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Handyman pricing calculator: what to charge per job and per hour

The short answer

Add your hours and drive time at what you need to earn, add materials, then divide by what’s left after overhead and profit. Fixr lists handyman rates at $50 to $100 an hour, with $130 the most common minimum. Thumbtack’s figures put most jobs at $134 to $460, and a full day at $652 to $1,842.

Small jobs lose money if your drive isn’t in the price. Enter a typical job to see what it needs to bring in, and what that works out to per hour.

What to charge

$263.64

$87.88 per hour. About 3 hours on site.

Labor, with drive time: $105.00
Materials and small parts: $40.00
Overhead: $65.91
Profit: $52.73
Brought in per hour the crew is tied up: $75.32

How it works

Price = (labor + supplies) ÷ (1 − overhead share − profit share). Dividing, rather than adding a percent, makes sure overhead and profit are the shares of the price you wanted.

Worked example: a 3 hour job with materials, using made-up numbers
Line	Amount
Labor, with drive time (1 at $30 an hour)	$105.00
Materials and small parts	$40.00
Overhead (25% of the price)	$65.91
Profit (20% of the price)	$52.73
Price	$263.64

What customers see

Published handyman prices
Job	Price	Source
Per hour	$50 to $100	Fixr, January 30, 2025
Most common minimum	$130	Fixr, January 30, 2025
Most jobs	$134 to $460	Thumbtack, November 2, 2026
Under 2 hours	$101 to $257	Thumbtack, November 2, 2026
2 to 5 hours	$212 to $568	Thumbtack, November 2, 2026
Full day	$652 to $1,842	Thumbtack, November 2, 2026

Sources: Fixr (opens in a new tab) and Thumbtack (opens in a new tab). Thumbtack’s are job totals, not hourly rates.

Flat rate or hourly?

Hourly protects you on jobs you can’t see into, such as repairs. Flat prices suit jobs you’ve done many times, such as mounting a TV, and you keep the benefit of being fast. Many owners set a minimum for either. Check your state’s rules too, because licensing limits on handyman work differ.

Common questions

How much should a handyman charge per hour?

Fixr lists $50 to $100 an hour. Work out your own with the hourly rate calculator, since your costs and market decide what you can charge.

What’s a fair minimum charge?

Enough to cover your drive and setup on the smallest job you’ll take. Fixr says $130 is the most common minimum.

Should I mark up materials?

Many owners do, because buying and picking up materials takes time. Use the markup calculator to see what your markup earns.

Should I charge for drive time?

Build it into your minimum or your flat prices, or charge a separate service call fee. The calculator includes it so you can see the cost.

More free tools

Handyman invoice template
List each small job, materials and your minimum charge.
Hourly rate calculator
Find the hourly rate that covers your pay, overhead and profit.
Markup and margin calculator
Price products and jobs at the margin or markup you want, and see the difference.

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