What a handyman estimate should include
A handyman visit is rarely one job. It's the list the client has been saving up for months, and the estimate is where you both agree on that list before anyone buys a part. The example above has five tasks in one house.
- One line per task, in the client's words. "Mount TV and hide cables in wall" is something the client can picture. "Misc. labor, 6 hrs" is not, and it's the line people argue about later.
- Who supplies the parts. The first line says "customer-supplied vanity and faucet". That one word decides who goes back to the store when the box arrives with a cracked basin.
- Small jobs at a flat price. Re-caulking a tub and shower surround for $95 is easier to say yes to than an hourly guess, and a flat price rewards you for working fast.
- Quantities where a task repeats. "Assemble and anchor 2 bookcases" at 2 x $60 lets the client drop one and see the new total straight away.
- What you won't do. The example excludes electrical or plumbing work that needs a licensed trade, and materials not listed. Which jobs need a license depends on where you work, so check your state's rules and word the line to match.
- How long the job takes and how long the price holds. The notes say about one day of work and a price valid 30 days. The client knows what to book and when the number might change.
There's no deposit on this example because the client is buying the expensive part. If you're the one buying materials, ask for a deposit and write the amount on the estimate.
How to write a handyman estimate
- Walk the house with the client and write the list as you go. Take a photo of each spot - the wall for the TV, the old vanity, the tired caulk - so you remember what you saw when you price it that evening.
- Give every line a clear finish. "Replace toilet wax ring and supply line" tells the client the toilet comes up and goes back down. It doesn't promise to fix whatever else is wrong with it.
- Price from your own list. Keep a price list of the jobs you do every week, so a wax ring or a TV mount costs the same on every estimate you send.
- Write the exclusions before the client asks. If you find a corroded shutoff under the old vanity, the estimate already says that's a plumber's job or a separate price.
- Put "while you're here" jobs in writing. When the client adds tasks on the day, add them as new lines with a price and get a yes before you start.
- Get the list signed. A signature shows both sides agreed on the same five jobs. In TapBill the client signs on your phone screen, and one tap turns the signed estimate into the invoice.
Use this handyman estimate template
When the work is done, the handyman invoice template shows how a list of door jobs becomes a bill. If one task turns out to be bigger than a handyman job, see how the plumbing estimate and the painting estimate handle scope and deposits, or start a blank one in the estimate generator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write an estimate for a small bathroom job?
Break it into the pieces the client can see: the vanity, the toilet, the caulk. Price each one, say who buys the fixtures, and exclude anything hidden behind the wall or the tile. The example on this page does this for a bathroom refresh plus two jobs in other rooms.
Should a handyman estimate be hourly or flat-rate?
Either works. Flat prices suit tasks you've done many times. Hourly suits repairs where you can't see the cause yet. You can mix both on one estimate, as long as each line says which it is.
How much should a handyman charge?
There's no single right number - it depends on your costs, your area and how quickly you work. Work out what one hour of your time has to cover, including tools, the van and unpaid travel, and build your flat prices from that.
How long should a handyman estimate be valid?
The example holds its price for 30 days. That gives the client time to decide without leaving you stuck with an old price if material costs go up. Write the date on the estimate so nobody has to guess.