How much does a handyman cost in Houston? (2026)
Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands metro area · Updated October 2026 · Built from public U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, with every assumption shown below.
The short answer
A general handyman in the Houston metro earns a median of about $23.33 an hour in wages (adjusted to July 2026 prices). What you pay for a job is higher than the wage, because the price also covers travel, tools, insurance and the business itself. Using the method below, a small handyman job (roughly 1½–3 hours of work) typically lands somewhere around $45–$215, a medium job (3–6 hours) around $90–$435, and a large job (6–16 hours) around $185–$1,160. Materials are extra.
These are wide ranges on purpose: they cover the gap between a less experienced worker on a quick job and a highly paid one on a long job. Real bids for your specific job are the best number — the ranges help you tell whether a bid is in the normal zone.
By type of work
| Work | Hourly wage, July 2026 prices (25th / median / 75th) | Small job | Medium job | Large job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handyman (general repair)SOC 49-9071 | $19.27 / $23.33 / $30.20 | $45–$215 | $90–$435 | $185–$1,160 |
| PlumbingSOC 47-2152 | $24.60 / $30.61 / $37.80 | $60–$270 | $120–$545 | $235–$1,450 |
| ElectricalSOC 47-2111 | $23.59 / $29.55 / $36.81 | $55–$265 | $115–$530 | $225–$1,415 |
| PaintingSOC 47-2141 | $19.78 / $23.04 / $24.84 | $45–$180 | $95–$360 | $190–$955 |
| LandscapingSOC 37-3011 | $16.89 / $18.12 / $19.83 | $40–$145 | $80–$285 | $160–$760 |
| Moving / hauling laborSOC 53-7062 | $16.48 / $18.98 / $23.05 | $40–$165 | $80–$330 | $160–$885 |
| CleaningSOC 37-2011 | $13.33 / $15.31 / $18.36 | $30–$130 | $65–$265 | $130–$705 |
Job sizes: small = 1.5–3 hours, medium = 3–6 hours, large = 6–16 hours of labor. Excludes materials, permits and disposal fees.
How these numbers are built
- Wages come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025, for the Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area — the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile hourly wage for each occupation.
- Inflation: wages are adjusted from May 2025 to July 2026 using the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, series CUUR0000SA0), a factor of about +3.9%.
- Wage → price: the low end of each range is the 25th-percentile wage × the shortest job length × 1.6; the high end is the 75th-percentile wage × the longest job length × 2.4. The 1.6–2.4 multiplier stands in for what a business adds on top of wages (payroll taxes, insurance, travel, tools, overhead, profit).
What these numbers can't tell you
- They are estimates from wage data, not quotes, and not an average of real bids.
- The overhead multiplier and job lengths are our assumptions. We publish them so you can check the math.
- Licensed trades (plumbing, electrical) often charge a trip or diagnostic minimum that can exceed a short job's range.
- Rush work, weekends, difficult access and specialty materials push prices up.
Licensed work in Texas
Plumbing and electrical work in Texas is licensed by the state. Before hiring for that kind of job, ask for the license number and check it yourself:
- Plumbers — Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (tsbpe.texas.gov, public license search)
- Electricians — Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (tdlr.texas.gov, “Verify a License”)
Getting a fair price in practice
- Get at least two or three bids for the same written scope.
- Ask what's included: materials, cleanup, permits, warranty — and the earliest start date.
- Ask each pro for a minimum charge up front on small jobs.
- See our guide to comparing contractor bids line by line.
Disclosure: this guide is published by HANDeMANbid, a free marketplace where homeowners post a job and local pros bid (we take no commission). The same fair-price ranges appear next to jobs in the app. We're just getting started in Houston, so you may get few bids at first. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov/oes) and CPI-U (bls.gov/cpi).