How to Price Handyman Jobs
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- Опубликовано: 29 июн 2024
- In this video I talk about how to estimate, how I price Handyman jobs, how much I charge and how much I use to charge, If you are wondering how to price out work, this is the video for you! I would appreciate your comments below! Correct pricing of jobs is very important to starting a handyman business and running it successfully.
We recently posted an updated pricing video! You can view it here: • How To Price Handyman ...
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i woulld never quote a job for just 1 hour, for a start i have to get there and back in a van that costs money and time, when i did handyman work my minimum was 2 hours, however for a nice customer and a job that went quickly i would knock money off and let them know it was less than my minimum, that way it kept them happy and i would get more work from them and their friends
Fair
Good video. I figure I spent about 15 to 30 minutes talking to somebody about the job or texting back and forth. Then it takes me about 30 minutes to get all my tools together and I do have templates. Then there's an average travel time in about 20 minutes there and 20 minutes back, often there's a store run of about 15 to 20 minutes, then there's about 15 to 20 minutes of bookkeeping calculating receipts and organizing what I made on the job. So all-in-all there's about two hours of time I spend that's not related to time on the job. Oh I forgot about another 15 minutes unpacking my vehicle of my tools and reorganizing them in my garage. So actually just over two hours then add the job time. So yes I do not tell them now how much I want to make an hour I just bid the job and consider all the other time I have to spend that's related to the job including wear and tear on my vehicle and gas.
Great comment! I agree
Good video. I've owned my Handyman business here in California for 6 years and I too started out working for an hourly rate. I now have fixed pricing but sometimes will utilize the hourly rate if someone has a long list of small items. Either way I have hit that sweet spot in the market and things are moving nicely in my business. I love what I do and do what I love.
Thanks Alan. I'm continuing to hone my pricing skills and this certainly gave me something to think about.
I'm trying to learn
Thanks for your video. I too have been a handyman who started out in 2015 charging a $40 / hour rate but I also tried to give a fixed-estimate on the jobs based on how many hours it would take and got burned when the job took way longer to do than I thought after I got there. Sometimes I said it would be no more than a fixed price and if It took longer than say 2 hours, I would only charge for two hours. Now I give a base service call of $50 for the 1st hour of labor with a $40 / hour rate after the 1st hour pro-rated to 15 minute increments so 1.5 hours would be $70 labor. If a job only took 15 or 30 minutes, it was still $50. Some customers do have problems paying $50 when I'm only there for 15 minutes so I remind them that is my service call fee and try to encourage them to have a list of other things that need to be done on the next trip so I can do more in one visit than just one job. Also, I don't give free estimates. Instead, I ask for pictures and detailed description on what repairs need to be done and I over the phone will give them either a fixed price or range estimate depending on the job. For example, replacing a garbage disposal normally takes an hour but can take 1.5 hours so I'll give them a $50-$70 labor estimate. I always say materials are always extra and priced at the cost they'd have to pay at Lowes or Home Depot. Being part-time, I don't have time for big 4-6 hour jobs so I avoid accepting and estimating on those jobs. Now if I ever have to do this business full time, I'm sure I will give free estimates and charge much more for the jobs I do to survive.
What do you mean by “charging for estimates”? Sorry if it’s a stupid question I’m just genuinely interested
@@TylrVncnt to answer your question, to avoid "tire kickers" some company's charge to do a quote to avoid having their time wasted. Quotes take time to do so its a good way to avoid doing quotes for work that the owners have no intention of doing.
