Right here’s Precisely What You Can Anticipate to Pay a Handyman

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When you own a home, it seems like something always needs to be fixed or replaced. While you may have the skills to do small projects yourself, there may be some repairs or renovations that you would prefer to leave to the experts. In these cases, you may want to hire a handyman (or craftswoman) to do things like paint your bedroom, clean your gutters, or install a new kitchen tap. To help you work out a budget and see if you are getting a fair deal, read on to find out the common prices for some popular crafting services.

Typical hourly rates for a do-it-yourselfer

A craftsman is qualified to perform a variety of minor home repairs, as well as renovations and construction work. The costs depend on the market and the complexity of the order and can be calculated as a flat rate or as an hourly rate.

Typical hourly rates for craftsmen are between $ 60 and $ 70 for the self-employed and about $ 125 an hour for a craftsman who works for a company. A skilled craftsman knows how much time is normally required for a particular type of job and charges accordingly.

• A small job usually takes less than two hours and only requires simple hand tools. This could cost you anywhere from $ 75 to $ 150.
• A medium-sized job is a little more complex and likely requires power tools. It can take anywhere from two to four hours and costs between $ 150 and $ 300.
• A large job, as you can imagine, is the most laborious, lasting anywhere from four hours to a few days, and may require specialized equipment. Expect a big job to be anywhere from $ 300 to $ 1,000.

Note: if the craftsman needs to buy parts or materials for your project, they may also ask for a markup.

Average cost of common craftsman jobs

As mentioned earlier, the type of project you rent out is the biggest contributor to the total cost, regardless of whether you work with someone who works on an hourly or flat-rate basis. To help you plan your budget appropriately, here’s how some common tasks stack up, from quick, low-cost jobs to more expensive projects.

1. Heavy work of art hanging cost: $ 60 to $ 125

Hanging a heavy work of art requires a variety of hardware and screws (unless a hanger was already attached to the frame). Your handyman will also likely use a stud finder, tape measure, and level – basic tools they likely already have on hand. Expect the project to take anywhere from an hour and a half to complete, depending on the overall size and placement of the art.

Photo: istockphoto.com

2. Gutter cleaning cost: $ 100 to $ 150

Don’t feel like climbing a ladder to reach the gutters and downspouts of your home? While this is a relatively unskilled job, a typical gutter cleaning takes anywhere from 90 minutes to two and a half hours to remove leaves and debris from a gutter approximately 120 meters long. If you have a lot of trees on your property, get more bang for your buck by letting the handyman install gutter protection while they’re up there to keep the gutters clear and reduce the number of times you have to call a professional clean.

3. Cost of connecting a washer and dryer: $ 100 to $ 150

The weight of these devices is often a challenge for homeowners. Provided that the gas or electricity connection is already available, the work takes between one and two and a half hours. Expect the high end of the price range if the washer and dryer need to be relocated to the basement, water supply hoses or dryer vent pipes need to be purchased, or an outside vent hole needs to be drilled.

4. Faucet replacement cost: $ 60 to $ 150

Simply removing an old faucet and installing a new one (already purchased) can take 60 to 90 minutes. The higher estimates would apply to jobs that require additional labor to install shut-off valves or replace the P-trap.

5. Cost to replace caulking around a shower: $ 100 to $ 280

While the cost of materials is low, this work can be labor intensive depending on the type and condition of the seal in place. Because before a craftsman can even load a cartridge gun, he has to deal with the old, crumbling sealing lines, which often includes completely removing the old sealant, removing soap residue and mold, and preparing the surface for new sealant.

Photo: istockphoto.com

6. Drywall Repair Cost: $ 275 to $ 780

Again, the prices vary greatly depending on the extent of the damage. A minor repair or patch can be done for a flat fee, but most repairs would be done at an hourly rate of $ 60 to $ 90 an hour. This can take a few days as there is a drying time required between coats of mud, sanding, and mending. Imagine that a four-foot by eight-foot sheet of drywall, including labor, costs about $ 45.

7. Cost to paint a 12 by 12 foot room: $ 400 to $ 1,000

If you get a sticker shock at this price estimate, keep in mind that painting is a labor-intensive job (even for skilled painters) due to the significant amount of prep involved. Covering floors and furniture with cloths, cleaning walls, repairing cracks, masking windows and doors, priming, painting baseboards and other moldings, and cutting the ceiling along the ceiling all take time. Textured walls, dark colors, or decorative finishes are usually more expensive, adding an additional $ 2 to 4 per square foot.

Photo: istockphoto.com

So why hire a craftsman?

While there are many home-related projects you can probably do yourself, hiring a good handyman has the potential to save you both time and money – not to mention the hassle of a project that’s not entirely in your comfort zone lies.

For starters, instead of spending a couple of hours looking for specialists for every paint, grouting, or drywall project that is coming up, you can find an employee qualified to provide a wide variety of services with just one round of research. Even better, if you are happy with his job, he can always come back to help. Plus, in your search, you can instantly find more professionals available for repairs or even more ambitious projects. With an all-rounder, you can stick to your schedule for repairs and small renovations – you don’t have to wait months for a contractor to add you to their schedule behind larger (and perhaps more lucrative) jobs.

Not only will a skilled handyman help you keep your home in good shape, but you’ll find that paying someone else to do the work turns out to be an efficient use of your money. A handyman often has the tools needed to do the job, saving you the expense of renting power tools, and they can also offer a discounted or bundled price if you hire them on multiple projects at the same time.

The content is paid advertising that was created in collaboration with Puls. His facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.