Resources · Pricing
How long does the job actually take?
This is not a list of what to charge. It's a list of how long jobs take — measured on real jobs, over ten years in the field. The dollars are yours to set.
Charge by the job, not by the hour. When you quote hourly, you get punished for being good: the faster you work, the less you make. Quote the job and your efficiency stays in your pocket.
But you can't price a job until you know how long it takes. That's what this is for.
I charged $175 an hour in my handyman business. That is not what you should charge. Your rate depends on your market, your overhead, and what you need to take home. A kitchen faucet is one hour — so if your rate is $80, a kitchen faucet is $80. If it's $150, it's $150. The time doesn't change. The number does.
Put your own rate in the box and the whole list re-prices itself.
Your hourly rate
Don't know your number yet? Work it out with the Hourly Rate Audit Calculator first — then come back here.
Set a minimum
Use these as a starting point — then time yourself.
These are my times, from my crew, on the homes in my market. They are a place to start, not a standard you have to hit.
Put a timer on the next ten jobs you run and write down what you actually get. If a kitchen faucet takes you ninety minutes, then a kitchen faucet is ninety minutes for you — price it that way and stop giving away the half hour. If you beat my time, that's money you earned and you keep it.
Then check your own numbers again in a few months, because they'll change as you get faster. The list that makes you money is the one you built from your own stopwatch.
Caulking
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| R&R around kitchen sink | 45 min | |
| R&R around bathtub / shower | 2 hr | |
| R&R around toilet | 15 min |
Electrical
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| Light switch R&R | 30 min | |
| Outlet R&R | 30 min | |
| New outlet install (source in same stud cavity) running wire | 1 hr | |
| Brand new electrical for ceiling fixture | 2 hr | |
| Light fixture R&R | 1 hr | |
| Ceiling fan R&R | 1 hr | |
| Ceiling fan R&R (more than 54") | 1 hr 30 min | |
| Replace J-box with fan-rated J-box | 45 min | |
| Replace bathroom vent fan labor only | 2 hr | |
| Install new bathroom vent fan labor only | 4 hr |
Plumbing
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen faucet R&R | 1 hr | |
| Bathroom faucet R&R | 1 hr | |
| Bath sink pop-up replace | 30 min | |
| Shower head replacement | 21 min | |
| Garbage disposal R&R | 1 hr 15 min | |
| Dishwasher R&R | 2 hr | |
| Clean air gap | 30 min | |
| R&R toilet fill valve and flapper | 30 min | |
| 1-piece toilet R&R | 1 hr 15 min | |
| 2-piece toilet R&R | 1 hr 30 min | |
| Angle stop R&R | 45 min |
Doors
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior prehung R&R | 4 hr | |
| Interior prehung R&R | 2 hr | |
| Lockset + deadbolt R&R | 30 min | |
| Front door handleset + deadbolt R&R | 45 min | |
| Push-in weather stripping R&R | 30 min | |
| Screw-on weather stripping R&R | 45 min | |
| Bottom door weather stripping R&R | 30 min | |
| Peep hole installed | 45 min |
Drywall
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 — patch (hot mud, tape, 1 coat) | 2 hr | |
| Level 2 — top coat, prepped for primer | 4 hr | |
| Level 3 — as close to a match as possible | 6 hr | |
| Level 4 — textured to match | 8 hr | |
| Level 5 — blue tape finish | 10 hr |
Fence
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| 4x4 fence post R&R | 2 hr 30 min | |
| 4x4 fence post new install | 2 hr | |
| 2 3/8" metal post install | 1 hr | |
| Dog-eared 8 ft fence panel build | 45 min | |
| Flat-top 8 ft fence panel build | 1 hr | |
| Gate build | 2 hr 30 min | |
| Replace latch board on home | 15 min |
Sprinklers
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| Typical pop-up sprinkler head R&R | 30 min | |
| Sprinkler head riser R&R | 30 min | |
| Pop-up impact sprinkler (canister) | 1 hr | |
| Sprinkler timer R&R | 36 min | |
| Sprinkler valve R&R | 42 min |
Attic
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| Attic ladder R&R | 4 hr 30 min | |
| Light + switch run in attic (from opener outlet) | 1 hr 15 min | |
| Install 3/4" plywood in attic per sheet | 27 min |
Mounting & Hanging
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| TV mount, 50" and below | 1 hr | |
| TV mount, 55" and above | 2 hr | |
| Hang small picture, 10" x 10" | 15 min | |
| Hang medium picture, 24" x 24" | 30 min | |
| Hang large picture, 48" x 48" | 45 min | |
| Hang mirror, any size | 45 min | |
| Curtains / blinds, typical 24"–48" | 30 min | |
| Curtains / blinds, wide window 50"+ | 1 hr |
Hardware
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| Towel bar | 30 min | |
| TP holder | 30 min | |
| 1-hole cabinet pull / knob each | 5 min | |
| 2-hole cabinet pull each | 6 min |
Exterior
| Job | Typical time | Your price |
|---|---|---|
| Gutter cleaning, 1 story (~1,200 sq ft home) | 2 hr |
Flat Rate Jobs
I priced these as a flat fee rather than by the clock, so they don't move with your rate. These were my numbers in Northern California — time yourself on a few and set your own.
| Job | Allen's price |
|---|---|
| Dryer vent cleaning — single story | $225 |
| Dryer vent cleaning — 2 story | $275 |
| R&R wax ring and bolts | $250 |
| HVAC filter R&R | $40 |
| Smoke detector — replace batteries (labor) | $20 |
| Smoke detector — replace hardwired unit (labor) | $55 |
Knowing the time is step one. Pricing the business is step two.
Most handymen aren't underpriced because they guess wrong on a faucet. They're underpriced because nobody ever showed them how to build the number in the first place.
A word on these numbers: they come from one handyman business in Northern California, run by a crew that had done these jobs hundreds of times. A job you've never done will take longer, and that's normal — build in the learning. Access, age of the home, and what you find once the panel comes off will all move the clock. Use these as a benchmark to price against, not a promise to your customer.