It takes you an hour to replace a garbage disposal? That better include drive time getting there lol
Yeah the thing you said about getting nervous and miss quoting a price happens to me every time one thing I would add is have a notebook with you or even a video camera or your phone and take extensive extensive notes especially on areas that you think will be trouble areas that may take longer more materials and then go home and review your notes and video before you respond to the bid good video man really liked it
I’m a carpenter with 30+ years experience and the handyman route seems more like what folks are looking for. So I’m shifting that direction. Then tell them I can build cabinets, small additions, install kitchens etc.... they may feel they found their all around guy IF you give them a quality product for a fair price. ALWAYS tell them your hourly rate WITH ALL of the guidelines and stipulations ie.. TRAVEL TIME!! If you don’t they will think you’re being secretive.... not a good start to building a trusting working relationship. Also when you give the estimate and the call you back and say someone else can do it cheaper tell them “ that’s a great price you should get them, the fact that they called you back means you have the job, they just want to see if you’ll lower your price. I’ve been called back to fix joe blows work, I refused....
Thanks for your comment Brett!
You need to be reported to the state contractors board and have an investigator tailgate you to a job. You are the Joe blow, an unlicensed scab
Thank you so much for this idea I have been getting short by myself, trying to do hourly. This video gave me a new perspective for sure.
Getting back to them with a quote later on once you've thought about all the bullshit and materials involved is best. Good vid.
I would agree. Thanks for the comment
Now this was a great video buddy!!! Great info and on point with info
Thanks Scott! I appreciate it!
A honest Lee that is a great video I thought it out years ago and I did the exact same message now I am also charges by the job and Noah right in the contract before I even side of projects thank you and I hope to collaborate with you in this field it’s great time to be a handyman!
I love your attitude towards business… it’s similar to mine when I first started
You're such wonderful fellow craftsman,,,GOD bless,,,
Thanks! God Bless!
This video was 3 years ago and I have learned a lot more about pricing! Here is a more recent and very informative pricing video: ruclips.net/video/pFBR_h3cJPM/видео.html
Great videos! I have learned not to charge by the hour simply because I feel it gives my customer the uneasy feeling that I will start "dogging" it in order to rack up time so I can charge more. I know I would feel that way if someone came to me with an hourly rate. However, I do sometimes figure the total cost on an hourly basis and provide a flat rate.
Lately, I've been using Homewyse which has saved me lots of time and earned me more money since I would always feel guilty charging top dollar for something that seemed so easy to do!
Sometimes I will also provide a higher estimate and then actually charge what I intended to in the first place which is usually slightly less. This is a feel good tactic that has left my customers grateful and surpirsed since they are usually expecting to hear that the job cost more rather than less!
Props on your success and thnaks for the vids!
A seasoned realtor that I work for has gotten me out of the bad habit of pricing jobs based on how easy they are for *_me._* Don't do that.
Thanks it's a great video I'm in the Chicago area and I'm more of a remodeler but do a lot of handyman work too especially during this long recession we had I charged $50 an hour and found that I did quite well out of it ,of course I had a minimum charge of $100 it would be great if I could get my rate up to $75 an hour. Now that I'm getting older I think handyman work is the best direction for me.
I think I'm quite a bit older than you young man but maybe I was never the best businessman.
This an awesome information on handyman services, Thanks so much for this video.
New subscriber and thank you for your video's this one is what I really needed brother
You`re right on, Allen.
Awesome video. I work full time as a maintenance man and just opened my own business I work in the afternoons as well. Thanks for the information.
Hey so awesome! Where are you located?
I'm in bonita Springs fl
I've been doing similar for computer, network, and IT work for 30 years. I ended up charging by the minute, and for mileage. $1 per mile one way (US), and $1 per minute on-site. This has worked out surprisingly well over the years, with some adjustments. After I racked up a few certs in security, the on-site rate for security work became $2 per minute. Based on comps across my market, this is still well under the average of my competition, and plenty good for me. I can certainly make do with $120/hour for side jobs.
nice!
Thanks for the info and you were very informative 👍🏽
Thanks man!!
I really like your time and advise I'm starting my business same
Thanks for your comment! Where are you located?
This was super helpful. Thanks!
I am so glad It was of help! Thank you for your comment James!
Thank you for all the information your videos are great
Thank you Brandon!
I don’t have much difficulty figuring out how much to charge. It is a lot harder for me figure out how long the work is going to take.
Definitely! That only comes from wins and loses unfortunately!
Again, yes. Estimating time is always just that, challenging. We never know what can of worms we're opening.
