How much should I bill my landlord for maintenance work?
July 18, 2013 7:18 AM Subscribe
My landlord asked me to stain the deck and paint the front door. I have no handyman qualities, but said I'd do it. They asked how much they should pay me on an hourly basis for doing it. I have no idea. Suggestions?
Depending on the size of the deck and the difficulty of the project, I'd likely just ask for a free month's rent.
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 7:27 AM on July 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 7:27 AM on July 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: For unskilled labor, I'd ask for $15/hr.
posted by ottereroticist at 7:31 AM on July 18, 2013 [8 favorites]
posted by ottereroticist at 7:31 AM on July 18, 2013 [8 favorites]
Since you say that you have no handyman qualities, I would be uncomfortable charging what a professional would charge. In addition, I'd feel uncomfortable charging by the hour since it will likely take you longer than professionals.
I'd charge a flat fee for the door and a flat fee per square foot for the deck. I'd charge 50% - 75% of the going rate of professionals in your area.
posted by frizz at 7:44 AM on July 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'd charge a flat fee for the door and a flat fee per square foot for the deck. I'd charge 50% - 75% of the going rate of professionals in your area.
posted by frizz at 7:44 AM on July 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
How big is the deck? How long did it take you to do the project? Did you purchase the materials or was it supplied to you. If you had to purchase the materials, how much did it cost and how long did it take for you to get it?
Try this site.
posted by Yellow at 7:47 AM on July 18, 2013
Try this site.
posted by Yellow at 7:47 AM on July 18, 2013
Response by poster: The landlord will pay for the materials and has suggested the hourly wage instead of a flat rate. It will be for actual hours, not an estimate.
My first thought was $10/hr, but was afraid that might be low. But like others said, because I'm "unskilled labor," I don't think comparing to local professionals is relevant. I feel comfortable with the suggested $15/hr rate.
posted by BradNelson at 8:16 AM on July 18, 2013
My first thought was $10/hr, but was afraid that might be low. But like others said, because I'm "unskilled labor," I don't think comparing to local professionals is relevant. I feel comfortable with the suggested $15/hr rate.
posted by BradNelson at 8:16 AM on July 18, 2013
I don't think I've ever paid a professional contractor less than $50/hr. like you said, you're not a pro, but it seems clear why your landlord asked you to do it instead of hiring one.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 8:29 AM on July 18, 2013
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 8:29 AM on July 18, 2013
For unskilled labor, I'd ask for $15/hr.
...unless you earn more than that in your normal job, in which case charge that, because that's what your labor is worth. It doesn't really matter that in this case your labor is painting a door and staining a deck instead of whatever it is that you usually do; your opportunity cost of spending 6 hours doing this is the market wages you could have earned instead.
Receiving less than your market wage is effectively serving as a volunteer in your landlord's for-profit business.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:36 AM on July 18, 2013 [4 favorites]
...unless you earn more than that in your normal job, in which case charge that, because that's what your labor is worth. It doesn't really matter that in this case your labor is painting a door and staining a deck instead of whatever it is that you usually do; your opportunity cost of spending 6 hours doing this is the market wages you could have earned instead.
Receiving less than your market wage is effectively serving as a volunteer in your landlord's for-profit business.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:36 AM on July 18, 2013 [4 favorites]
$20 sounds right to me, but I don't have a real basis for it.
posted by J. Wilson at 8:41 AM on July 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by J. Wilson at 8:41 AM on July 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
I have provided my manually-unskilled labor to a friend for weekend construction projects and it was $15/hour. I was also offered $20/hour to help with a day of siding. I think the only difference between the two was that the first guy wasn't getting as much for the job, so he couldn't pay as much.
posted by michaelh at 9:01 AM on July 18, 2013
posted by michaelh at 9:01 AM on July 18, 2013
A: As much as he will pay you.
Ask for $25/hr and let him talk you down.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:35 AM on July 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
Ask for $25/hr and let him talk you down.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 9:35 AM on July 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
Wow, I'm expensive.
I did some unsolicited work on a rental I lived in back in 20 years ago. The landlord said he would clean up some trash from the previous occupant that was behind the house but never did. I finally did it. It took me an hour. I sent the rent check with the amount $50 short, explaining that I spent an hour cleaning up the trash he said he would take care of. He sent a note back to the effect of Okay, whatever.
I did several more maintenance tasks for him while I lived there and always charged $50/hr. He never balked at it.
