A handyman in London costs £80–£100 per hour in 2026. A half day (up to 4 hours) is £280–£380 and a full day (up to 8 hours) is £500–£650. Most small jobs — a shelf, a blind, a TV bracket — are quoted at a fixed price from around £45. Emergency same-day call-outs start from £120.
Below are our own published London rates, what changes the price, and what common jobs actually cost — so you can budget before you pick up the phone.
How much does a handyman cost per hour in London?
Expect £80–£100 per hour for an experienced, insured handyman in London, with a one-hour minimum call-out. Rates across the wider market run lower — roughly £25–£100 per hour nationally — because that range mixes sole traders without insurance in low-cost regions with fully insured London firms. London sits at the top end: wages, insurance, congestion and parking all cost more here.
| How you book | London price (2026) | Works out at |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly (min. 1 hour) | £80 – £100 / hr | Most expensive per hour |
| Half day — up to 4 hrs | £280 – £380 | ≈ £70 – £95 / hr |
| Full day — up to 8 hrs | £500 – £650 | ≈ £63 – £81 / hr |
| Emergency same-day | from £120 | Priority response |
The pattern is simple: the longer you book, the lower the effective hourly rate. A full day works out roughly 20–25% cheaper per hour than paying hourly for the same time.
Is it cheaper to book by the hour or by the day?
By the day, if you have more than about three hours of work. Each separate visit carries its own call-out, so three one-hour visits cost far more than one half-day booking that covers all three jobs.
- One quick task — book hourly.
- Two to four small jobs — a half day (£280–£380) is usually cheaper than paying hourly for each.
- A full snagging list — a full day (£500–£650) gives the lowest effective hourly rate.
What common handyman jobs cost in London
| Job | Typical London price | Guide time |
|---|---|---|
| Mount a TV on the wall | £60 – £180 | 1 – 2 hrs |
| Hang pictures or a mirror | £45 – £90 | 1 hr |
| Fit a floating shelf | £45 – £75 | 1 hr |
| Fit a blind (per window) | £40 – £60 | 30 – 45 min |
| Fit a curtain pole or track | £50 – £90 | 45 – 60 min |
| Flat-pack furniture assembly | £40 – £120 | 1 – 3 hrs |
| Hang or repair an internal door | £70 – £160 | 1 – 3 hrs |
| Fit a kitchen unit (each) | £100 – £150 | — |
| Tiling (per m²) | £45 – £120 | — |
| Skirting board (per metre) | £25 – £45 | — |
| Plastering / skim one wall | £150 – £300 | Half day |
| Gutter clean and clear | £60 – £120 | 1 – 2 hrs |
| Pressure wash a patio or drive | £80 – £250 | 2 – 4 hrs |
| Loft boarding (small area) | £350 – £550 | Half – 1 day |
What affects the price
- Time on site — the single biggest factor.
- Materials — supplied and itemised by us, or bought by you.
- Access and parking — upper floors, tight stairwells and central London parking add to call-out time.
- Wall type — brick and concrete take longer than plasterboard, which is why the same job has a price range.
- Timing — evenings, Sundays and bank holidays may be quoted at a higher rate, always confirmed before you book.
- Insurance and vetting — an insured, vetted tradesperson costs more per hour than an uninsured sole trader, and is why the national “average” looks lower than a real London quote.
Handyman prices across London
Our rates are the same across every London zone — Central, North, South, East and West. Central London jobs can carry a little more call-out time because of parking and access, and that is priced into the quote rather than added afterwards. We cover Holborn, Westminster, Camden, Islington, Kensington, Chelsea, Hackney, Shoreditch, Greenwich, Wandsworth, Clapham, Fulham, Hampstead, Notting Hill, Canary Wharf, Richmond, Ealing and every other borough.
How to avoid overpaying
- Get the price in writing first. A verbal “about £70 an hour” is not a quote.
- Send photos. They let a tradesperson price accurately first time instead of padding for the unknown.
- Batch your jobs. One half-day beats three separate call-outs.
- Check insurance. A rate well under £80/hr in London often means no public liability cover.
- Ask what’s included. Materials, waste removal and clean-up should be stated, not assumed.
What £80–£100 an hour actually buys you
The rate is not just the person’s time. On a London job, an hourly rate has to cover public liability insurance, tools and their replacement, van costs, fuel, congestion and ULEZ charges, parking, travel between jobs, materials sourcing, quoting time, and the unpaid gaps between bookings. A tradesperson billing 40 hours a week is not working 40 hours — perhaps 25 of those are on site.