The other day I performed a windowsill replacement, something I've done numerous times and this time it took me twice as long because one dimension -the sill nose to the sill- was off from the original and went unnoticed until the screen didn't fit right. Meh. I lost on that one after getting it right.
It would be nice if there were some sort of database to give an average amount of time that a particular job takes. Homewise helps but seems incomplete or not detailed enough. Personally, I know I take longer than average to do most jobs, so I can’t really base my prices on that.
@@imherehello117 definitely! It would be good to have a database like that!
Even the most experienced builders have a problem with time. Just make sure, your not paying for that time, be able to prove you were not milking the clock. I work for a high end builder, last home was over 15 million to build. I hung doors, I was expected to make sure all these head jambs/casing were level throughout. The floor ended up being 1 inch out of level. it takes time to figure that out and make it happen. That not in the budget. You spend lots of time cutting doors.
Thanks for the info brother
Thanks for your experience on this. Charging/quoting/estimating is an are I probably still have the most trouble with.
Michael Moser thanks for your comment! I will be doing a much more in depth video of what I charge next Friday so be sure to tune into that! In the mean time I post 3 videos a week. Are you a full time handyman?
I am. I also manage an apartment building. I'm thinking of expanding to contracting though.
Michael - It will get easier with experience. We all go through the struggles with this. I have underbid jobs before; it hurts but you learn from those mistakes.
Thanks love your channel
Thanks Chris!
Thanks, it helps me understand what I will accept as a handyman’s hourly rate or bid when I need a job done.
Thanks For your comment Johannes! Where are you located?
Honest Lee Handyman
I’m currently in Virginia but moving soon to Wyoming where the house needs some work.
Thanks buddy. I’ve been charging $30/hr. I’ve had steady work but after tax and expenses I’m not profiting enough. My goal is to charge this rate for another few months and then up my hourly as I gain more experience.
Hey lee my is Felix from Vancouver ,Canada I. Im trying to start a handyman business and I’ve been watch your Video. Let me tell you that those videos has been helping me a lot. So thank you so much for that , I also want to start to make a RUclips channel.
I'm hourly when working in grey areas but have a contractors book for many items such as basic light fixtures, $35. Real time 10-20 minutes. Ceiling fans, $75 RT 45 minutes. My hourly in Michigan $30-40 depending. Power washing though $120 and window washing $100
We started out like you did by working a full-time job and working our handyman jobs during off hours. We started with a very low hourly rate and after my first job, I raised it. We eventually went with a standard hourly rate for all work to keep things fair for us and simple for customers.
With our handyman business, we find some jobs are not worth the trip to review so we offer an hourly rate. We always have our minimum of one hour. I don't care for the extra driving, gas, and aggravation of driving in traffic for very small bids. I have set prices for some jobs and the more you do the similar type of work you can estimate your labor well that you don't need to see the job to bid.
I'm glad your pricing strategy is working for you.
Christopher Boland thank you for your comment! Yes, I no longer take jobs that are more than 15miles away, just not worth the gas and time when I can stay busy within my range.
100 dollars an hour for me and my other jack of all trades.We have all the tools and we both have trucks and a trailer We normally work 5-6 hours a day.300 a piece is ok with me,I was told we should charge more.
60 an hour if I am by myself.If you hang over my shoulder and micromanage I pack up and roll.Big projects I find are very hard to do a complete estimate.It works for me and I don't advertise.
Hourly is the caveman way, agree on a price regardless of hours. Get the job done. Get paid. Know your worth
so sophisticated. to guess on a price. and maybe not get paid for your worth.
What about an unforeseen item or event? What happens then?
I went into business to make a profit not a wage.
excellent video. thanks!
Steve Knobler thanks for your comment and thanks for watching!
Sound advice, I followed the same path you have taken when taking any job on, pay by the hour as you described doesn't work,I always get quotes for all materials needed + my expenses + my time + and possible price increase for unforeseen work if there could be any.
