Price list Plumbing fixtures
How much to charge to re-caulk a tub or shower
Start from your own shop rate, not a national average. The True Rate kit's Price Book puts this task at 1–2 hours each (1.5 h starter) plus $15 of supplies. At a $90 shop rate (the kit's worked example) that's a flat price of $155 each, or $110–$200 across the typical range, before trip and minimum charges.
- Typical time
- 1–2 hours each
- Kit starter
- 1.5 h each
- Supplies
- $15 each
- At $90/hr
- $155 each
This task, priced
An estimate from the numbers above, not a quote. Materials and fixtures the customer picks (the faucet, the fan, the door) are billed separately, at your materials markup.
What gets left off this estimate
From the kit's "Did you forget?" list, the lines that apply to this job, and where the kit bills each one:
- Permits, and your time to pull them. Custom line for your time, Materials line for the fee.
- Consumables (caulk, screws, blades, tape, anchors). Make sure Supplies isn't $0 on tasks that use them.
- "While you're here…" extras. Don't do them free. Text a change order first (Get Paid Texts, #1).
From the kit's Price Book notes: Cut out the old caulk, clean, dry, re-caulk.
Before you send the number
- Ensure the old caulk is fully removed and the surface is clean and dry before applying new caulk.
- Note that the estimate covers the new caulk and all necessary preparation work.
- If you find hidden mold or water damage, pause and re-quote for remediation.
Starting points, not a price list to copy
These numbers are the True Rate kit's starter hours and supplies for a solo tradesperson with a few years in, on an ordinary house. They are not industry data, a survey of what others charge, or a promise of how long the job takes you. Edit the hours for your market and your own speed: an old house, a seized nut or a fussy customer changes the job.
The $90 shop rate is only the kit's worked example ($2,870 a month overhead, $60,000 pay goal, 62% of hours billable, 20% margin). Your rate comes from your costs.
Some electrical and plumbing work needs a license, and many places cap what an unlicensed handyman can charge per job. Check your local rules before you offer or price this task.
Does that include a trip charge or minimum?
No. The flat price is the task alone. In the kit's Price This Job sheet, a ticket with only this task adds a $35 trip charge, a 15% small-job buffer (the whole job is under 4 hours) and a 5% contingency. At $90 an hour that's $224 for this task on its own. Those are the kit's starter settings; set your own.
Where do these hours come from?
They're the True Rate kit's starter hours for a solo tradesperson with a few years in, working on an ordinary house: tools out, work, clean up. Drive time isn't in them. They're not industry data or a survey of your market. Old houses and tight spaces take longer; log your real times and edit them.
Price the whole ticket, not one task
The True Rate kit is a spreadsheet that does this for all 80 jobs from your own rate, then adds materials, trip and minimum charges on one Price This Job sheet and shows the margin before you send the number. One-time $39, Google Sheets or Excel.