That’s the honest reason a £45/hour quote in London should make you cautious rather than pleased. It usually signals one of three things: no public liability cover, no experience, or a first-hour price that climbs once they’re through the door.
What one hour realistically gets done
| In one hour, expect | Notes |
|---|---|
| Hang 3–4 pictures or one large mirror | More on brick than plasterboard |
| Fit one floating shelf | Including finding studs and levelling |
| Fit 1–2 blinds | Depends on recess and window type |
| Change a tap washer or a single tap | If the isolation valve works |
| Ease and adjust 2–3 sticking doors | Common after a damp winter |
| Mount a small–medium TV, fixed bracket | Stud wall, cables left visible |
| Reseal a bath or shower tray | Strip old silicone, clean, reseal |
The single biggest variable is what’s behind the wall. A picture on plasterboard takes minutes; the same picture on a Victorian solid brick wall with hard mortar takes considerably longer and needs different fixings.
Hourly or fixed price — which should you ask for?
Ask for a fixed price when the job is well defined and visible: mount this TV, assemble that wardrobe, fit these two blinds. You transfer the risk of it taking longer to the tradesperson, and you know your total before anyone starts.
Accept an hourly rate when the job is genuinely unknown — chasing a draught, tracking down a rattle, a list that might grow once you get going. Trying to force a fixed price on an unknown job usually just means the quote gets padded to cover the worst case, and you pay for risk that never materialised.
- Defined, visible job → fixed price
- Investigation or diagnosis → hourly
- Long mixed list → half or full day
- Urgent single fault → emergency call-out from £120
Why London costs more than the national average
National “average handyman rate” figures usually land far below what you’ll actually be quoted in London, and the gap confuses people. The averages blend the whole UK — a sole trader in a low-cost region working from a car, with lower insurance and no congestion charge, sits in the same dataset as an insured London firm running a van into Zone 1.
- Wages. Skilled trades cost more in London, in line with every other job.
- Vehicle costs. Congestion Charge and ULEZ apply to many working vans daily.
- Parking. Metered bays, permits and suspensions are a real per-job cost in central boroughs.
- Traffic. Fewer jobs fit into a day when crossing London takes an hour.
- Insurance. Higher property values mean higher public liability premiums.
- Buildings. Period conversions, awkward stairwells and no lift all add time.
Warning signs in a cheap quote
- No written quote. If it only exists as a text message saying “around £60”, it isn’t a price.
- No proof of insurance. Ask for the public liability certificate. A legitimate trade sends it without fuss.
- Cash-only, up front. A deposit for materials on a large job is normal. Full payment before work starts is not.
- Vague on what’s included. Materials, waste removal and making good should all be stated explicitly.
- A first-hour price with no second-hour price. This is where cheap quotes usually make their money back.
- Willing to do notifiable electrical or any gas work. A serious red flag — that work is legally restricted.
When you’ll pay above the standard rate
A higher-than-usual quote isn’t automatically someone taking advantage. Legitimate reasons include emergency or same-day response, evening, Sunday and bank-holiday work, jobs needing two people (heavy TVs, large mirrors, awkward stairwells), restricted access such as a fifth-floor flat with no lift, and jobs requiring specialist tools or hired access equipment.
What matters is that the reason is stated in the quote before you agree, not discovered on the invoice afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a handyman charge per hour in London?
£80–£100 per hour in 2026, with a one-hour minimum call-out. Half days are £280–£380 and full days £500–£650, which brings the effective hourly rate down.
Why are London handyman rates higher than the UK average?
National averages include sole traders in low-cost regions, often without insurance. London carries higher wages, insurance, fuel, congestion and parking costs, so genuine London rates sit at the top of the national range.
Is there a minimum call-out charge?
Yes — one hour. If your job takes 20 minutes you are still charged for the first hour, which is why it pays to save up a few small jobs for one visit.
Do you charge extra for evenings and weekends?
Evening, Sunday and bank-holiday work may be quoted at a higher rate. That rate is confirmed in your quote before you commit — nothing is added afterwards.
Are materials included in the hourly rate?
No. The hourly rate covers labour, tools and standard consumables. Any materials or parts are itemised separately in your quote, or you can supply them yourself.
How quickly can I get a price?
Usually within 30 minutes during working hours. Send details by phone, WhatsApp or the online form and we come back with a fixed, no-obligation quote.
Get a fixed price for your job
Tell us what you need and we will price it free, with no obligation — usually within 30 minutes during working hours. Call 0800 102 6422, message us on WhatsApp, or request a quote online.
See also: what a handyman can do · full London handyman price guide · how our pricing works · our handyman services.