Handyman rates???

[hydro]

I need to replace the entry and screen door on the back of my house and I was thinking of having my wife’s friend’s husband do it for me. I would buy the door and supplies and he would do the work. I have seen his work and I trust that he will do a good job with the install.

Has anyone else had work like this done recently? I was wondering what would be fair hourly rate to pay him. Alternately, I could offer a set price for the job that I expect would take the better part of a day including the new screen door.

[LightningBG]

You are going to get a earful on this one I would imagine.

My buddy is a carpenter, he charges $40 for skilled work, $30 for grunt labor. IMO he's pretty cheap by comparison to others. Who knows, maybe he charges more to others.

What does this guy do for a living or what is he trained to do?

Even after all of that.

I'd give him $150 for the day

[Surface Tension]

It can be a straight forward job or it can involve remodeling skills that only an experience carpenter can do without thinking about it all day. I'd take the experienced guy any day of the week. There won't be anything he hasn't encountered before and he can do it faster and a better job then then one with less experience.

That guy won't ask to be payed by the hour, he'll give you a price.

[nofishfisherman]

I just had my front door and sliding glass door replace last month. This is the first thing I've ever hired someone to do for me. I just didn't have the time and it was a bit more complicated because instead of replacing the sliding door with another sliding door we went with a normal door with 2 side lights which required some additional framing.

I think we paid about $1500, that included demo, new framing, disposal of old doors, installation (2 new doors, 2 sidelights, and 2 screen doors), new trim work around doors (painted), materials (excluding the doors themselves), painting the exterior of the doors, permits, and anything else he did. There was also a lead remediation fee we had to pay becuase of lead paint on the front door.

He quoted the total price for the job and not by the hour which was good because it took him alot longer then I would have thought but he did quality work and was meticulous about cleaning every speck of dust at the end of each day. I also know he was slowed down by the painting due to cold weather and rain and we also chose a color that needed several coats to cover to a point he was happy with.

Based on what I was quoted I'd expect probably something in the $300-$400 range for a simple door for someone who is licensed and is pulling permits, etc.

For someone who is just doing it as a side job and is not licensed I'd think $100-$150 is probably a fair price.

[Tom7227]

The real problem seems to me to get someone who's interested in doing these small jobs. You can call 10 of them and you're lucky to get 2 of them to respond. You can't really make any money on some of these things if you have to drive out and prepare a bid. I used to do it for friends and I'd end up spending at least a half hour getting tools ready and another half hour putting the stuff away. It just wasn't worth it for the money.

[BobT]

There is definitely a niche to fill here, Tom. I know of a local contractor that instead of retiring, decided to fill that niche by seeking out those small jobs. No heavy equipment and large overhead costs. Have tool belt will travel. He is as busy as he wants to be. Because he has no overhead cost, he is able to offer his services for much less than the big boys and so the elderly and others on fixed or low income can afford to have him come out to replace that front door or fix some facia or repair a window. Many times I wish I would have gone after a master electrician's license. I'd retire today and do the same thing. Forget about those industrial jobs and just provide a service to everyday homeowners to repair receptacles, wire a new addition or garage, install an occasional new lighting fixture, etc. Bet I could be busy 24 hours a day. Try to find a contractor to do those one day jobs is like pulling teeth. Even when they accept the contract, getting them to actually show up when they promised is another task. I've had to do work myself for this very reason. Had a guy make a bid, accepted the bid, he ordered material, I was ready to make down-payment, and he never came back. I will NEVER give him another chance.

[Surface Tension]

Sorry, long day and I overlooked the part where you already had your wifes, friend, husband lined up and was looking at a price.

.

If there isn't any framing, siding, interior patching to do then $150 for the entry and storm is a fair price.

Yes there is a niche for these small jobs. A retired carpenter would be ideal.

[krinkle]

If the guys a skilled tradesmen $75 to $100 a hour is fair. Carpenters usually run pretty cheap. It hard to call someone a friend or neighbor and then beat them up on price for the work they do. If he is un skilled why have them do the work. Remember cheap and good quality usually dont show up in the same truck. I would bet it will quickly leave you mind home much the work cost if it is done propperly. It will be in your mind every time you walk threw the door if the work was not done right or had poor service getting the work done.

A friend of ours a few years back hired a handyman to remodel her bathroom and it went bad. This was a recommendation from a person her husband worked with. This was going to be her dream bathroom which she saved a long time to complete and now cant hardly stand to walk in there due to memory of the issues with the contractor and construction. Nothing like bad memories in your own home.

When you meet the guy look at his appearance, how he conducts himself and what type of condition his truck and tool are in. If you can get a few references and check on them. Get a price up front from him and also when he expects to be paid. %50 down and %50 at completion is usually pretty fair. After all of this decide if you want him to do the work and if the price if fair.

[BobT]

Quote:

If the guys a skilled tradesmen $75 to $100 a hour is fair. Carpenters usually run pretty cheap.

That sounds pretty steap for a handy-man. A contractor charges what he does because of the overhead costs, bonding, insurance, and other labor costs involved. A handy-man is typically alone with little or no overhead to speak of. I should think that a handy-man therefor should come at a lower price. Am I right or am I in left field?

[Duffman]

Just for a little reference, I paid my brother $220 for a front door/sidelight removal and install a couple of weeks ago. That price included $40 for misc materials. It pretty much took him a full day to do it. He told me he has had to reduce the rate he charges to remain competitive. Plus, I'm guessing there might be a little brotherly rebate involved in the rate I got.

[krinkle]

I don't see anything wrong with those rates. This isnt Mexico or some other third world country. Big company or one many show there are still a lot of expense in conducting business. If a guy is cutting his pay he is cutting the quality of work or services provided. He has to or he wont be in business very long.

How much is time worth to a person? paying a guy $25 a hour in reality he is pocketing well less than half that. So for $12 a hour I want my truck loaded with tool and cra p. Maybe my garage to. Spend my evenings and weekends away from the wife, girl friend or both. Not for me. Get those rates up there where I can keep $30 to $50 a hour and Im starting to get interested. For even my one man gig Im running near 60% over head.

[Coach1310]

My two cents..... #1 Just because one guy charges $60/hr and another guy charges $30/hr doesn't mean the $60/hr is doing twice work or twice as good of a job. You have to find people you trust. More often than not I would recommend a "gut feel" over somebody who advertises like crazy. Also, don't be afraid to check up on someone who did work for so and so and it turned out alright. Anybody not willing to give out the numbers of some folks they worked for should throw up a red flag.... #2 don't be afraid to ask your local lumber yard or building supply company. They usually have a feel for who's worth what...

[daylate]

Hydro, offer him a lump sum in cash. As someone who is self employed in the trades I usually turn down money or feel guilty charging a full rate for friends or family. But if one of them offered say $250 cash for something I thought would take a half day to a full day I would very happy. Good luck with you project!