Handyman Prices for Common Jobs: TV Mounting, Drywall, Assembly and More

Most handyman calls are for the same ten jobs. If you have a price for each one, you can quote on the phone, on your website and through your answering service without stopping to think. Here are typical US ranges for a licensed and insured handyman, how long each job takes, and what to watch for.

TV mounting

• Typical price: $100 to $250 per TV
• Time: 45 to 90 minutes
• Add-ons: hide wires inside the wall $100 to $200, soundbar $50 to $80, bracket supplied by you $50 to $100
• Watch for: brick, stone or fireplace walls take longer and need different anchors. Price them separately.

A good structure: a first-TV price (for example $129) and a lower price for each extra TV (for example $99), because the setup happens once.

Drywall repair

• Typical price: $100 to $250 for a small patch, $250 to $500 for a hole bigger than a foot
• Time: two or three short visits for mud to dry, or one visit with quick-set compound
• Add-ons: texture match $50 to $100, paint touch-up $60 to $120
• Watch for: customers expect the patch to disappear. Say up front whether painting is included.

Price the first patch to cover the trip (for example $150) and each extra patch in the same room much lower (for example $60).

Furniture assembly

• Typical price: $50 to $150 per piece
• Time: 30 minutes for a nightstand, 2 to 4 hours for a wardrobe or a bunk bed
• Add-ons: wall anchoring $25 to $40, packaging removal $25 to $40
• Watch for: big wardrobe systems. Quote those by the hour or by box count, not per piece.

Doors

• Adjust a sticking or rubbing door: $85 to $175
• Replace a lockset or deadbolt: $75 to $150 plus hardware
• Hang a prehung interior door: $200 to $400 labor
• Watch for: old houses where nothing is square. A one-hour adjustment can become three.

Light fixtures and ceiling fans

• Swap a light fixture: $100 to $200
• Swap or install a ceiling fan where a rated box exists: $150 to $300
• Watch for: many states only allow a handyman to replace a fixture on an existing circuit. New circuits and new boxes need an electrician. Check what your state allows.

Small jobs that fill the day

• Curtain rods and blinds: $50 to $100 per window
• Shelves: $60 to $120 per shelf
• Caulking a tub or shower: $100 to $200
• Weatherstripping a door: $60 to $120
• Picture and mirror hanging: $60 to $150 for a group
• Smoke detector replacement: $40 to $75 each

These are where an hourly visit makes more sense. A customer with five of these is a half day.

How to turn this into a price list

1. Time yourself on your ten most common jobs for a month
2. Multiply by your hourly rate and round up to a clean number ($129, not $117)
3. Add a first-unit price and an extra-unit price for jobs that repeat in one visit
4. List the add-ons customers ask about most
5. Set a minimum so nothing under an hour costs less than your first hour

If you have not set your hourly rate yet, start with how much to charge as a handyman.

Show the prices, not "call for a quote"

Homeowners compare handymen on their phone at night. The one with "$129 per TV, wires hidden for $120" gets the booking; the one with "call for a free estimate" gets skipped. A handyman website with a page and a starting price for each of these jobs is how you win those searches. Try the handyman cost calculator to see per-task pricing working.

Review the list twice a year

Your speed changes, material costs change and your area changes. Every January and July, look at your last 50 jobs. If a job type keeps running over the time you priced, raise it. If you win almost every quote for one job, you are probably too cheap on that one. Drop the jobs you hate doing by pricing them high or removing them from your list.

Prices change by market

The ranges above are typical for suburban US markets. In large metros like New York, Boston or San Francisco, add 20 to 40 percent. In small towns, the low end is more common. Check three local competitors who show prices, then set yours based on your costs, not theirs.