I want someone to caulk my apartment

August 25, 2015 2:28 PM

I want someone to come to my apartment, seal any gaps behind the sink, stove, etc. and caulk the entire baseboard.

1. Would that be a contractor? Handyman?
2. Does anyone have a recommendation for a company / person preferably working in Brooklyn?
3. Possible price ranges I can expect?

posted by Julnyes to Home & Garden (11 answers total)

(not an answer, sorry, but if you mean squirting silicon sealant in there it's actually pretty easy to do yourself - feel free to ask for instructions).
posted by andrewcooke at 2:48 PM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Handyman. It's dead simple.

Unless your place is huge, you're looking at 2-4 hours of work which means you'll play a bit more per hour since the first hour is usually the most expensive. Honestly, my guess would be 2 hours, but if you want that person to move a bunch of furniture, then maybe it would take a half day.

Do you have any other work you need? Light switches replaces? Shelves hung? Thuis would be a good time to do it.
posted by 26.2 at 2:58 PM on August 25, 2015 [4 favorites]

Handyman/Handyperson. I would think this job would take 2-4 hours depending on the size of your place and the charge is likely around $100 for the first hour then $50-75 for each hour thereafter.
posted by saradarlin at 3:08 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

The maintenance man for my apartment building just did that to my place because we had some nasty critters living in the walls, creeping out through the spaces, and he didn't charge us for it.. Any reputable handyman should be able to do it, or see if any of your friends have a Mr. Fix-It type in their lives who'd like to make some easy money.
posted by jabes at 3:13 PM on August 25, 2015

A general handyman will be able to do this but I agree with the above suggestion that it is pretty easy to do yourself, although I 100% understand and support not wanting to bother and just pay someone to do it.
posted by poffin boffin at 3:26 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]

You should be able to find someone who can do it for maybe $100-150 at most, probably including materials. This is really basic and doesn't require any serious specialized knowledge. I wouldn't pay more than $25-30 an hour.

Ask friends for recommendations, or check Craigslist or a local neighborhood Facebook page. Expect to pay cash.
posted by Slinga at 3:59 PM on August 25, 2015

Or a painter -- this is a typical step in a painter's prep work.
posted by misterbrandt at 4:32 PM on August 25, 2015

Handyperson.

I wouldn't pay more than $25-30 an hour.

Well, yeah, except there's caulking that's just getting the stuff in there any which way (which could happen if someone got bored caulking a basement for four hours straight, for that rate), and then there's caulking and carefully wiping off the excess so that the edges of the baseboard aren't permanently globby looking (more likely to happen in the range saradarlin suggested).
posted by cotton dress sock at 4:52 PM on August 25, 2015

Ha, I JUST had this done. We worked with a finish carpenter who was building shelves for us. He charged $35 / hr. Generally you'll get more value for your money with more hours, but there are also great tradespeople who are looking to pick up a few extra hours in the 5-8 pm shift after their day job. The only way I find people anymore is via word of mouth.
posted by slidell at 5:14 PM on August 25, 2015

I had a plumber come out to do a different project and pointed out a few places that needed it and he just caulked them real quick like for me while he was there. It really is dead simple. I would go to home depot and buy a tube for a few dollars and try it yourself before spending the cash.

And when you do it, remember, less is more.
posted by jeffamaphone at 8:46 AM on August 26, 2015

This is something that falls under the purview of apartment maintenance. Depending on why you need the caulking, your maintenance people or landlord or management company should also be taking care of the underlying reason you want/need the caulking done (exterminators, repair, etc.). Have you asked them if they'll do it or to pay for a professional to do it if they can't?
posted by i feel possessed at 11:59 AM on August 26, 2015