woodchuck - 1/30/2026 01:43

Not farming anymore so spend more time doing carpentry, handyman, home repair work.
Been doing work for this landlord for 8 years. Good guy, never has questioned a bill, always pays quick.
So the 1st. of year started new method of billing for my work. To be clear I use a KUV body van like plumbers use. Have about $4,000 of parts and supplys and $8,000 in tools on van.
Old billing would be around $50/hr once I was in town. It's 20 miles away. Some times at end of day made 60, some days made 35 to 40 per hr.
He has 28 collage rental houses and 8, 12 plexes.

New structure is:
$150 trip per day. Then $25 per address 15 minutes of work included. Then $60/hr after
the 15 minutes. Basically $1 per minute.
I can swap out a toilet in 20 minutes. Reglaze a window in 15 minutes. Replace shower cartridge in 15 minutes. Do drywall repairs, elect., locks, whatever, have all repair stuff with me.
The reason I changed was, I go to town, do 5 maintenance calls at 5 different houses.
Then do a couple other things that need attention. Be done in 3 hrs.
So that would be $200 took about 4 hrs total with drive time.
New schedule would be daily $150 trip fee. 4 houses x $25 and $50 extra work done after needed repair calls. So $300 now. I think that is still more than fair in todays world.
They have a guy, lives at the apartments does some little stuff, lockouts, showes units, paints. but he would spend at least 8 hours doing same stuff if willing to and gets $30/hr.

Am I out of line? Costs some $$$ to drive around a hardware store. Have 42 years work history in all the trades.

Thanks.












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