Handyman Pricing Guide: Cost of Services in Boca Raton & Palm Beach County (2026)
Transparent, real 2026 pricing for handyman work in Boca Raton, Delray, Boynton, Jupiter & WPB — flat-rate vs hourly, with line-item costs for drywall, TV mounting, ceiling fans and more.
Handyman pricing in Palm Beach County looks confusing from the outside — one quote comes in at $89, the next at $385, both for "the same job." After more than a decade fixing homes from Boca Raton to Jupiter, we've learned the gap usually comes down to three things: flat-rate vs. hourly, whether the shop is actually licensed and insured, and how honestly the scope was measured before the quote went out. This guide breaks down what real 2026 prices look like across Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Lake Worth and Wellington — and where homeowners most often overpay.
Flat-rate vs. hourly: which one actually saves you money?
Most reputable handymen in PBC offer flat-rate pricing on anything that can be clearly scoped from a photo or a five-minute walk-through: TV mounts, ceiling fans, drywall patches, door swaps, re-caulking, pressure washing. The hourly rate (usually $95–$125/hr in 2026) only shows up when the scope genuinely can't be defined ahead of time — a "punch list" after a tenant turnover, or a vacation-home walk-through where the owner wants whatever the tech finds fixed.
The rule of thumb: if a job has a clear deliverable, flat-rate protects you. Hourly protects the contractor on unknowns. A shop that only quotes hourly for routine work is usually either inexperienced (they don't know what these jobs really take) or banking on the meter running.
2026 Palm Beach County price list
Below is the typical 2026 range we see across PBC for licensed, insured shops — not the lowball "guy with a truck" quote that often turns into a re-do. Prices assume standard access (single-story, parking available, no HOA gate delays). Coastal homes in Manalapan, Jupiter Island, and Palm Beach Island carry a modest access premium.
| Job | Flat-rate (2026) | Hourly equivalent | PBC-specific notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small drywall hole patch (≤ 4 in) | $95 – $145 | $95–$125/hr · 1 hr | Includes patch, mud, sand, texture-ready. Paint extra. |
| Large drywall repair (4–24 in) + texture | $185 – $385 | $95–$125/hr · 2–3 hrs | Knockdown or orange-peel match common in PBC. |
| Water-damage drywall (ceiling, 2×2 ft) | $295 – $525 | $95–$125/hr · 3–4 hrs | Add primer/sealer. Source of leak must be fixed first. |
| TV mount up to 65" | $129 – $199 | Not typically hourly | Drywall + stud. Add $40–$90 for concrete/CBS block (common in coastal PBC homes). |
| TV mount 75"–85" + cord conceal | $229 – $379 | — | In-wall HDMI conduit kit included on most jobs. |
| Ceiling fan replacement (existing box) | $149 – $249 | — | Add $75–$150 for vaulted ceilings or scaffolding. |
| New ceiling fan install (no existing wiring) | $325 – $625 | — | Requires licensed electrical work; quoted on-site. |
| Interior door rehang or hardware swap | $95 – $185 | $95–$125/hr · 1–1.5 hrs | Hollow vs solid-core changes labor time. |
| Sliding glass door roller replacement | $225 – $425 | — | Single most-called job in coastal PBC after hurricane season. |
| Pressure washing (driveway ~600 sq ft) | $179 – $279 | — | Soft-wash add-on for pavers & pool decks: $75–$150. |
| Re-caulk a standard shower | $145 – $225 | — | Mildew-resistant silicone — important in PBC humidity. |
| Furniture assembly (IKEA, Wayfair etc.) | $75 – $185 per item | $95–$125/hr | Wall anchoring of tall pieces included. |
| Light fixture / chandelier swap | $129 – $299 | — | Foyer chandeliers needing a lift: +$125–$250. |
| Painting — single accent wall | $199 – $349 | — | Includes prep, two coats, premium paint. |
Why drywall repair costs more in South Florida
Drywall is the single most-searched handyman cost in Boca Raton — and the category where homeowners most often get burned. Two reasons it costs more here than the national average:
- Texture matching. Almost every home built in PBC between 1985 and 2010 has knockdown or orange-peel texture. A flat patch on a textured wall is visible from across the room — a proper match adds 30–60 minutes of labor.
