Overview: Handyman Services
A handyman takes care of the small jobs that pile up. The screen door that won't latch, weatherstripping before the cold sets in, a running toilet, eavestroughs packed with maple keys, basement shelves and a patch in the drywall. None of it justifies a specialist's minimum charge, and all of it has been waiting since spring.
Most bill by the hour or half day, with a minimum just for showing up, so one long visit beats three short ones. Sales tax is a separate question. A small operator under the federal threshold doesn't have to register for GST or HST. If the tax shows up on your bill, the business should be registered, and the CRA's online registry lets you check its number.
The legal limits change by province. In Ontario, only a Licensed Electrical Contractor can be hired for electrical work in your home, and gas work belongs to a TSSA-registered contractor. In Quebec, paid repair and renovation work generally needs a licence from the Régie du bâtiment. Toronto licenses businesses that repair or renovate buildings.
Our listings show what each handyman business states on its own website. Start with your province, then your city, to see who takes small jobs locally.
What do handyman services cost in Canada?
A short task list can be priced by the hour or as a package. Check the minimum booking before comparing rates.
| Service | Planning budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| General handyman labour | C$65–C$145per worker-hour | One worker completing agreed minor repairs during regular hours.Confirm the minimum booking and whether travel or shopping uses paid time. This is an alternative way to price or book the work. Do not add it to another complete package for the same work.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Labour; Basic hand tools Budget separately or confirm: Materials; Travel charge |
| Two-hour booking, where required | C$130–C$290per two-hour booking | One general handyman for two hours during regular service hours; this minimum is not universal.This is the total for the included two hours, not an extra call-out charge. Compare it with the hourly or package option. This is an alternative way to price or book the work. Do not add it to another complete package for the same work.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Included labour time; Dispatch if specified Budget separately or confirm: Extra time; Materials |
| Half-day task list | C$240–C$550per four-hour booking | One worker; a prioritised list of small jobs and materials ready on site.A four-hour package is an alternative to hourly booking; do not add the two-hour minimum to this amount. This is an alternative way to price or book the work. Do not add it to another complete package for the same work.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Four labour hours; Basic tools Budget separately or confirm: Shopping time; Materials |
| Flat-pack wardrobe assembly | C$65–C$300per wardrobe | One freestanding wardrobe; model, doors, internal fittings and any anchoring agreed before booking.Confirm required anchoring and whether this is a fixed task price or subject to the contractor’s minimum visit charge.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Assembly labour Budget separately or confirm: Furniture purchase; Wall alterations and waste removal |
| Small drywall patch and touch-up | C$150–C$300per completed repair | One small hole around four inches across in sound drywall; ordinary access and local paint touch-up.Agree the finished result and any drying or return visits. A local touch-up may not blend invisibly with older paint.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Patching materials and labour; Sanding, primer and local paint touch-up Budget separately or confirm: Whole-wall repainting; Moisture repairs or specialist wall assemblies |
What changes the price
- Minimum booking, worker count and whether travel or shopping uses paid time.
- Number of return visits for drying, painting or unavailable parts.
- Wall construction, fixing requirements and specialist subcontractors.
Ask before accepting a quote
- Is the minimum applied once to my whole task list, and is the quoted task price subject to it?
- Does the price cover one worker, and are travel, shopping and return visits included?
- Which tasks can you complete at this price, and which need a specialist or a separate quote?
Make the visit count
- Send photos, measurements and a prioritised task list so the contractor can choose an hourly booking or fixed package.
- Compare the total for the same completed tasks. Do not add a minimum booking on top of a package that already includes that time.
Canadian context
Ask which tasks require a qualified trade or permit in your province before including them in a handyman booking.
Planning amounts in Canadian dollars. Published tax treatment varies; confirm applicable taxes and the final total in your written quote. Rows can be different services, alternative packages or separately priced extras. Add only work that is needed and not already included in your quote.
Frequently asked questions
Does a handyman need a licence in my province?
Sometimes, and it depends on the work. Quebec's Régie du bâtiment treats paid repairs and renovations as construction work, which generally needs an RBQ licence you can look up online. Alberta requires a prepaid contracting licence from contractors who sell away from their business and take money before the work is done. Toronto licenses renovation businesses. Across Ontario, electrical and gas work need their own licences.
How is handyman work usually charged?
By the hour or half day, with a minimum that covers the trip. Ask how they round the time and whether driving counts. Then ask about sales tax. A very small business may not be registered for GST or HST, and then it shouldn't add the tax at all. A registered one should print its registration number on the invoice, and you can confirm it with the CRA's online registry.
When do I need a licensed trade instead?
Anything on a gas line or gas appliance, which in Ontario means a TSSA-registered contractor sending a certified gas technician. Any electrical job, since ESA says only a Licensed Electrical Contractor can be hired for that work there. Plumbing inside walls, anything structural and roof work too. Ontario homeowners may do their own electrical work, but they still have to file a notification with ESA.
Can I cancel a handyman contract I signed at home?
In Ontario, usually yes, unless the job is tiny. A contract you sign at home comes with a ten-day cooling-off period, counted from the day you get your written copy. If work starts inside those ten days, you may still owe for the work and materials provided. Alberta gives ten days to cancel a prepaid contract, also counted from your copy. Cancel in writing, by a method that proves the date.
What if a handyman gets hurt working at my house?
Ask before the job starts. In British Columbia, WorkSafeBC warns homeowners they could be liable for a contractor's unpaid premiums, and it issues free clearance letters online. In Ontario, a homeowner hiring directly for home renovation work is exempt from WSIB's clearance rule, and a one-person operator doing only that work may carry no WSIB coverage at all. Ask what private accident and liability insurance they carry.
How do I prepare before they arrive?
Clear a path to the work and move the furniture out of the way. In winter, shovel the walk and the spot where the truck parks, so tools don't come in over a snowbank. Say whether you want boots off inside, and ask if they bring shoe covers. Have the parts on hand. Settle shelf heights and TV placement ahead of time, because standing there deciding gets billed like work.
