I publish one fixed price: a $200 minimum per job. Every other number depends on what the job needs, so I work it out from your photos and put it in writing before I start. This guide covers what the minimum buys, what moves the price above it, and how to get a real number on the first reply.
How much does a handyman cost in BC?
With me, the floor is $200 for any job. A small repair or a short list can land at that floor. A longer list, a textured ceiling or a tricky access job costs more, and you see that number in writing before I book the visit. Nothing gets added after the fact unless you ask for more work and I confirm the change in writing first.
A price list for every job would be a guess. Two homes can ask for the same repair and need very different visits. A drywall patch on smooth walls in a 2002 Walnut Grove home in Langley is about 90 minutes. The same patch under original stipple in a 1978 White Rock home can take half a day, because matching that texture is its own craft. A handyman who quotes a flat number before seeing the work is either guessing high to be safe or guessing low to win the job.
What the $200 minimum covers
The minimum is charged once per job. It covers the drive, the tools, my insurance, and the setup and cleanup every visit needs. It is also the part of the work no hourly rate captures: showing up with the right parts and a plan for the job.
One lone small fix can feel pricey at $200. The same minimum goes much further when three or four small jobs ride on the same visit. That is why I always ask for the whole list, including the small items you have learned to live with.
Every job I take gets a written scope before I start, so the price is agreed in advance and the list stays the list.
Want me to take this one on? My page on home repairs covers what the visit includes, what I hand off, and how I price it.
What sets the price above the minimum
- Scope: one small repair or a list of eight. This is the biggest single factor.
- Surfaces: smooth drywall is faster to repair than knockdown or stipple texture.
- Materials: better paint, soft-close hinges and matched hardware cost more and usually last longer.
- Access: strata elevator bookings, second-storey decks and pets at home all add time.
- Timing: a Saturday deadline before a tenant moves in is harder to schedule than a job that can wait a few weeks.
- Prep and protection: drop cloths, dust control, moving furniture and cleanup are part of a real quote from the start.
- Paperwork: property managers who need photos and an itemized bill per unit add a small but real step.
Drywall is the clearest case of surfaces changing the price. My guide on what drives drywall repair cost walks through hole size, cracks, water damage and texture one at a time.
What does a handyman charge per hour in BC?
I do not bill by the hour, so I have no hourly rate to give you. I price the job. You get one number in writing. That same number goes on the invoice.
Hourly rates sound simple, but they hide the part that matters. The bill is the rate times the hours, and you only learn the hours when the job is done. A slower worker at a lower rate can cost more than a faster one at a higher rate. Up front, you have no way to tell the two apart.
If you are comparing handymen, ask each one for a written price for the whole job. That is the only number you can line up side by side. If one price sits far below the rest, my guide on red flags in a handyman quote lists what is usually missing.
Handyman cost per day versus per job
People often ask about a day rate when they have a long list and want it cleared in one go. That instinct is right. A long list on one visit is the best value you can get from a handyman.
I still price it as one job. You send the full list, and the written quote covers every item on it. You know the total before I arrive. The clock never enters into it.
How to get a real number on the first reply
Most back-and-forth on a quote comes from missing details. Five things let me send a real number the first time. Each one matches a field on my quote form.
- Photos from a few angles: a wide shot, a close-up, and one with a tape measure for scale.
- Rough sizes: "about 12 by 14 feet" is plenty for a paint job, and "about the size of a tennis ball" is plenty for a drywall hole.
- What you have already tried: paint you bought, a repair you started, or another trade who looked at it.
- Your real deadline: if you need it by Tuesday, say Tuesday, so I can say yes or tell you to find someone sooner.
- Access details: strata rules, stairs only, pets at home, or quiet hours for someone working from home.
Then send the whole list. The minimum is charged once per job, so one visit for three small repairs costs less than three separate trips.
Where I work and what goes to a licensed trade
I am based in Langley and work across the nearby towns. If you are booking handyman repairs in Surrey, home repairs in Abbotsford or handyman repairs in White Rock, the minimum and the written quote work the same way.
Some jobs on a list belong to an electrician, a plumber or a gas fitter. I flag those in the quote and refer them out. My guide on what a handyman can legally do in BC shows which jobs need a licensed trade.
