Home › Cost Guides › Handyman Cost
🔨 Cost GuideNational mean hourly wage for handymans (BLS SOC 47-2061) is $22.94/hour. After the standard NAHB 2.4× contractor markup, homeowners pay roughly $55/hour for a service call. Here's the project-by-project breakdown — and below it, the same job priced for every major US metro.
| Project | Time | Typical cost | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard hourly rate (1-person crew) | per hour | $55 | $45 – $66 |
| TV mount install (drywall, fixed mount) | 60–90 min | $108 | $88 – $129 |
| Drywall patch (one fist-sized hole) | 2 hours + cure | $140 | $115 – $168 |
| Interior door rehang or hardware replace | 1–2 hours | $118 | $96 – $141 |
| Light fixture or ceiling-fan swap (existing wiring) | 1–2 hours | $103 | $84 – $123 |
| Flat-pack furniture assembly (avg piece) | 1.5–3 hours | $110 | $90 – $132 |
| Single room repaint (10×12, 2 coats) | 1 day | $550 | $451 – $661 |
| Driveway + walkway pressure wash | 2–4 hours | $190 | $156 – $228 |
| Whole-house caulk + seal refresh | 4–6 hours | $265 | $217 – $318 |
A handyman handles small to mid-size jobs that don't cross into licensed-trade territory: drywall repair and patching, painting, fixture replacement (where existing wiring is in place), light carpentry, furniture assembly, door rehang, weatherstripping, caulking, hardware installs, mounting heavy items into studs, pressure washing, and basic deck or fence repair. State rules vary on the dollar threshold above which a general contractor license is required — in California it's $500 (labor + materials per project), in Texas there is no statewide license but cities can require permits, and in Florida it's $1,000.
Cost-of-living variance is the single biggest factor in trade pricing. The same job in Hawaii or California can run 30–50% more than in Mississippi or Oklahoma. Pick your city below to see your localized rate.
A "handyman" willing to do major plumbing, electrical, or HVAC work without a license — that's how houses end up with insurance-disqualifying defects.