Handyman Hourly Rate: What to Charge
Handyman rates typically run $50–$100 per hour, with a trip charge or one-hour minimum ($75–$150) to cover drive time and setup on short jobs. Materials are usually marked up 10–20% over cost to cover the sourcing trip, and a visit with several small unrelated tasks is priced as one combined job with its own line items, not several separate minimums.
Hourly rate, with a floor underneath it
$50–$100 per hour is the standard range, varying by region and the complexity of the work. Under that, set a trip charge or one-hour minimum ($75–$150) — without one, a quick fix that’s mostly drive time barely covers gas and doesn’t reflect the value of showing up at all.
Bundling small tasks into one visit
Homeowners often have a list: a leaky faucet, a loose cabinet hinge, a squeaky door. Price the whole list as one visit, not several separate minimum charges:
- Estimate total time across the full list.
- Apply your hourly rate to the combined total.
- Add materials, marked up, as their own line.
This is usually a better deal for the customer than four separate minimums, and better for you than one visit priced like the smallest task on the list.
Materials markup
A 10–20% markup over materials cost is standard and compensates for the sourcing trip — driving to get a part is time you’re not spending on billable labor elsewhere. Show it as its own line rather than folding it into the hourly total, so the customer can see labor and materials separately.
When to quote flat instead of hourly
For a well-defined task you’ve done many times — hanging a specific size of TV mount, replacing a standard faucet — a flat rate protects your pay the same way it does for any trade: you get faster with repetition, and hourly pricing punishes speed. Reserve hourly for the genuinely unpredictable jobs.
Put the task list on the invoice
However the visit was quoted, list each task completed as its own line on the invoice. It’s the reference a customer needs if they call back about one specific item from that day’s list.
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge a trip or minimum fee?
Yes — a one-hour minimum or flat trip charge ($75–$150) protects you on short jobs where drive time and setup take longer than the task itself. Without it, a 20-minute fix barely covers gas.
Should I mark up materials?
Yes, typically 10–20% over cost. It compensates for the time spent sourcing and picking up materials, which is real work even though it's not billed as labor hours.
How do I price a visit with several small tasks?
As one combined job — total the estimated time across all tasks and quote it as a single visit, rather than applying a separate minimum charge to each individual task.