- Humidity & AC cycles. Joint compound has to be feathered and cured carefully or the patch telegraphs through the paint within a year. A $95 patch from a non-pro often becomes a $300+ redo six months later.
TV mounting: why coastal PBC quotes vary so much
A flat $129 TV mount works on drywall with wood studs. A huge share of PBC homes — especially coastal Boca, Delray, Boynton, and Jupiter — are concrete block (CBS) construction. Mounting into CBS requires masonry anchors, a hammer drill, and 20–40 extra minutes; expect $40–$90 on top of the standard mount price. Quotes that don't ask about wall type are usually about to "discover" it on-site.
What a fair quote should include
- Active Florida license and $1M+ general liability insurance — willing to send the COI to your HOA or property manager.
- Written scope: exactly what's being done, materials included, and what's not included.
- Workmanship guarantee in writing (we back ours for 90 days).
- Background-checked technician — not whoever showed up at the warehouse that morning.
- Confirmed arrival window, with a heads-up text when the tech is 10 minutes out.
How to lower the cost without cutting quality
- Bundle jobs. Three small jobs on one visit almost always beats three separate trips — the first-hour minimum is the expensive hour.
- Have everything ready. TV, mount, fan, paint color, hardware — so the tech isn't billing time for a Home Depot run.
- Send photos with your quote request. Accurate photos turn a "we'll see on-site" into a real flat-rate quote up front.
- Schedule mid-week, mid-month. Weekend and end-of-month slots fill first; mid-week is easier to land same-day pricing.
City-by-city notes
Pricing across Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Lake Worth, and Wellington is within $20–$40 of the ranges in the table above. The bigger swing is access: gated coastal communities (Sanctuary, Royal Palm Yacht Club, Old Port Cove, Admirals Cove) add 15–30 minutes per visit for guard-house and ID processing, which a few shops bake into their quote and others surface as a surprise.
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Frequently asked questions about handyman pricing in Boca Raton
Reputable, insured handymen in Boca Raton and the rest of Palm Beach County charge $95–$125 per hour in 2026, with a one-hour minimum. Most reputable shops (including Palm Handyman) prefer flat-rate pricing on common jobs so you know the total before any work starts.
Flat-rate is better for the homeowner on any well-defined job — TV mounts, ceiling fans, drywall patches, door swaps, re-caulking, pressure washing. Hourly only makes sense for true 'punch lists' where the scope can't be quoted upfront. If a contractor insists on hourly for a standard job, treat that as a yellow flag.
Two reasons. First, almost every drywall job in PBC also involves texture matching (knockdown or orange-peel) because of how homes were built in the '80s–2000s. Second, humidity and AC cycles mean joint compound has to be feathered and cured carefully or the patch telegraphs through the paint within a year. A $95 patch from a non-pro often becomes a $300+ redo.
Most do not for jobs over their one-hour minimum within Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Lake Worth and Wellington. Some shops charge $35–$75 for trips out to Jupiter Island, Manalapan, or the barrier-island gated communities. Palm Handyman does not charge a trip fee inside our regular service area.
A written quote that lists labor, materials, the specific scope (e.g. 'mount 65" TV on drywall with 2× studs, conceal HDMI and power'), any access fees, and the workmanship guarantee. Anything verbal-only or 'we'll see when we get there' tends to grow on invoice day.
Bundle. Three small jobs on one visit almost always beats three separate trips. Have everything ready (TV, mount, fan, paint color) so the technician isn't billing time for a hardware-store run. Take photos before booking so the quote is accurate the first time.
Site-wide FAQ
Most jobs start at $95 for the first hour with transparent flat-rate pricing on common tasks like TV mounting ($129), ceiling fans ($149), and drywall patches ($95). You'll always get a clear quote before any work begins — no hidden fees.
Yes. We reserve same-day and next-day appointments across Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Lake Worth, and Wellington. Call us before noon for same-day availability.
Absolutely. Palm Handyman is fully licensed in Florida and carries $2M general liability plus workers' comp on every technician. We'll send the COI directly to your HOA or property manager on request.