What you will pay, before I arrive
No independent handyman in Northern Colorado publishes their rates. Here are mine. You can work out roughly what your job costs without talking to me first, and for most single jobs I will put a flat number in writing off a photo.
Small jobs start at the $125 minimum call-out, which covers the first hour and the trip. After that it is $85 an hour in half hour increments. A half day of work is $340 and a full day is $640, which is the cheapest way to buy my time if you have a list. Materials are cost plus 25%, or buy them yourself and pay nothing extra.
Rates
| Job | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum call-out | $125 | Covers the first hour and the trip. Most small jobs land here. |
| Hourly, after the first hour | $85/hr | Billed in 30 minute increments, not rounded up to the hour. |
| Half day block (4 hours) | $340 | Works out to $85/hr. Best value for a list of small jobs. |
| Full day block (8 hours) | $640 | Works out to $80/hr. The cheapest way to buy my time. |
| Materials | cost + 25% | Receipts on request. Or buy them yourself and pay nothing extra. |
| Trip charge | $45 | Only outside Fort Collins, Windsor, Loveland, Timnath, Severance, Wellington, LaPorte. Quoted up front, never added after. |
Which one you want
Most people overthink this, so here is the short version. One thing that needs fixing, take the minimum call-out. Three or four things, take the half day and you will almost certainly come out ahead. A whole list, a move-out, or a house you are getting ready to sell, take the full day.
If you are not sure, send me the list and I will tell you which one is cheaper for you. I would rather sell you a half day that actually covers the work than an hourly job that runs over and annoys us both.
What is included in the rate
- My tools, my truck and the drive inside the core service area.
- Setting up and protecting the space, including plastic and floor cover where dust is involved.
- Cleaning up and hauling out the debris from the work.
- A written price before anything starts.
What costs extra
- Materials. Cost plus 25% if I source them, nothing if you do.
- Trip charge, $45. Only outside Fort Collins, Windsor, Loveland, Timnath, Severance, Wellington, LaPorte, and always quoted up front.
- Dump runs for anything beyond normal job debris, for example an old deck or a room of furniture. Quoted separately.
- Specialist rental if a job genuinely needs it. Passed on at cost with the receipt.
How this compares locally
Ace Handyman publishes $525 for a four hour block and $985 for eight hours. My equivalents are $340 and $640. That is a like-for-like comparison against their own published numbers, not a guess at what a competitor charges.
The other franchises in this market, Mr. Handyman, House Doctors and TruBlue, do not publish block pricing, so there is nothing honest for me to compare against. If you get a number from one of them, you now have mine to hold it against.
Every service, priced
Job-level pricing lives on each service page:
- Ceiling fans & light fixtures
- TV mounting
- Drywall repair
- Doors & windows
- Tile, grout & caulk
- Honey-do list days
- Interior painting
- Grab bars & aging in place
- Dryer vent cleaning
- Trim & baseboard
- Shelving & storage
- Blinds & window treatments
- Window screen repair
- Fence repair
- Deck repair
- Gutter cleaning
- Pressure washing
- Furniture assembly
- Home maintenance plans
- Rental turnover
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Pricing questions
Why publish prices when nobody else does?
Because not knowing is the most annoying part of hiring a handyman. Publishing costs me the jobs that were never in budget and wins me the ones that were, and I would rather have that sort out itself before I drive anywhere.
Is the flat price really fixed?
Yes. If I quote a number in writing off your photo, that is the number. The only thing that changes it is the job itself turning out different once it is open, for example wet framing behind a patch, and you hear about that before I go any further rather than on the invoice.
Do I pay for the estimate?
No. Estimates are free, and most of them happen over text without me driving out at all.
Is the minimum call-out on top of the hourly?
No. The $125 covers the first hour and the trip. After that it is $85 an hour in half hour increments.
Can I buy the materials myself?
Yes, and plenty of people do. Then there is no markup at all. If you want me to source them it is cost plus 25%, with receipts if you ask.
How does that compare to the franchises?
Ace Handyman publishes $525 for a 4 hour block and $985 for an 8 hour block. My equivalents are $340 and $640. Those are their published figures, not my estimate of what they charge.