Great video, do you have a video of like horror story clients? I've had a few I've encountered in the woodworking world.
I bid per job on most jobs. I only charge hourly for the real estate agents and property managers I work for but that includes drive time, parts, returns, job walks, etc. I just bill them at the end of the week.
Well said! I bid by job as well! Thanks for your comment!
How much you charge p/hr to real estate agents and property managers?
I like estimate then them knowing it can be cost plus for labor and material if unseen issues occur. you can't see before starting.
Definately!
Check out my other videos for more information on the Handyman Business!
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Kudos for the Video! Apologies for butting in, I am interested in your thoughts. Have you researched - Rozardner Successful Handyman Reality (search on google)? It is a good one off product for how to start a handyman business minus the normal expense. Ive heard some extraordinary things about it and my work buddy at last got amazing success with it.
Cheers for the Video! Sorry for the intrusion, I am interested in your opinion. Have you heard the talk about - Rozardner Successful Handyman Reality (search on google)? It is a smashing one off product for how to start a handyman business minus the hard work. Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my friend finally got cool success with it.
Great video content! Forgive me for butting in, I would appreciate your opinion. Have you thought about - Rozardner Successful Handyman Reality (just google it)? It is an awesome one of a kind product for how to start a handyman business without the normal expense. Ive heard some extraordinary things about it and my mate after many years got great results with it.
I use to do that when i first started ask for email then get a total on materials and my labor rate know i could give a price cuz i know how much i will spend on materials how long it will take me comes with good the bad and ugly work on quoting. But good information you posting keep it going
I agree! Gets easier as you go on! Thanks for your comment!
good stuff,! ive been working in the trades, 40+, yrs. the more time one spends, on the initial estimate, and with the potential customer,, the more accurate the bid will be. the biggest mistakes , are usually made early on,, if you dont spend enough time, looking at the job. i would reccomend working, either,, by bid, or by hour, but not both! your cost,( prices, ),, will be regional, depending on what other guys charge. good luck!,, it aint easy !!!
Great advice! Thanks for your comment! Where are you located?
Honest Lee Handyman hey thanx,, i worked in fairfield. ct.,, kitchens, greenwich, new york, all of ct, madison, guilford, all over,, hang in there, good luck from new haven,, ct!
Very informative.
Thanks!
Good info; thanks
Your welcome
I've found that it's always better to charge a minimum of two hours, then if it's a really quick job knock a little off for them. Better to have them come away thinking you saved them money than you charged them more than expected...
Yes, good words!
I estimate my jobs by how long it should take. I charge an 8 hour flat rate. And a minimum 4 hours. If it’s 3 days or 2 3/4 days. If it take over 4 hours I still charge by an 8 hour rate. I let them know your paying for my efficiency and experience and reputation. I don’t travel for less than that.
Helpful video. Thank you for this. Subscribed
Thanks Josh! Appreciate the sub! If you are interested about learning more about the business side of being a handyman check out handymanjourney.thinkific.com
@@handymanjourney Very interested. Will definitely check it out. Thank you
@@xxxXXXjdXXXxxx Awesome man!!
Let me know if you need anything! Handymanjourney@gmail.com
Grate job representing.
Thank you! I am glad this was helpful!
Very informative video, thank you.
Thank you for your comment! What do you do for a living?
Honest Lee Handyman I am seriously thinking about starting my handyman business next year, I am however struggling with how much I should start charging people. And since every situation is different I find it really difficult how to go about it. I've done carpentry work, painting, welding, but I always worked for someone else, so I have been trying to find some answers here on RUclips to those type of questions. I really appreciate you doing this video, it has given me a much clear picture and things to consider when coming out with a number. Thank you.
Great to here Ovie! This was one thing I struggled with as well in the beginning, but I must say after doing this for a while now is the market will surely level you out, if you are charging too much you will find it hard to get work but if your are charging too little you will surely sense it, my encouragement is to just get out there and start on the side, I started working in the evenings after my real job, it was a great way to get my feet wet. I wish you luck in this! Thank you so much for your words of encouragement! This is the whole reason I started this channel so I am very pleased to hear that this video was helpful! I have a bunch of other content on this RUclips channel that might be helpful in starting this handyman business, so if you have not already I would appreciate your subscription and I hope we can continue our conversation on other videos! Where are you located Ovie?
