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What changes the cost of a handyman?
In Cheshire, a handyman's price depends on how the job is charged, how many tasks are grouped into one visit, who buys the materials, the access and the time the work takes. This guide prints no rate, so describe every task clearly and compare quotes for the same list of jobs.
Last reviewed:What a handyman does
A handyman takes on the small, varied jobs around a home that do not need a specialist trade. Typical work includes putting up shelves, curtain poles and pictures, assembling flat-pack furniture, fixing doors that stick, replacing handles and hinges, minor carpentry, sealing round baths, patching small areas of wall, hanging a TV bracket, and fitting door stops or draught strips.
The appeal is that one person can work through a list of tasks in one visit. That is also why the way you plan the visit has such a big effect on what you pay.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns. This guide prints no rate. It explains how handymen price their work, how to make a visit good value, and which jobs need a registered trade instead.
How handymen price their work
There are three common ways a handyman will price a job:
- By the hour. Suits jobs where the time is hard to judge, such as fixing an old door or tracing a squeak. Ask whether there is a minimum charge.
- By the half day or day. Suits a long list of small jobs. You pay for a block of time and the handyman works through as much as possible.
- Fixed price. Suits a clearly described job, such as assembling a named wardrobe or hanging four shelves. Agree what is included before work starts.
Travel, parking and materials can be added on top of any of these, or included. Ask each person how they price, so you compare like with like. A higher hourly figure with a short travel time can come to less than a lower figure with a long drive and a minimum charge.
What changes the cost of a handyman
| What is being priced | What makes it bigger or smaller | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing method | Hourly, half day, day or fixed price | How they price this job |
| Number of tasks | One small job or a long list | Whether several jobs can go in one visit |
| Minimum charge | A first-hour or half-day minimum | Whether there is one |
| Materials | Supplied by you or by the handyman | Whether materials are listed separately |
| Walls and fixings | Plasterboard, brick, tile or old plaster | Which fixings they will use |
| Access | Stairs, high ceilings, parking | Whether they need ladders or a tower |
| Waste | Packaging, old fittings, offcuts | Whether they take waste away |
| Travel | Distance and parking costs | Whether travel is included |
| Timing | Evenings, weekends, urgent visits | Whether timing changes the price |
| VAT | Whether the business is VAT registered | Whether the total includes VAT |
A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000 [S2]. Ask whether each total includes it.
Making a handyman visit good value
The cost of a handyman visit is mostly time. Anything that saves time saves money.
- Group your jobs. Make one list of everything that needs doing and book one visit, rather than calling for each small job.
- Describe each task. Say what, where and how many. "Hang three framed pictures in the hall, plasterboard wall" is easier to price than "some pictures".
- Add photos and measurements. A photo of a door, a wall or a flat-pack box label tells the handyman what tools and fixings to bring.
- Have your items ready. If you are supplying curtain poles, shelves or handles, unpack them and check every part is there.
- Clear the space. Move furniture away from walls being worked on, and clear a route to the loft or garden.
- Agree the materials. Decide who buys fixings, sealant and fittings before the visit.
Planning like this is the most reliable way to keep costs sensible, without picking someone on price alone.
Urgent and out-of-hours visits are a different matter. A door that will not lock at night, or a leak that needs containing until a plumber arrives, may be priced higher because the handyman has to move other work. If a job can wait a few days, say so in your post. That gives people room to fit you into a round of jobs nearby, which often suits both sides.
Jobs that need a registered trade
Some jobs that look small are regulated. A good handyman will tell you when a job is outside what they can do.
Electrical work. Electrical Safety First says there are special requirements for electrical installations in bathrooms, as most electrical work must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations, and it says to use a registered electrician [S4]. The Planning Portal recommends using an installer registered with a competent person scheme, who can self-certify the work [S3]. It says that if an installer is not registered, certain riskier jobs, called notifiable, need inspecting, approving and certificating by a building control body or a registered third-party certifier [S3]. Ask for an electrician for new sockets, new lights, moving wiring or anything in a bathroom. Electrical Safety First: find a registered electrician; NICEIC; NAPIT. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Gas work. HSE says anyone employed to work on gas appliances in domestic premises must be a Gas Safe registered engineer and competent in that area of gas work [S1]. That covers gas cookers, hobs, fires and boilers. A handyman who is not on the Gas Safe Register must not do it. Gas Safe Register. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Plumbing beyond small tasks. Changing a tap washer or a toilet seat is often handyman work. New pipe runs, moving radiators and anything to do with the boiler belong to a plumber or heating engineer.
Work at height. Gutters, roof repairs and high windows are for a trade with the right access equipment.
Fixing into walls safely
Many handyman jobs involve drilling into walls for shelves, brackets, poles and pictures. Hidden cables and pipes are the main risk. Ask how the handyman checks for them, and whether they use a cable and pipe detector. Tell them anything you know about where wiring and pipes run.
