Handyman rates in London are £40–£60 per hour in 2026, £120–£180 for a half-day and £200–£300 for a full day. Common jobs are often priced individually: mounting a TV £60–£120, assembling flat-pack furniture £40–£90, and fitting a new lock £80–£150. Most handymen apply a minimum charge or call-out fee for short visits. This guide breaks down handyman costs in London by hour, by job and for landlord reactive maintenance.
How much does a handyman cost in London?
A handyman in London charges £40–£60 per hour in 2026, with the rate depending on experience, the area and how specialised the work is. For anything beyond a quick visit, booking a half-day or full day works out cheaper per hour than paying hourly.
A half-day, usually up to around four hours, costs £120–£180, and a full day £200–£300. Booking a block of time is the most economical way to clear a list of small jobs in one visit, because you avoid paying a separate minimum charge for each. The table below shows the standard rates; materials are charged on top, and out-of-hours or urgent visits carry a premium.
Handyman rate
Typical London cost (2026)
Hourly rate
£40 – £60
Half-day (up to ~4 hours)
£120 – £180
Full day
£200 – £300
Minimum charge / call-out
£40 – £80
Common handyman jobs and prices
Many handyman jobs are quoted as a fixed price rather than by the hour, which makes budgeting easier and avoids surprises. The prices below are typical London figures for individual jobs including labour but excluding materials.
These fixed prices assume the job is done on its own visit. Bundling several together onto one half-day or day booking is almost always cheaper than calling someone out for each one separately, so it pays to keep a running list and tackle them in a single session.
Common job
Typical London price (2026)
Mount a TV on the wall
£60 – £120
Assemble flat-pack furniture (per item)
£40 – £90
Replace a door lock / handle
£80 – £150
Hang a door
£80 – £150
Put up shelving (per run)
£50 – £120
Re-seal bath or kitchen (silicone)
£60 – £120
Hang pictures / mirrors / curtain poles
£40 – £90
Minor repairs (handles, hinges, fixings)
from £40
Why handymen charge a minimum or call-out fee
Almost every London handyman applies a minimum charge or call-out fee, typically £40–£80, and it is not a hidden extra but a reflection of how the work is structured.
A tradesperson's day is made up of travel, parking, sourcing materials and the job itself. A ten-minute fix still uses a chunk of the day once travel and parking in London are accounted for, so a minimum charge ensures small jobs are worth attending. Parking and congestion charges in central boroughs add real cost before any work begins.
The practical takeaway is simple: do not call a handyman out for a single tiny job if you can help it. Save up a list of small tasks, leaky tap, sticking door, loose handle, picture to hang, blind to fit, and book a half-day or day so the minimum charge is spread across many jobs. You get far more done for your money and the per-job cost falls sharply.
What a handyman can and cannot do
A handyman covers a broad range of small building, repair and maintenance tasks, but some work must legally go to a registered specialist, and knowing the line saves time and money.
Handymen typically handle carpentry repairs, fixing and hanging, flat-pack assembly, minor plumbing such as taps, traps and re-sealing, filling and touch-up decorating, fitting locks and handles, putting up shelves and blinds, and general odd jobs around the home. It is the natural home for the long list of small fixes that do not justify calling out a separate specialist trade for each.
What a handyman should not do is notifiable electrical work in kitchens and bathrooms, gas work, which by law requires a Gas Safe registered engineer, and structural or significant plumbing alterations. A good handyman knows their limits and will tell you when a job needs an electrician, plumber or gas engineer rather than attempting it. If a single visit turns up a larger repair, we can bring in the right trade rather than bodging it.
Handyman costs for landlords and reactive maintenance
For London landlords and letting agents, a reliable handyman is one of the most cost-effective relationships in the business, because most tenant-reported issues are small and need a prompt, competent response rather than a specialist.
Reactive maintenance, the dripping tap, the door that will not close, the blind that has come down, the silicone that has gone mouldy, is exactly the work a handyman handles. Day-rate or half-day bookings let a landlord clear several flats' worth of small jobs in one trip, and a standing arrangement means issues are dealt with quickly, which keeps tenants satisfied and protects the property.
There is a preventative angle too. Re-sealing a bath before the old silicone fails, easing a door before it damages the frame, and fixing a loose gutter bracket before it causes a leak all cost a fraction of the damage they prevent. We work with landlords across London on exactly this kind of planned and reactive maintenance, often alongside the leak and refurbishment work that small jobs left too long tend to turn into.
How to get the best value from a handyman
Getting good value from a handyman is mostly about how you organise the work, not about hunting for the lowest hourly rate.
First, batch your jobs: a written list booked as a half-day or day almost always beats paying minimum charges for separate visits. Second, be clear about materials, agree whether the handyman supplies them or you do, since marked-up materials can add up. Third, prioritise the jobs that prevent bigger problems, sealant, drainage, loose fixings, over purely cosmetic ones.
Finally, value reliability and the right skill level over the cheapest quote. A competent handyman who turns up, does the job once and knows when to call in a specialist is far better value than a cheaper one who half-fixes things or attempts work they should not. Confirm whether the rate includes VAT, as a VAT-registered trader adds 20% on top, and ask about the minimum charge before booking so there are no surprises on a short visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a handyman charge per hour in London?
A handyman in London charges £40–£60 per hour in 2026. For more than a quick job, a half-day costs £120–£180 and a full day £200–£300, which works out cheaper per hour. Materials are charged on top, and most handymen apply a minimum charge of £40–£80 for short visits.
How much does it cost to mount a TV or assemble flat-pack?
Mounting a TV on the wall typically costs £60–£120 in London, and assembling flat-pack furniture £40–£90 per item, both depending on size and complexity. Bundling several such jobs into one half-day or day booking is far cheaper than calling a handyman out for each one separately.
Is there a minimum charge for a handyman in London?
Yes. Most London handymen apply a minimum charge or call-out fee of £40–£80, because travel, parking and time mean even a ten-minute job uses part of the day. The way to avoid paying it repeatedly is to save up several small jobs and book a half-day or day so the charge is spread across them.
What jobs can a handyman not do?
A handyman should not carry out notifiable electrical work in kitchens and bathrooms, any gas work, which legally requires a Gas Safe registered engineer, or structural and major plumbing alterations. A good handyman handles the wide range of small repairs and fitting jobs and tells you when a task needs a qualified electrician, plumber or gas engineer instead.
Should landlords use a handyman for maintenance?
Yes. Most tenant-reported issues are small reactive jobs, taps, doors, sealant, blinds, that a handyman handles cost-effectively, especially on a day-rate booking that clears several at once. A regular handyman keeps tenants satisfied, deals with problems before they grow, and is one of the most economical maintenance relationships a London landlord can have.
