What the Market Is Paying: 2025-2026 Benchmarks
- According to HomeGuide, many self-employed handymen charge $50–$80/hour for routine work.
- More recent data from Housecall Pro, updated in 2025, shows that for general handyman work, typical hourly rates now tend to be $60–$85/hour, with upper-end (specialized or complex tasks) reaching $100–$150/hour.
- According to Angi, many small repairs or home-services jobs cost between $176 and $690 total, depending on materials and complexity.
Bottom line: If you’re starting out or doing basic jobs, $50–$80/hr is common. For skilled work, complex tasks, or jobs needing specialized tools or licensing, $75–$150/hr is reasonable.
What You Must Cover And Why “Hourly Rate” Isn’t Enough
When calculating what you should charge, don’t just think about time. You also have to account for:
- Materials and parts (paint, hardware, fixtures…)
- Travel and fuel costs
- Tool wear and replacement costs
- Overhead: marketing, insurance, admin time, downtime between jobs
- Taxes, permits, insurance (if required in your area)
- Your desired profit margin
A lot of “cheap handyman” rates ignore these costs, and that’s how good workers end up losing money.
As outlined by ServiceTitan, careful cost-estimating is key: labor, materials, overhead, travel, unexpected job changes, all of it adds up.
How to Calculate YOUR Baseline Rate
Here’s a simple way to calculate a minimum hourly rate that covers all your costs, and lets you make profit.
- Sum up your monthly business expenses (insurance, vehicle costs, tools, office, marketing, downtime, etc.) + your personal living expenses.
- Estimate how many billable hours you expect per month (after admin time, downtime, travel, etc.).
- Then: Base hourly cost = Total monthly expenses ÷ Billable hours
- Add a profit margin + buffer for unexpected costs (materials price changes, extra travel, delays).
Several trade-business guides recommend this approach for steady, sustainable pricing.
When Flat-Rate (Per Job) Makes Sense
Hourly pricing works when:
- Job scope/complexity is uncertain
- You expect unexpected work, delays, or unknowns
Flat-rate makes sense when:
- You know exactly what you and materials deliver
- The job is repetitive or predictable (e.g. fixture installation, painting a small room)
Many handymen use a hybrid model: flat-rate for standard, predictable jobs + hourly for uncertain ones. This gives transparency to customers and protects your margins.
Example – How You Might Price a Job
Suppose:
- Your base hourly cost (after expenses) is $40/hr
- You add 30% profit buffer + misc costs → that brings effective labor cost to ~$52/hr
- Job: install a ceiling fan — estimated time: 2 hours
- Materials: fan + mounting parts — $120
- Travel and minor supplies — $20
Then you might quote:
Labor: 2 hrs × $52 = $104
Materials & supplies: $140
Total quote: $244
If you instead quoted hourly at higher end ($75/hr), you’d charge:
2 hrs × $75 = $150 + $140 supplies = $290
The flat-rate may seem more transparent for the client; hourly gives flexibility if scope first changes.
What to Charge: A Guideline
| Service Quality / Complexity | Suggested Minimum Rate / Quote |
|---|---|
| Basic handyman tasks (small fixes, cosmetic repairs) | $50–$70/hr or $100–$250 flat |
| Skilled or mid-complexity work (light carpentry, fixture install, repairs) | $70–$100/hr or $250–$500 job |
| Complex jobs (multiple skills, heavy labor, multiple-day) | $90–$150/hr or $500+ per project |
Adjust up or down depending on your area (urban vs rural), demand, your skill, and job difficulty.
Key Takeaways
- Charging must cover all costs + profit margin + risk, cheap hourly rates almost always underpay you
- Use a cost-based hourly rate as your baseline
- Use flat-rate for predictable work when possible
- Reevaluate pricing regularly, materials, fuel, overhead, demand change fast
- When in doubt, lean toward slightly higher pricing, quality, reliability, and professionalism attract clients even more than rock-bottom rates
Use this as your pricing checklist, and you’ll avoid undercharging and chronic losses.