboard (often called Gyprock, its most common Australian brand name) is a pre-made sheet of gypsum core wrapped in paper, screwed to timber or steel framing and then jointed and set. Most Melbourne homes built before about 1950 have solid plaster walls; homes built after that are typically plasterboard internally, often with rendered masonry outside.

We cover greater Melbourne, generally within about 50 km of the CBD — including the inner north, inner east, bayside and south-east, the western suburbs and the north-east. Call Mick on  0412 353 007 to confirm we cover your suburb.