If you hire a service to come out to do anything, it can easily be $100 for the visit plus an hourly charge after that. Bear that in mind when pricing your time and don't sell yourself short.
posted by Doohickie at 11:32 AM on July 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
I did some unsolicited work on a rental I lived in back in 20 years ago. The landlord said he would clean up some trash from the previous occupant that was behind the house but never did. I finally did it. It took me an hour. I sent the rent check with the amount $50 short, explaining that I spent an hour cleaning up the trash he said he would take care of. He sent a note back to the effect of Okay, whatever.
I did several more maintenance tasks for him while I lived there and always charged $50/hr. He never balked at it.
If you hire a service to come out to do anything, it can easily be $100 for the visit plus an hourly charge after that. Bear that in mind when pricing your time and don't sell yourself short.
posted by Doohickie at 11:32 AM on July 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
Receiving less than your market wage is effectively serving as a volunteer in your landlord's for-profit business.
I'm speaking as a landlord, but I don't think this is really true. I give breaks on rent for a variety of things including lawn mowing, general cleanup, and sub-handyman tasks. I'd prefer to stain a deck myself, actually, but I don't think I need to offer a tenant their "going rate" to do a task. That's a position a freelancer should take and I don't disagree for doing their regular work or for determining whether they want the task, but the rate I offer, in a non-urban area, is the "going rate" for unskilled, sub-handyman labor, and that's usually $10/hr which is sufficient for the needs of both parties. If someone demanded $15 and I had no other option I'd agree, but I'd surely not agree to pay professional web-designer rates, for example.
you're not a pro, but it seems clear why your landlord asked you to do it instead of hiring one
Believe me, it's perfectly normal. We have a roofing contractor that owns properties and their tenants work on the properties when not doing roofing jobs (non-union, not even prevailing wage stuff), and most of the other larger landlords certainly do something similar. It's less often the case with large buildings or e.g. townhome developments because there's a standard of work necessary for appearances if nothing else, but it's quite normal.
My main problem is that I'm so particular I have a problem even trusting a professional to do it the way I like....
I did several more maintenance tasks for him while I lived there and always charged $50/hr. He never balked at it.
That's because it's worth it to the landlord to have it done, simple as that.
I agree you shouldn't feel shy about bidding high, as it were, because you're very available and that's an opportunity value to the landlord; if you do a good job, even more so. I cannot underline enough the importance of having someone who will do what you ask and reliably. It's huge. The comparable effort of securing a contractor or even handyman for a small job is why he's happy to have a tenant do it; if you do a good enough job he may even ask you to do more, and that's up to you if you need the money, or don't have the time. But consider that he's possibly testing you.
posted by dhartung at 1:01 AM on July 19, 2013
I'm speaking as a landlord, but I don't think this is really true. I give breaks on rent for a variety of things including lawn mowing, general cleanup, and sub-handyman tasks. I'd prefer to stain a deck myself, actually, but I don't think I need to offer a tenant their "going rate" to do a task. That's a position a freelancer should take and I don't disagree for doing their regular work or for determining whether they want the task, but the rate I offer, in a non-urban area, is the "going rate" for unskilled, sub-handyman labor, and that's usually $10/hr which is sufficient for the needs of both parties. If someone demanded $15 and I had no other option I'd agree, but I'd surely not agree to pay professional web-designer rates, for example.
you're not a pro, but it seems clear why your landlord asked you to do it instead of hiring one
Believe me, it's perfectly normal. We have a roofing contractor that owns properties and their tenants work on the properties when not doing roofing jobs (non-union, not even prevailing wage stuff), and most of the other larger landlords certainly do something similar. It's less often the case with large buildings or e.g. townhome developments because there's a standard of work necessary for appearances if nothing else, but it's quite normal.
My main problem is that I'm so particular I have a problem even trusting a professional to do it the way I like....
I did several more maintenance tasks for him while I lived there and always charged $50/hr. He never balked at it.
That's because it's worth it to the landlord to have it done, simple as that.
I agree you shouldn't feel shy about bidding high, as it were, because you're very available and that's an opportunity value to the landlord; if you do a good job, even more so. I cannot underline enough the importance of having someone who will do what you ask and reliably. It's huge. The comparable effort of securing a contractor or even handyman for a small job is why he's happy to have a tenant do it; if you do a good enough job he may even ask you to do more, and that's up to you if you need the money, or don't have the time. But consider that he's possibly testing you.
posted by dhartung at 1:01 AM on July 19, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:25 AM on July 18, 2013 [2 favorites]