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How much to charge for handyman work, by the hour or by the job
A handyman day is a list: hang a TV, fix a running toilet, patch two holes, adjust a sticking door. Some jobs take ten minutes and some take three hours, and the customer wants a number before you start. Here's how to set an hourly rate, a minimum and a trip charge, when a flat price per job works better, what published guides and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show, and a worked example.
Set your hourly rate first
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has no separate handyman group; the closest is general maintenance and repair workers, with a median wage of $23.84 an hour, or $49,590 a year, in May 2025. The lowest 10% earned less than $35,350 and the highest 10% more than $77,180. Those are employees, mostly keeping one employer's buildings running, and BLS pay figures don't include the self-employed.
Your rate as a self-employed handyman has to cover the van, tools, insurance, the trips to the hardware store and every hour you spend quoting. Build it from your own yearly costs and billable hours, as in how to price a job, then compare it with the market.
What published guides show
HomeAdvisor's handyman cost guide, updated June 2026, puts handyperson rates at $50 to $150 an hour, depending on location and experience. HomeGuide's handyman prices guide, written in August 2023, splits it: $50 to $80 an hour for self-employed handymen and $75 to $125 for a company, plus materials.
| Published range | |
|---|---|
| Hourly, self-employed | $50 to $80 |
| Hourly, company | $75 to $125 |
| Per day | $320 to $600 |
| Minimum charge | $75 to $200 |
| Trip charge | $30 to $80 |
| Materials markup | 20% to 50% or more |
HomeGuide handyman prices guide, written August 29, 2023. Hourly rates exclude materials, minimums and trip charges. What homeowners are quoted, not a recommendation.
By the hour or by the job?
Hourly is safest when you can't see the job: an old faucet that won't come off, a door that might need a new frame. A price per job works for tasks you've done many times, such as a TV mount, a toilet swap or a smoke alarm, because the customer gets a firm number and you get paid for being quick.
HomeGuide (2023) sizes jobs the same way: small jobs under two hours at $50 to $250, medium jobs under five hours at $250 to $500, and large jobs of five hours to a few days at $500 to $1,500.
Build every flat price from hours × rate + materials, then save it so you charge the same next time. If the job turns out bigger once you open it up, stop and re-price before you go on; estimate vs quote explains which word protects you.
Minimums, trip charges and licenses
A minimum makes the 15-minute visit worth the drive. HomeGuide (2023) describes it as either a higher rate for the first hour or a minimum number of hours. Its trip charge is mainly for going out to buy materials, which can carry a 20% to 50% markup. Get the customer's whole list onto one visit and the minimum stops mattering. More in service call fees and trip charges.
Licensing is the other limit. HomeGuide notes many states require a handyman license for jobs over a set size, with thresholds from $500 to $10,000, and electrical or plumbing work may need a licensed tradesperson. Check your state's rules before you quote bigger work, and on whether your labor is subject to sales tax.
A worked example: a three-item visit
Example numbers, not a quote: $70 an hour, a 25% materials markup and a two-hour minimum. The list is a TV mount (1 hour), a faucet the customer already bought (1.5 hours) and two drywall patches (1 hour), with $18 of patch material and anchors.
The last line below is why it pays to ask for the whole list before you book the visit.
- Labor: 3.5 hours × $70 = $245
- Materials: $18 × 1.25 = $22.50
- Total: $245 + $22.50 = $267.50
- Minimum: 2 hours × $70 = $140, so $267.50 stands
- A callback for one patch that takes well under an hour: the $140 minimum applies
Putting the price on paper
In Workeey you set your rates once: hourly, travel, call-out, first hour, evenings and weekends, parts markup and a deposit percent. Save the jobs you do often, a TV mount or a toilet swap, as lines with a name and a price. A quick estimate prices from those, and you share it from your phone as a quote PDF with the deposit percent printed on it. The customer says yes to you directly.
When the work is done, one tap turns the estimate into the invoice, emailed with a pay link for card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or US bank transfer through your own Stripe account; a small processing fee applies. The free plan includes 23 quick estimates a month and unlimited invoicing; Pro is $5 a month and Premium $19 (pricing). Start from the handyman estimate template, or see Workeey for handymen.
More for handymen: pages and free templates
- Handyman software — a day of small jobs in one app
- Invoicing for handymen — every task its own line
- How to start a handyman business — a step-by-step guide to going out on your own
- Best apps for a handyman business — the apps for this trade compared
- Handyman invoice template — free, with a filled-in sample
- Handyman estimate template — a free quote sample
- Handyman receipt template — a free paid-in-full sample
- Handyman price list template — free, with sample prices
- Handyman work order template — free, with a filled-in sample
- Free invoice template — every field a trade invoice needs
- Free estimate template — copy it, price it, send it
- Free receipt template — a paid-in-full receipt to copy
- Work order template — the job written down before you bill it
- Late payment reminder templates — texts, emails and a letter to copy and send
- All free templates and tools
How much should a handyman charge per hour?
HomeAdvisor's guide (June 2026) puts handyperson rates at $50 to $150 an hour; HomeGuide's 2023 guide lists $50 to $80 for self-employed handymen. Set yours from your own costs and billable hours, then compare.
What is a handyman minimum charge?
The least you'll bill for a visit, so short jobs still cover the drive. HomeGuide (2023) puts it at $75 to $200, charged as a higher first-hour rate or a minimum number of hours.
Should I charge for materials separately?
When you price by the hour, yes: list materials at cost plus your markup. A flat price per job usually includes them. HomeGuide (2023) lists material markups of 20% to 50%.
Do handymen charge a trip fee?
Some do. HomeGuide (2023) lists trip charges of $30 to $80, mainly for going out to buy materials. Many handymen fold travel into a minimum instead.
How do I price a job I've never done?
By the hour, with a written estimate of the hours and a promise to call before going over. Once you've done it a few times, turn it into a flat price.