If you're honest and do quality work, people will pay a premium. Those people who nickle and dime you over everything, those are not the customers you want as they'll actually cost you money. If you're gonna do an hourly rate... have a minimum charge... ie. $75 an hour with a minimum one hour service charge. Getting to and from jobs costs you money and time.
Very wise words! I have had some customers that i have had to fire because they expect me to do work for almost free. . Some people dont understand the overhead that goes into running a business. I will be talking more about that in my video coming up next Friday, more about how I charge for jobs!
Good video. I never, EVER, tell a customer my hourly rate! I figure up how many hours I think it will be and give an estimate. If you give an hourly rate, you'll get people thinking "He's only a handyman and he's making $50 an hour!!! No way, I'll hire someone cheaper." Some jobs I bid by the job, others are $75 service charge and that will include the first hour of labor.
That has always been my thought! People dont really think about how much money it takes to keep a business going!
Very true! You want people that want honest quality work and will pay you fairly for your efforts. People that nickel and dime you are customers that will cost you and are not worth what you are offering (a great professional and quality service).
Christopher Boland definitely! Well said!
Like what you have said...
100% tumb up.
It's an interesting topic, and there is no right or wrong way. In your example of gutter cleaning, charging hourly is definitely the wrong way. Gutter cleaning is typically charged by the linear foot and that depends on the degree of difficulty. A one-story ranch house with easily accessible gutters that do not have gutters guards installed is priced very differently than a multi-story home with gutters that are packed with several years worth of wet leaves. Time is not the factor. Risk and danger is what the customer is paying for. Specifically, the fact that you are taking on that risk instead of them. I have done gutter cleaning jobs that I charged 400.00 for and have taken me less than two hours. I also have the tools and equipment to get the job done quickly and efficiently. . Having said that, there ARE times when quoting an hourly rate makes sense. For example; let's say you have a job that is not clearly defined, or one in which you cannot confidently say how long it will take, this is a good candidate for an hourly rate. I recently had a client who wanted me to repair a bridge that was crossing a creek in their backyard. One end of the bridge was rotting, but I could not tell the extent or scope of the damage without first having deconstructed that end of the bridge. So I had no idea how long this project was going to take. Charging a flat rate could have gotten me stuck on that job for an unknown amount of time, which would be a losing proposition. In that case, I explained that I charge hourly. There is no one size fits all pricing solution. Most of it is situational. And then, of course, you have to figure out where you stand against your competition and factor that in. At the end of the day, building an excellent reputation and building a referral based business helps tremendously from having to worry about your pricing. When you are coming as a referral, people tend to not question as much what you are charging, nor are they price shopping you as much. Lastly, I will say this, there are things that you do and know very well, and there are things that you are asked to do that you have confidence that you could do but it is not your strong suit. This I am very familiar with I can give a job price knowing almost exactly how long it will take. Things that I am not an expert in, like putting vinyl flooring with bullnose tread on steps, is probably a good candidate for hourly.
There used to be a book that was put out yearly with the going rate for the different trades for your city or zipcode. Not sure if they still put that out though?
We have very similar stories.👍👍
I like your Teachman
I don't know about everyone else, but one of my biggest challenges with this occupation is keeping my tools in my truck (actually a Trailblazer SUV) organized and my garage free of extra materials and so forth. Every time I toss stuff in the garbage I need it the next day it seems. You know, that 5 ft section of 2x6 pressure treated, base board etc etc. sigh
Definitely!
thanks
Your welcome! Thank you for your comment!
Good advice thanks .I am on california
Thanks! What part of California are you in?
Is a pleasure to know you .It make sence on what you said on the platform of handy man.
Thank you for your kind words! How long have you lived in santa cruz?