Older homes can have textured coatings on walls and ceilings. HSE says asbestos can be present in any building built or refurbished before 2000 [S6]. It also says that if you come across material you think may contain asbestos, you must stop work [S6]. In an older home, ask the handyman to check before drilling or sanding a textured ceiling or wall, and to stop and get the material checked if they are unsure.
Finding a handyman in Cheshire
A handyman covering Crewe, Nantwich, Sandbach and the villages around them can usually give a fixed price for a well-described list. Put every task in your job post, with photos, and say whether you are supplying any items. Mention parking, because it affects how easily they can unload tools.
Anyone in the UK can post a job or register a business on QuoteZila.
How to compare handyman quotes
Check each quote for:
- Each task on your list, with nothing missing.
- How the job is priced, and any minimum charge.
- Materials, and whether they are listed separately.
- Travel, parking and waste.
- Which tasks they will not do, such as electrical or gas work.
- Whether VAT is included.
Citizens Advice says a quote is a fixed price, while an estimate is a rough guess, so you might end up paying more [S5]. It suggests asking to see the trader's insurance policies [S5]. Public liability insurance is the cover for when someone is hurt or property is damaged [S5].
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts. "List of small jobs: two shelves in the lounge, a curtain pole in the bedroom, and a sticking bathroom door." Or: "Assemble a flat-pack wardrobe and chest of drawers, and fix the wardrobe to the wall." Or: "Fit new handles to eight kitchen cupboard doors and reseal around the bath."
Get quotes from a handyman
List every task, add photos and say what you are supplying. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See the handymen page, the carpenters page or the painters and decorators page. For wiring, see the electricians page and the electrician cost guide. For taps and pipes, see the plumber cost guide.
Official and public sources
QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.
- Gas work: HSE: domestic gas questions [S1].
- VAT: GOV.UK on when to register [S2].
- Electrical work and building regulations: Planning Portal: electrics [S3].
- Bathroom electrics: Electrical Safety First: bathroom safety [S4].
- Quotes and insurance: Citizens Advice [S5].
- Asbestos in older homes: HSE: why asbestos is dangerous and where it can be found [S6].
Questions about handyman costs
How much does a handyman charge?
This guide does not print a rate. Handymen price in different ways: by the hour, by the half day or day, or a fixed price for a list of tasks. The number of jobs, the materials, the access and travel all change the total. Ask for a written quote for your full list.
How can I keep the cost of a handyman down?
Group several small jobs into one visit, describe each task clearly with photos and measurements, and have any items you are supplying ready before they arrive. Clear the work area. Compare written quotes for the same list, rather than choosing on a headline rate.
Can a handyman do electrical work?
Only some, and it depends on the job and the person. Electrical Safety First says most electrical work must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations. The Planning Portal recommends using an installer registered with a competent person scheme. Ask for an electrician for anything beyond minor tasks.
Can a handyman fit a gas cooker or fire?
Not unless they are Gas Safe registered. HSE says anyone employed to work on gas appliances in domestic premises must be a Gas Safe registered engineer and competent in that area of gas work. Check the engineer's card and the Gas Safe Register.
Do handymen charge a minimum fee?
Many do, because travelling to a five-minute job still takes time. Some charge a minimum for the first hour or a half day. Ask about any minimum before booking, and add other small jobs to the same visit so the time is used well.
Should I buy the materials myself?
Sometimes. Buying your own fittings lets you choose them, but if they turn out to be wrong the handyman may need another trip. If the handyman buys them, ask whether the quote shows materials separately. Agree who buys what before the visit.
Does QuoteZila check the businesses who quote?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
Related guides
- Handymen: small jobs around the home
- Electricians: sockets, lights and wiring
- Plumbers: taps, pipes and leaks
- TV wall mount installation guide
- How to put up a curtain pole
- All cost guides
Part of Cost guides. All services
Related trades
Cost guides
Related pages
- TV Bracket Fitting Cost in Cheshire: What to Ask. Fitting a TV bracket in Cheshire depends on the wall, the bracket and whether a new socket is needed. Ask what the wall is made of before anyone drills.
- Curtain Installation Cost: What Changes the Price. What moves a curtain fitting quote: poles or tracks, wall type, bay windows, ceiling fixing, motorised tracks and making up curtains. No fixed price printed.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs-for-tradesmen copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila terms and matching notes.
- S1: Domestic gas: frequently asked questions, HSE. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqs.htm
- S2: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S3: Electrics: building regulations general information, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/electrics/building-regulations-general-information/
- S4: Electrical safety advice for the bathroom, Electrical Safety First. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guidance/safety-around-the-home/bathroom-safety
- S5: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S6: Why asbestos is dangerous and where it can be found, HSE. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/introduction/why-and-where.htm