What prices should I charge my handyman for these jobs?

What prices should I charge my handyman for these jobs?

FL · Member since 2016 · 912 posts · 107 votes

I am about to do my first house flip. I am using handymen instead of contractors for the majority of it. They are insured so that is not an issue. I am very surprised at the kinds of prices I got for handymen just by asking and I have seen their work and it is good. These are the types of prices I am getting.

Bathroom fixture install (toilet, sink, etc.) - $25

Electrical fixture install (light, fan, etc.) - $25

$35 per cabinet unit

$30 per appliance install

$1/sq. ft. flooring

Interior door installation - $30

Given these prices, what do you think would be fair/economical (trying to make as much profit as possible while still trying to pay an amount that's not ridiculously low) amount to pay for the following things....

-Demo. Before work gets started, I will need the old flooring removed as well as the cabinets and any old appliances, toilets, and even bathtub/showers, old mirrors, etc.

-Baseboard installation.

-Cleaning. Once the house is done, it might need a thorough cleaning before it is presentable to buyers.

-Switches and outlets. I have not picked out a specific house yet that I'm going to flip, but in my personal residence, I have 64 switches/outlets. I could use that as a guideline.

-Switch/outlet covers. In my personal residence, I have 57 of these.

-Air grilles/registers. In my personal residence, I have14 of these, 2 of which are the kind that are in bathrooms that have fans.

-Mirrors/medicine cabinets. These shouldn't take more than a few minutes to hang.

-Showers/tubs. If I have to replace an entire shower/tub. That is a little more complicated than a plumbing fixture or an appliance.

-Toilet paper holder/towel rack. Another simple item that should only take a minute.

I have gotten many handymen that have wanted to work for these prices, and it was a handyman that suggested them to me in the first place in his quote.

0Reply
45 views

4 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • J ScottPro Member
    Moderator
    Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 18k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    9y

    It sounds like the contractor already has great prices, so why not just get a bid from him instead of you suggesting the prices first?

  • FL · Member since 2016 · 912 posts · 107 votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @J Scott:

    It sounds like the contractor already has great prices, so why not just get a bid from him instead of you suggesting the prices first?

     I posted an ad on Craigslist asking "who will work for these prices?" Some people responded and said they would, others responded and said the prices were ridiculous. I would have never thought to ask such low prices, but I actually got a response from a previous Craigslist ad from a guy and he named those prices for me for his handyman service.

    He is not a contractor, he is a handyman. I suppose I could call actual contractors to see what they would charge, and then ask him to work for a fraction of that. He is very skilled and hungry for work, and I get the feeling there are a lot of people like this.

    A lot of this stuff is very easy. Replacing a switch and switch cover requires disconnecting three wires from the old switch, connecting them to the new switch, then putting in two screws on the cover. This would take a total of about 2 minutes tops. Removing a cabinet requires taking out a few screws and carrying it outside to my dumpster. That being said, I just don't want to insult the guy seeing as his cheap labor is what I think will make this very profitable for me. Obviously, it's a lot harder to remove ceramic tile than it is to remove carpet. I wish there were an easy answer for these things.

    I guess I could just ask him, but I don't want him to ask too much, then start bad blood between us when I counteroffer. I also don't want him to feel like a slave. I'm pretty sure he would agree to any reasonable number I gave him.

  • FL · Member since 2016 · 912 posts · 107 votes
    9y

    Problem solved. I'm going to find similar services on Craigslist and see what people charge for them. Now I have an idea of the market price.

  • Johnson City, TN · Member since 2014 · 586 posts · 705 votes
    9y

    Let me guess, you have never actually done any of this work before?

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.