You are 100% right. I have never charge by the hour because I always saw that it wasn’t profitable because some jobs you get payed for what you know like knowledge and skills. But I would under charge all the time because I would give an astimate without checking the job and when I would start things always came up thst made me take longer. So yes, it’s best to look at it go home plan it estimate it and call the costumer back with the results
Ive been self employed as a handyman +10 yrs.
Cheap homeowners that haggle AFTER my honest, quality work is done get weeded out of my contacts list. Ive learned to profile this type of person within a couple of minutes of talking to them and save myself allot of time/money by not taking the job in the first place. My favorite repeat customers are property managers and real-estate agents as they are more savvy about the industry and think $85/hr is a bargain to have the jobs done right, on time, with no call-backs.
Don't quote by the hour. Some jobs will be LONGER than you estimated and some SHORTER. As you gain experience (trial and error are INEVITABLE), you will become more accurate in understanding your price estimate and your time/effort involved. Bottom Line: KEEP UP YOUR CONFIDENCE. You may have CUSTOMER CALL BACKS . Show up, correct your mistakes. Take on small more manageable jobs first.
I got ripped off for being nice. Fix a frezzer and furnace for free white old man took advantage. It all started with a jump started his car in his garage then small jobs here and there when he realized I was pretty handy He would ask for bigger jobs. But I learned my lesson some people take advantage of nice people. I was hoping he will pay me at least few bucks for my time but he didn't. Even though I am very handy I don't do it for a living . But now that I am watching this video I am considering . I just fixed my neibour speed boat. It had a broken bolt on engine the one which hold the starter it was quite of challenge because I couldn't see it and was working in a very tight space. But finally fix it.
very good, I am a general oe of this days I may need your services.
I dont like charging people per hour never have never will.. since day one I have charged per job.. because this way I can work at my pace and not worry about someone paying me thinking I'm milking it ect... and it has worked ok for me and you are correct you soon little by little will know that the going rate are for certain things ect.. it will take time to learn but it will happen..
hey lee, curious what invoice and estimate site you were talking about in your video. ive been using templates but have been having some trouble finding a decent free site to use. thanks bud keep em coming
Hey thanks for your comment! Check out Joist! Great app! Best of luck!
Good luck nice 👌😊
good information....i been working as a handyman for about 10 years ...but i work for someone alse ...i wana make more money on my own...im in san jose CA..
Hey thats great jorge! Best of luck to you!!
Hi Allen. I just subscribed to your channel. You have a very reasonable approach to pricing. You mentioned a free estimating and invoicing program in your video. Would you mind sharing the name of it. Please let me know. Best regards, Lee
I’m looking for that video where you explain how you charge by hour now to get the bigger jobs I would like advise on charging by hour on estimates to be able to get the bigger jobs
Fixed prices is the way, alltough it means some hours of unpaid work as you estimate the job. Hourly paid sucks but at rare occastions is neccesary
Ty.
Your welcome! Thanks for your comment!
I've been running a handyman business in Michigan for 32 years.
I charge $150 for the first hour $90 an hour after that.
I just take on jobs that are a couple hours to 2 days..
Larger jobs I estimate at $125 an hour.
It's been working out great for me.
It's funny that we use the word estimate, when the price really can't change since that's what they expect to pay. We should use the word quote instead of estimate.
We use the word estimate, because it is an estimation. Sometimes we run into other issues. And at that point a whole other discussion may become necessary.
As a computer tech I used to charge by the hour, but I had a one hour minimum charge.
ty
Your welcome, thank you for your comment
How much should I pay for labor to replace my curbside mailbox post knocked down by the city's snowplows. The post & concrete socket are on the city's right-of-way. I want to maintain good working relationships with all stakeholders. I am getting donated pallet lumber. The box survived the impact.
I would consider a "swing-away" steel post assembly that has gravity return for the right price.
