California (Butterfly) Patch a 2-6" Hole

Category: Drywall · Difficulty: Intermediate · Time: 1.5h · Estimated cost: $26

Tools needed

Cut a patch 2" oversize
Cut a square of 1/2" drywall about 2" larger than the hole on every side.
Duration: 10 min
Score and peel the wings
Flip the patch face-down. Score the back paper 1" in on all four sides, snap and peel away the gypsum core, leaving a 1" paper 'wing' flap all around the front face.
Duration: 15 min
Trace and open the wall
Center the gypsum plug over the hole and trace it. Cut the wall to that line with a jab saw — feel for wires or pipes first and cut shallow.
Duration: 10 min
Butter and set the patch
Spread mud on the wall around the opening and on the back of the paper wings. Push the plug in flush and bed the wings flat like tape, squeezing out excess with the 6" knife.
Duration: 15 min
Coat and feather
Skim two progressively wider coats over the wings with the 12" knife, feathering well past the edges. Use setting-type mud for the first coat so it won't crack.
Duration: 20 min
Sand, prime, paint
Sand flush with a 220 sponge, seal with primer/PVA so the patch doesn't flash, then paint two thin coats feathered into the wall.
Duration: 20 min

Assume wires and pipes are behind the wall — cut shallow and kill the breaker for any nearby outlets or switches.
Wear a dust mask and eye protection when cutting and sanding.

If the hole is bigger than ~6", or there's a stud, wire, or pipe right behind it, step up to a backer-strip or stud-to-stud patch — or call a pro.