Updated October 2026
How This Handyman Calculator Works
Handyman work is a list of small, different tasks, so the calculator prices each task on its own and then adds them up. Each task has a materials allowance and a labor-hour allowance:
Task cost = materials + (labor hours × labor rate)
Bid = sum of tasks × (1 + overhead/profit %)
These are the allowances it uses for each task type. They're built in, so if your experience is different, use a Custom line instead.
| Task | Materials | Labor |
|---|---|---|
| Drywall patch: small (~1 ft²) | $15 | 0.5 hr |
| Drywall patch: medium (~4 ft²) | $35 | 1.5 hr |
| Drywall patch: large (~9 ft²) | $65 | 3.0 hr |
| Interior door (pre-hung) | $150 | 2.0 hr |
| Exterior door | $350 | 3.0 hr |
| Faucet | $85 | 1.5 hr |
| Light fixture | $60 | 1.0 hr |
| Outlet / switch | $15 | 0.5 hr |
| Ceiling fan | $120 | 2.0 hr |
| Tile | ft² × tile cost × 1.10 waste | 0.12 hr/ft² (×1.5 with demo) |
| Caulking | $0.25/ft | 50 ft/hr |
| Weatherstripping | $0.60/ft | 40 ft/hr |
Materials are allowances for the item itself. If the customer buys the faucet or fixture, use a Custom line with materials set to $0 and the same labor hours.
About the drywall allowances
Drywall patch hours cover the time you're actually working: cutting, setting the patch, taping, and applying several coats of mud. They don't cover drying time. A patch that needs three coats with drying in between either means coming back another day or working on other tasks while it dries. If you have to come back, the extra trip has to be priced. See "Trip charges and minimums" below.
Choosing Your Settings
Labor rate
The default is $65/hr. Handyman rates usually run higher than single-trade labor rates. You carry tools for a dozen trades, you spend a bigger share of the day driving and buying parts, and each job is small, so setup time is a bigger share of every ticket. Start from what an hour costs you (your target pay grossed up for self-employment tax and insurance) and check it against your local market.
Overhead / profit
This is a markup on the whole estimate, including materials. It covers your truck, insurance, tools, phone, and advertising, plus your profit. Small-ticket work carries more overhead per dollar than big projects do, so be careful about copying a percentage that a remodeler uses.
Trip Charges and Minimums
This is the most important thing to understand about pricing handyman work, and the calculator doesn't do it automatically. Look at what a single outlet replacement comes to at the defaults:
$15 materials + (0.5 hr × $65) = $47.50
× 1.20 overhead/profit = $57
That $57 has to cover driving there and back, parking, unloading, the walkthrough with the homeowner, and cleaning up. If those take an hour, you were paid about $38 an hour for 1.5 hours of your time, before gas. Small jobs lose money unless you price the visit itself.
There are two common ways to handle this. Pick one and add it as a Custom line on every estimate:
- Trip charge: a flat fee per visit that covers travel and setup, added to the task prices.
- Minimum charge: no visit costs less than a set amount, often equal to one or two hours of labor. Tasks count toward it, and customers are encouraged to fill the visit with more work.
A minimum also lets you say something useful to the customer: "My minimum covers two hours, so is there anything else you'd like done while I'm there?" That's how a $57 outlet turns into a $300 visit.
Worked Example: A Typical To-Do List Visit
A homeowner's list: two medium drywall patches from a moved TV mount, a new light fixture, two outlets, and re-caulking about 40 feet around a tub and two windows. All settings at their defaults ($65/hr, 20%).
| Task | Materials | Hours | Line cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall, medium × 2 | $70 | 3.0 | $265 |
| Light fixture × 1 | $60 | 1.0 | $125 |
| Outlet × 2 | $30 | 1.0 | $95 |
| Caulking, 40 ft | $10 | 0.8 | $62 |
| Subtotal | $547 | ||
| Overhead / profit (20%) | $109 | ||
| Bid | $656 | ||
Before sending it: the drywall patches need mud and paint to dry, so this is realistically a two-visit job. Add a trip charge for the second visit, or a Custom line for the return trip. Also decide whether paint touch-up over the patches is included. Write it into the scope either way, because "you didn't paint it?" is a common complaint.
What This Calculator Doesn't Include
- Trip charges and minimums, as described above. Add them as a Custom line.
- Tile setting materials. The tile line covers only the tile plus 10% waste. Thinset, grout, backer board, membrane, and trim pieces can add up to a lot. Add them in a Custom line.
- Paint after drywall repair. Matching existing paint and sheen often means repainting the whole wall. Price it separately, or use the painting estimate calculator.
- Hidden conditions. Rotted jambs, out-of-plumb openings, aluminum wiring, or a corroded shutoff valve can turn a simple task into a long one. Include a line in your terms about how you handle what you find once you open things up.
- Parts runs. If you'll need to stop at the supply store during the job, that time is real. Build it into your trip charge or minimum.
A note on licensed work
Rules for handyman work differ from state to state, and sometimes by city. Many places require a license for electrical or plumbing work, or above a certain job value. Check your local rules before quoting fixture, outlet, or faucet work, and make sure your insurance covers the work you're doing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should handymen charge by the hour or by the job?
Flat pricing per task is easier for customers to say yes to, and you keep the benefit when you're fast. That's the approach this calculator takes. Hourly billing works for open-ended or diagnostic work where you can't know the scope until you start. Many handymen use both: flat prices for common tasks, and hourly for everything else.
How much should I charge for a trip charge or minimum?
Work it out from your own costs. Time your average round trip plus setup and cleanup, and multiply by your labor rate. That's the least a visit has to bring in before any task. Many handymen set the minimum at one to two hours of labor.
Should I mark up materials?
Yes. Buying, picking up, and warrantying parts takes time and carries risk. The overhead/profit percentage in this calculator applies to materials as well as labor, so materials are marked up automatically. If the customer supplies the parts, enter $0 materials with a Custom line.
How long does a drywall patch take?
The hands-on time is short. The calculator allows 0.5 to 3 hours depending on size. Drying time between coats is what stretches it out. Fast-setting compound can let you finish small patches in one visit. Larger patches usually need a second trip, so price for it.
Is my estimate saved or sent anywhere?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser and nothing you enter is sent to a server. Use Copy Estimate or Print / Save PDF to keep a copy.