Bob Duda
Find out what the market is, spoke with a lady that paid someone $1500 bucks to recaulk her bathroom, and I thought that was crazy as hell and then she told me it was the cheapest bid, I am in the wrong field; however, the area was a wealthy neighborhood and maybe that’s what the market is at, who knows. I learned the hard way, self confidence in my abilities has helped me make more money, and if your work is outstanding and doesn’t compare to the average Joe, then charge the client. The good clients will know you’re the right person for the job when you show confidence and know what you’re talking about. Stay away from clients that want to nickel and dime you, you’ll loose in the end, they will never be happy parting with their money, eventhough you smashed the job.
Never charge a hourly rate unless it's a service call. If you have to cut open a wall for instance to see the repair to give the estimate, charge a hourly rate. And never tell them how you will fix it. They may realize they can do it themselves. Charge for work that is done to find the repair. If they don't hire you, you get paid for that, also you just made whoever they hire a easier job. You might get lucky and see the other person as not as knowledgeable and call you back. But hourly rates don't work. Especially when you get better at your job and your finishing jobs faster now because you became better at your job.
California taxes are hight, wait until you come to New Jersey lol, good videos, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your insights. At 5:36 you mention free job estimation software. Can you share a link? Thanks.
A oldman was painting his house here in Melbourne AUSTRALIA. He seen me taking out my paint brushes and rollers out of my care, He told me how much do you charge an hour I said i dont! he then again he told me how much do you charge a day i said i dont, well then he said how do you get work!!! i said i QUOTE ON THE JOB.;-)
Thanks for the video man! So my question is I am fairly new on this business 3 weeks to be exact although I’ve been doing construction pretty much ever since I’ve been able to work so my question is,where would it be a good way to get my name out there! I leave in Birmingham Alabama,I’ve tried several websites but everyone of them it seems they just want my money with no work in return so yeah a little advice be great and thank you in advance!!
Clever business name. 🙂 May I ask what type of insurance you cover yourself with and, if you don't mind, what I should expect to pay for a similar policy? I've been lucky so far... Thanks much. Btw, you are smart to get back to customers after you have had time to ponder the job.
We have general liability and it costs about $1000-$1200/ year check out this video for more info: ruclips.net/video/nludz9B8RqQ/видео.html
Another way to do it when you are hourly is to explain that there is a minimum charge. I tell people I have a half day minimum. You could use a two hour minimum. Tell them to find a couple more things for you to do before you come over. This works for me. Watch out for "putting numbers to jobs", that is considered contracting. It is not allowed in California. Stick to "I'm hourly".
A customer is gonna complain regardless of how you charge by the hour or by the job. If for example you say the job will cost $250 and takes you only an hour to do they will say $250 for an hour?! You have to relay the message that they are paying for time,knowledge, experience and your guarantee/ warranty. I had a job once that took me 10 minutes to fix. All the lights in a room were flickering. I went to the panel and checked for loose connections and found the neutral was loose on that circuit. I charged $125 for it. They complained a bit said $125 to tighten a screw? I said no $125 for a service call and the knowledge of what screw to check. There's guys out there would take a bunch of stuff apart racking up the hours and you would end up paying a lot more. You paid for the knowledge and my experience to troubleshoot something fast.
I don't really like doing the hourly rate I usually try to charge by the day.....it helps when your pricing out bigger jobs....if it's going to be something small you just charge them for half a day
Well said!
I charge a $100 minimum which covers the first hour. After that hour it is $50/hr. Sometimes I just charge a flat fee for a repair but it usually reflects that rate. Anything under $1,000 is T&M. My regular customers don’t usually get charged the $100 minimum because I do a lot of stuff for them.
All this being said, there is a lot that goes into deciding your hourly rate. Our local guys are between $35 & $65. They slow ones who charge a high rate don’t stay in business long. The guys who charge low rates often aren’t very good so they don’t stay in business long, either. As you get better and faster your rate should climb. The privilege of charging a higher rate is earned. Customers will figure this out quickly based on your reputation and their experience with you.
You also have to remember that your tools are worth money. For example, most homeowners don’t have a $2500 sheet metal brake to make a new piece of trim that blew off the eaves. That’s worth money and should be factored in to your price.
