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Free handyman price calculator: price a repair list

Price a handyman job one task at a time. Set each task to a flat price or your hourly rate, add the parts and materials from your receipts with your markup, mark the parts the customer buys, add a trip charge, apply your minimum, and see the price, the hours, and what the labor pays per hour. Then print a one-page quote. No signup, and nothing you type leaves your browser.

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Set your price list once, then type in each job. Jump to the price, how to price a handyman job, or what a handyman quote should include. Texts for first contact, booking, and follow-ups are on the handyman text templates page.

Sample prices The prices below are made up so you can see how it works. Type in your own prices.

1. Your business and the customer

2. Your prices

Your price list

Flat tasks use the flat price. Hourly tasks use your hourly rate × the hours. Usual hours fill in the hours on the job, so step 4 can show what the labor pays per hour. Rename a task or add one in the blank rows.

3. This job

Tasks

Leave Qty blank for 1. Leave Hours each blank to use the usual hours, and Price or rate blank to use your price list. Type over them for this job only.

Materials and parts

Cost each is your receipt price. Leave Markup blank to use your markup from step 2. Pick Customer for a part the customer buys: it shows on the quote at $0.

4. The price

5. Notes for the quote

Put the example notes back

Quote text to copy

Send this with the PDF, or read it over the phone. It fills in from the calculator, so check it before you send.

How to price a handyman job

1. Know your hourly number. Add up what an hour of your time costs (pay, insurance, truck, tools, and the time you spend on quotes and buying parts) plus your margin. The free pricing calculator works it out.
2. Time your common tasks. Note how long the tasks you do most take, from unloading to cleanup. Your own job notes are the best source.
3. Set flat prices for those tasks. Flat price = your hourly number × the usual hours, plus a little for the task that runs long. With made-up numbers: a lock set that takes about 0.75 hours at $75 an hour is about $56, so the sample charges $65.
4. Price what changes the job. Materials at your receipt cost plus markup, a trip charge per visit, and a minimum so a 20-minute task still pays for the drive.
5. Check the labor per hour. Step 4 shows what the tasks, minimum, and trip charge pay per hour of work. If it's below your hourly rate, the flat prices are too low for this job.

Handyman prices vary a lot by city and by job. Set yours from your own costs and times, and change them in step 2.

How the math works

• Flat task = quantity × the flat price. Hourly task = quantity × hours each × your hourly rate. A blank quantity counts as 1.
• Hours = quantity × hours each, for every task, flat or hourly.
• Raised to your minimum = your minimum hours × your hourly rate, minus the tasks, if the tasks come to less.
• Materials = quantity × cost each, plus the markup. A part the customer buys counts as $0.
• Trip charge = your trip charge × the visits, or $0 once the tasks reach the amount you set to waive it.
• Price = tasks + the minimum raise + materials + trip charge, rounded to the nearest dollar amount you picked. Total = price + sales tax.
• Labor per hour = (tasks + the minimum raise + trip charge) ÷ the hours of work. Materials are left out, since they pay for parts.

The made-up sample is the same repair list as the handyman estimate template: 2 exterior lock sets at $65 flat ($130.00), 3 drywall patches at 1 hour each at $75 an hour ($225.00), a same-size bathroom exhaust fan swap at $185 flat, and a sticking closet door at 1 hour ($75.00) = $615.00 in tasks, over the $75.00 minimum. Materials are the $89.00 fan (markup set to 0% on that line, the way the template bills it) and $52.00 of patch, texture, paint, and fasteners at 15% ($59.80) = $148.80. Add the $49.00 trip charge for $812.80, rounded to $813.00. That's 7.00 hours of work, so the labor pays $94.86 an hour.

Customer said yes? Write it up with the handyman estimate template or the blank free estimate maker, bill it with the handyman invoice template, and give a receipt with the handyman receipt template. Job grew while you were there? Put it in writing with the free change order maker.

What a handyman quote should include

A clear quote answers the customer's questions before they ask, and gives you something to point to when the list grows or a part costs more than planned. Put these on every quote:

• Who and where. Your business, phone, and email, the customer's name, and the address of the job.
• Each task on its own line. The customer can see what each repair costs and pick what to do now and what can wait.
• Flat price or hours. Say which tasks are a flat price and which are billed by the hour, and how many hours you expect.
• Materials, and who buys them. List the parts and supplies you buy, at your receipt cost plus markup, and the parts the customer buys, so the warranty is clear.
• Your minimum and trip charge. If the visit has a minimum or a trip charge, put it on the quote so it isn't a surprise on the invoice.
• Sales tax, if you charge it. Some places tax repair labor, some tax only the materials, and some neither. Show the tax as its own line.
• Work that needs a licensed pro. If part of the list needs a licensed electrician or plumber where you work, leave it off and say so.
• What isn't included. Hidden damage, extra tasks, and anything not on the list get priced before you do them.
• Your warranty on the work. How long your workmanship is covered, and that customer-bought parts are covered by their maker.
• How to approve and pay. A signature line or "reply yes to book", how long the quote is good for, when payment is due, and the ways you take it.

Handyman pricing questions

How much should a handyman charge per hour?

Work it out from your own costs. Add up what an hour of your time costs (pay, insurance, your truck, tools, phone, and the hours you spend on quotes and buying parts) plus your margin. The free pricing calculator does that math. The $75 hourly rate on this page is a made-up sample so the calculator works right away. It isn't a market rate, so type in yours.

Should a handyman charge by the hour or a flat price?

Both work, and many handymen use each for different tasks. A flat price suits tasks you do often and can time well, like a lock set or a TV mount: the customer knows the price up front, and you keep the gain when you're fast. Hourly suits open-ended work like drywall patches, sticking doors, or a general repair list. In step 2, set each task to Flat or Hourly.

Should a handyman charge a trip charge?

Many do, because the drive, parking, and setup take time on every visit. Here the trip charge is per visit, and you can waive it once the tasks reach a dollar amount you pick, so small jobs pay for the drive and bigger jobs don't feel nickel-and-dimed. Set it to 0 if you build the drive into your prices. The $49 in the sample is made up.

How much should a handyman mark up materials?

Enough to cover the time to shop, pick up, and return parts, and the risk of a wrong or broken part. Set your usual markup in step 2 and change it on any line, for example 0% on a big-ticket fixture. The 15% in the sample is made up. Keep your receipts so you can show the cost if a customer asks.

What minimum charge should a handyman set?

A minimum makes a 20-minute task still pay for the visit. Here the minimum is a number of hours at your hourly rate, so a 1-hour minimum at $75 raises a $45 task to $75 before the trip charge. The calculator shows the raise as its own line on the quote.

What if the customer buys the parts?

Pick Customer on that material line. It shows on the quote at $0 so the customer sees you're installing their part, and the labor is still priced as usual. Many handymen say on the quote that customer-bought parts are covered by their maker's warranty, not yours.

Do I charge sales tax on handyman work?

It depends on your state, and sometimes your city. Some states tax repair labor, some tax only the parts and materials, and some tax neither. This calculator applies the rate to the whole price, so if only your materials are taxed where you work, figure that tax on its own. Check with your state's revenue department or an accountant. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.