Setting your handyman rate is one of those things that feels like it should be simple but isn't. Charge too little and you're working hard for nothing. Charge too much and the phone stops ringing. The sweet spot depends a lot on where you live.
I've pulled together handyman hourly rates across the country so you can see where your market sits. But rates alone don't tell the whole story — how you structure your pricing matters just as much as the number itself.
Handyman hourly rates by state (2026)
These are typical rates for a licensed or experienced handyman doing general residential work. Rates vary within each state based on metro vs. rural areas.
| State | Low | Average | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| Alaska | $60 | $80 | $110 |
| Arizona | $45 | $65 | $90 |
| Arkansas | $35 | $50 | $70 |
| California | $60 | $85 | $125 |
| Colorado | $50 | $70 | $100 |
| Connecticut | $55 | $75 | $110 |
| Delaware | $45 | $65 | $85 |
| Florida | $45 | $60 | $85 |
| Georgia | $40 | $60 | $80 |
| Hawaii | $65 | $90 | $130 |
| Idaho | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| Illinois | $50 | $70 | $95 |
| Indiana | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| Iowa | $35 | $50 | $70 |
| Kansas | $35 | $50 | $70 |
| Kentucky | $35 | $50 | $70 |
| Louisiana | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| Maine | $45 | $60 | $80 |
| Maryland | $50 | $70 | $100 |
| Massachusetts | $55 | $80 | $115 |
| Michigan | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| Minnesota | $45 | $65 | $85 |
| Mississippi | $35 | $45 | $65 |
| Missouri | $38 | $55 | $75 |
| Montana | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| Nebraska | $38 | $52 | $70 |
| Nevada | $45 | $65 | $90 |
| New Hampshire | $50 | $65 | $85 |
| New Jersey | $55 | $75 | $110 |
| New Mexico | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| New York | $55 | $80 | $125 |
| North Carolina | $40 | $58 | $80 |
| North Dakota | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| Ohio | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| Oklahoma | $35 | $50 | $70 |
| Oregon | $50 | $70 | $95 |
| Pennsylvania | $45 | $65 | $90 |
| Rhode Island | $50 | $70 | $95 |
| South Carolina | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| South Dakota | $38 | $50 | $70 |
| Tennessee | $40 | $55 | $75 |
| Texas | $45 | $60 | $85 |
| Utah | $45 | $60 | $80 |
| Vermont | $45 | $60 | $80 |
| Virginia | $45 | $65 | $90 |
| Washington | $55 | $75 | $105 |
| West Virginia | $35 | $48 | $65 |
| Wisconsin | $40 | $58 | $80 |
| Wyoming | $40 | $55 | $75 |
The national average sits around $60-65/hour. But that number hides huge variation. A handyman in San Francisco or Manhattan might charge $100-125/hour and stay booked. The same rate in rural Mississippi would get you zero calls.
Why your hourly rate isn't the whole picture
Here's the thing about hourly rates: they only tell you what you're charging for time on-site. They don't account for all the unbilled time that makes up your actual day.
A typical handyman day looks like this:
- Drive to first job: 30 minutes
- Job 1: 2 hours billed
- Drive to second job: 25 minutes
- Job 2: 1.5 hours billed
- Drive to hardware store for a part: 40 minutes
- Job 2 continued: 1 hour billed
- Drive to third job: 20 minutes
- Job 3: 2 hours billed
- Drive home: 35 minutes
That's 6.5 billed hours out of a 9-hour day. At $60/hour, you collected $390. But your effective hourly rate for the whole day is $43/hour. After expenses, you're netting maybe $28-32/hour.
This is why flat-rate pricing or minimum charges are so important.
Use a minimum charge
Never show up for less than it's worth. Most handymen have a minimum charge of $100-200, which typically covers the first hour plus travel. Even if a job takes 20 minutes, you charge the minimum. Your time getting there and back is worth something.
Common minimum charge structures:
- $100-150 minimum (covers first hour) — works in lower-cost markets
- $150-200 minimum (covers first 1-2 hours) — standard in mid-range markets
- $200-300 minimum (covers first 2 hours) — appropriate in high-cost metros
Frame it as "first-hour rate" rather than "minimum charge." Customers respond better to paying for an hour of work than paying a fee just for showing up.
When to use flat-rate pricing instead
For common jobs, flat rates are better for everyone. The customer knows the price upfront. You don't have to track hours. And you can price based on the value of the job, not just the time it takes.
Here are typical flat rates for common handyman jobs:
| Job | Flat Rate Range |
|---|---|
| Hang a TV mount | $100-200 |
| Install a ceiling fan | $150-250 |
| Replace a light fixture | $75-150 |
| Fix a running toilet | $75-150 |
| Assemble furniture (per piece) | $50-150 |
| Drywall patch (small) | $75-150 |
| Install a door | $150-300 |
| Caulk a bathtub/shower | $75-125 |
| Power wash a deck | $150-350 |
Build a price book with your flat rates for the 20-30 most common jobs you do. When someone calls, you give them a price immediately instead of saying "I'll have to come look at it." Speed wins jobs.
How to figure out your rate
Start with what you need to earn, not what everyone else charges. Work backwards:
- Monthly income goal: Say $6,000 take-home
- Monthly expenses: $2,500 (truck, insurance, tools, gas, phone, marketing)
- Total revenue needed: $8,500/month
- Billable hours: Realistically 25-30 hours/week × 4.3 weeks = 107-129 hours
- Required hourly rate: $8,500 ÷ 115 = ~$74/hour
If $74/hour is above your market rate, you have two options: increase your billable hours (tighter scheduling, less drive time) or reduce expenses. Don't just lower your rate and hope it works out — that's how handymen go broke.
Raising your rates
If you've been at the same rate for more than a year, it's time for an increase. Costs go up every year — fuel, insurance, materials. Your rates need to keep pace.
Raise by 5-10% annually. For existing clients, give them a heads-up: "Starting next month, my rate is going from $60 to $65." Most won't care. The few who leave were probably your least profitable clients anyway.
The best time to raise rates is when you're fully booked. If you can't take on new clients, your price is too low. Raise it until you have a manageable schedule with a short waiting list. That's the sweet spot.
Want to sanity-check your numbers? Our pricing calculator lets you plug in your costs and target income to find the rate you should be charging. It takes about 60 seconds and might show you that you've been undercharging for years.
Find your ideal handyman rate
Free calculator that accounts for your overhead, expenses, and target income.
Try the pricing calculator →For more trade pricing strategies, check out our posts on electrician markup on materials and HVAC service call rates. The same principles — know your costs, build in profit, stop guessing — apply to every trade.