Honest pricing
What a Handyman Costs in Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
Most handyman companies around here will not put a number on a page. We will. Here is exactly what we charge, what it covers, and what drives the price up or down.
The service call
One flat $85 covers the trip out, a look at the problem, and the first hour of work. Most small jobs are finished inside that hour, and you pay nothing more.
No trip fee on top. No diagnostic fee on top. No minimum beyond this.
That is the whole number for the first hour. Tell us what needs doing and we will put it in writing.
Get a Free Estimate or call (513) 202-3349How pricing works after the first hour
If the job runs longer than an hour, or if it is a bigger project like a bathroom refresh or a deck rebuild, you get a free written estimate before any work starts. You approve the number first. We do not start a clock and hand you a surprise at the end.
Materials are billed at cost plus a small handling charge, and we tell you what they are before we buy them. If you would rather supply your own materials, that is fine too, though we cannot warrant how they hold up.
Stack your list and the $85 goes further
The service call is charged once per visit, not once per job. Four small tasks in one trip cost far less than four separate trips, because you only pay the trip once.
So if the TV needs mounting, the hall light is out, one bedroom door sticks and the bathroom faucet drips, put them all on the same visit. That is the cheapest way to use us, and it is why we ask for your whole list up front rather than one job at a time.
How that compares locally
For context, published rates around Greater Cincinnati generally run $40 to $80 an hour for handyman work, and most companies carry a minimum of $60 to $100 before anyone picks up a tool. National franchises in this market sell labor in blocks, commonly around $570 for a half day and $1,110 for a full day. Another local independent charges a $99 service call.
There is one more comparison worth knowing. For a small drywall patch, a dedicated drywall contractor will usually carry a $350 to $650 minimum, because mobilising a crew for a little job is not worth it to them. A handyman minimum sits closer to $150 to $300, and ours is $85. Small repairs are not the filler between our big jobs. They are the business.
Figures above are published market ranges gathered in September 2026 and are offered for comparison only. They are not our prices and they are not quotes from those companies.
What moves the price
Old-house realities
Plaster and lath takes longer than drywall and cracks if you rush it. Galvanized supply lines can turn a ten-minute faucet swap into a longer job. We price these as known add-ons and tell you before we go further, not after the wall is open.
Access and height
Second-storey gutters, vaulted ceilings and tight crawl spaces take more setup and more care than work you can reach off a step stool.
Materials
A builder-grade fixture and a heavy solid-brass one take the same labour but a very different budget. We will tell you where spending more actually buys you something.
What we will not do
Anything needing a permit or a licensed trade — panel work, gas lines, main drain lines, structural changes, roofing — we decline and point you to the right trade. You hear that on the phone, before you have paid us anything.
Common questions about cost
How much does a handyman charge in Cincinnati?
Published rates around Greater Cincinnati generally run $40 to $80 an hour, with most companies carrying a $60 to $100 minimum. Fix It-Cincy charges a flat $85 service call that includes the first hour of work, so for most small jobs that $85 is the whole bill.
Do you charge a separate trip or call-out fee?
No. The $85 covers the trip, the assessment and the first hour. There is no trip fee, diagnostic fee or fuel surcharge stacked on top of it.
Is the estimate free?
Yes. For anything beyond the first hour you get a free written estimate before work begins, and you approve it first. The $85 service call applies when we come out and do the work.
Is it cheaper to bundle several jobs into one visit?
Considerably. The service call is charged once per visit, not once per task. Four small jobs on one trip cost far less than four separate trips, so send us the whole list.
How do you charge for materials?
At cost plus a small handling charge, and we tell you what they will be before buying them. You are welcome to supply your own materials instead, though our labor warranty does not extend to how someone else’s materials hold up.
Why is a small drywall patch cheaper with a handyman?
Because a dedicated drywall contractor usually carries a $350 to $650 minimum to mobilise for a job. A handyman minimum sits nearer $150 to $300, and ours is the $85 service call. For a hole smaller than a dinner plate, that difference is most of the bill.
Is the work guaranteed?
Yes. Every job carries a 1-year warranty on our labor from the invoice date. Full terms are on our guarantee page.
How do you take payment?
Credit cards are accepted. Property owners and landlords with ongoing work can be invoiced monthly across all their visits, rather than paying job by job.
Send your list, get a real number
Honest $85 service call, free written estimates on bigger work, and a year behind every job.
Tell us what needs fixing
Send the list and we’ll come back with honest pricing, usually within one business day. Flat $85 service call, and a 1-year warranty on our labor.