Our small construction business uses Joist, an app on all our tablets and phones
Nice! I have never tried joist but have heard great things!
The sad thing is a handyman can only charge 500 total for a Particular job and can't go back to that same job for new work at a later date for at least one year.seeing there is no license like a contractor job a handyman is stuck. Pricing by the hr never really works.i used to be a handyman before I got my general B and C-10
Life becomes much different once your a contractor. But as a handyman your up against a wall when you bid a job..pluse as a contractor I must say thank you to all the handyman out there for not truly knowing what your doing because alot of my calls we're from passed work of a handyman. Lol love how most handyman destroy things and I get called to fix or Redo lol keep up the good work lol .contractor's love handyman because we get to benefit a 100% from your shady work.awsome.lol
Maybe I missed it in some comments, but did you mention anything about insurance? Do you carry it for the work you do?
Thanks man that is one thing that racks my brain is the estimate that I have to give. I’ve been using home advisor app as well. What is your impute on that?
I have never tries home advisor, For getting my name out there I use Yelp, Google, facebook and instagram. as far as writing estimates I use Joist. Thanks for your comment!
I use home advisor to help on getting quotes. Thanks for the advice on Joist that helped as well. Already sent my client an estimate using the app.
nice
I don’t do free estimates any more because some people love to waste your time,or try to get a free material list ,it’s a 350 dollar charge that comes off the price of the job once completed,on smaller jobs it’s strictly a time and materials basis
The stigma associated with the term Handyman, is that people think youll price jobs for way way lower then the so called professionals. Then when they get an estimate the customer is surprised and says, ill just call a real plumber , real electrician etc
I've never come across this
I charge a $65 service charge and $35 an hour a lot of bigger companies charge a lot more mr. Handyman charges $168 for the first hour and $68 an hour after that I just try to help people out and save them money
Awesome thanks for your comment! Where are you located?
Dallas Texas area
Also in DFW. I charge $75 first hour then $60 after. Being a white boy helps a lot. Most my work is under 3hrs. My target number is average 62.5/hr.
40 hours a week x 62.5= 2,500
2,500x4=10,000 month
10,000x12=120,000 year
Don't forget: You don't get paid for traveling to and from the job. You also didn't get paid for the time to come look at the job and give her the initial quote. Don't be afraid to charge. There's a LOT of down time you never get a dime for!
Definitely!!
Well then who pays for it, it ain’t free.
There's a learning curve involved and it's going to take some time and experience to figure out what to charge your customers. I tell my customers we are ALL CONSUMERS and everyone likes a good deal! I always will give free bids that don't go over one hour of my time and have a minimal charge that covers my costs regardless. Some jobs are winners and some losers. That's the way it is. If i find out the customer plans on gettting more than 3 bids, i don't even waste my time.
So true! I do the same! thanks for the comment!
Strictly time and materia, plus one way travel time by the hour and gas money. I also have a four hour minimum( I live pretty far out in the country, takes me 45 minutes down a dirt road just to get to town let alone going to somebody else's house down a dirt road so the 4-Hour minimum might be excessive if you live in the city or Township). It works good for me and always have happy customers, never been fired from a job in over 25 years. Trying to do a bid on a job right now it's pretty much impossible with the way inflation is affecting lumber prices.
Thanks for all your videos. I’m looking to getting into the business in Washington state. I was wondering if you could tell me how much you charge on an average job. I’m just looking for a very ballpark guess. Or a ballpark average day income. Do you typically do more then one job a day? When you do your bids do include the cost of materials or just your cost? In CA. are you limited to total you can get paid for a job? Sorry for all the questions.
+iekurt67 thanks for the kind words! That is exciting that you want to start a handyman business! This is such a great business to get into! I will be making a video to answer your pricing questions soon. When I estimate I usually add in cost of materials plus a markup for the pickup. In CA you are limited to a Max of $500 per project including labor and materials. Thanks again for your questions! I am excited to answer these in a video!