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.

How Much Should I Charge as a Handyman?