What a handyman job costs in Gqeberha
Every job here is priced as a job, not by the hour. You get a fixed price for the work before anything starts, so there is no meter running and no arithmetic to do. The ranges below are typical for this work in South African metros, so you can judge a quote rather than take it on trust.
How it is priced
Per job
one fixed price for that job
When you get it
Upfront
approved before anything starts
Hourly rate
None
nothing runs on a meter
How this compares
| Independent handyman, hourly (market) | R250 to R450 |
| Typical single job, all in (Gqeberha market) | R300 to R800 |
| Half-day list (market) | R900 to R1,600 |
| Full day (market) | R1,600 to R2,800 |
| Call-out fee on top, where charged (market) | R350 to R800 |
| Craig's Handyman Service | One fixed price per job |
Every range on this site is a typical 2026 South African market figure for that job, taken from published handyman price guides. Gqeberha generally sits at or slightly below the Cape Town and Gauteng numbers quoted.
Why per job beats per hour
An hourly rate puts the risk on you. You cannot see the invoice coming, and the answer to "how much will this cost" is a shrug until the work is finished. That suits the person holding the drill. It is a bad deal for the person paying.
A price per job flips it. The number is agreed while you can still say no, so the only way it changes is if you change the job. It also means the conversation is about the work rather than the clock, which is why the small jobs get done instead of being rushed.
Four steps, and you can stop at any of them
Send the job, with photos
WhatsApp the job or the whole list. A photo of the problem is worth more than a paragraph describing it, and it is usually what makes a price possible without a visit.
You get a price for that job
Written down, per job, with materials listed separately. Send five jobs and you get five prices, so you can drop one without renegotiating the rest.
You approve it, then it is booked
Nothing is booked and nothing starts until you have said yes to the number. If a job needs eyes on it before anyone can price it honestly, the look happens first and the quote follows.
The agreed price is what you pay
If something turns out to be bigger once it is open, you get told and the quote changes with your approval. Nothing carries on quietly at a new price.
What the common jobs come to
| TV bracket on brick or concrete1 to 1.5 hrs | R400 to R750 |
| TV bracket on drywall, studs located1 to 2 hrs | R450 to R900 |
| Sticking door adjusted45 min to 1 hr | R280 to R500 |
| Door planed and refitted1.5 to 2 hrs | R400 to R650 |
| Hinges replaced1 hr | R200 to R380 |
| Cupboard door rehung on new hinges45 min to 1 hr | R250 to R500 |
| Hinge plate pulled out of chipboard, repaired1 hr | R300 to R550 |
| Drawer runner replaced1 hr | R300 to R500 |
| Curtain rail fitted, standard window1 to 1.5 hrs | R320 to R550 |
| Curtain rail, long or double1.5 to 2 hrs | R400 to R750 |
| Blind fitted1 to 1.5 hrs | R350 to R650 |
| Floating shelf fitted1 to 1.5 hrs | R280 to R500 |
| Bed base and headboard assembled1 to 1.5 hrs | R400 to R900 |
| Two door wardrobe assembled1.5 to 2 hrs | R500 to R1,100 |
| Dripping tap or washer replaced1 hr | R350 to R650 |
| Toilet seat replaced45 min | R250 to R500 |
| Toilet fill or flush valve replaced1 hr | R400 to R750 |
| Silicone redone on a bath or basin1.5 to 2 hrs | R450 to R800 |
| Wall patch filled and painted1 to 2 hrs | R300 to R700 |
| Skirtings cleaned and repainted2 to 3 hrs | R600 to R1,200 |
Where a published 2026 per-job figure exists for the job, that figure is used. The rest are the job's typical time on site at the published 2026 market hourly range for handyman work in South African metros. Read them as a way to judge a quote rather than as one: a range cannot know about your wall, your door or your cupboards.
Included
- Travelling to you, included in the job price rather than added on top
- The quoted price itself: it does not move unless you change the job
- All standard hand tools and a cordless drill with masonry, timber and tile bits
- Standard fixings such as wall plugs, screws and anchors
- Cleaning up and stacking packaging before leaving
Not included
- Materials and fittings. Quoted separately and approved by you before anything is bought.
- Specialist trade work. Geysers, pipework, fixed electrical, gate motors and anything needing a compliance certificate.
- Waste removal beyond what fits in the vehicle.
- Scaffolding, ladders above one storey, or work that needs a second person.
Pricing questions
Why is there no hourly rate?
Because an hourly rate puts the risk on you. You cannot see the invoice coming, and the answer to what will this cost is a shrug until the work is finished, which suits the person holding the drill and nobody else. Pricing per job means the number is agreed while you can still say no, and the only thing that moves it is a change you agreed to.
Is there a minimum charge?
No hourly rate and no minimum-hours charge. A short job is priced as a short job. What there is instead is honesty about travel: if a job is small enough that getting to it costs more than the work, you will be told that rather than charged for time you did not need.
How do I get a price?
Send the job with a photo or two on WhatsApp. Most jobs can be priced from a photo, and a list gets priced item by item. Anything that genuinely cannot be priced without being seen, like a roof leak, gets looked at first and the written quote follows. Nothing is booked until you approve it.
Are materials included in the price?
No, and that separation is deliberate. The quote is for labour, with materials and fittings listed separately and approved by you before anything is bought. That keeps the labour number honest and means you are never paying a markup on parts you did not choose.
Can the price change once it is quoted?
Only if you change the job, and only with your agreement. Jobs that reveal something unexpected once they are open are common in every trade. What is not acceptable is finding out about it on the invoice, so nothing continues until you have approved the change.
Do you charge more for weekends or emergency call-outs?
Saturday mornings are normal price. Sunday and public holidays are emergency call-outs only, and they are quoted separately so you know the number before agreeing to it.
Does a long list get a better price?
Yes, and the reason is travel rather than goodwill. One visit covering six jobs costs far less to deliver than six separate visits, and that saving is yours because each job is priced on its own merit with the travel shared. Send the whole list and you will get a price for each item on it.
Send the job, get the price
One job or a full page, you get a price for each one before anything is booked, and the number on the invoice is the number you agreed to.