Many homeowners decide to tackle their minor home repairs themselves as a weekend DIY activity. Others do not want to deal with the hassle of figuring it out on their own, and would prefer to bring in somebody to fix it. Trouble is: how do you know when you’re being charged an arm and a leg to fix that leaky faucet, or if you’re getting a fair deal?
The folks over at HouseLogic put together a handy article when deciding how much to pay for common home repairs, we’ve picked the most applicable to our region to showcase.
Replace Toilet Fill Valves
Is that toilet kicking on and off? Relax; those (probably) aren’t ghosts using your bathroom while you’re in another room. Chances are you have a leaky toilet fill valve, causing the water to slowly drain out and subsequently kick the toilet back on to fill up the tank again.
This easy fix will cost $11-23 for the part, and anywhere from $50-200 for labor depending on your area, bringing your total to $61-$223 for the fix.
Repair a leaky faucet
Leaky faucet’s are a nuisance. Unless you have a cat who’s as mesmerized at the dripping water as it is with the infinite supply of happiness it generates. It’s up to you if the cat’s happiness is worth the price of water dripping out.
Rubber washers, O-rings and faucet cartridges are typically the culprits, and prices range from $2-30 for parts. According to HouseLogic, the labor could be anywhere from $95 to $300. That brings the total to $97-$330 for the fix.
Replace a Ceiling Fan
In Texas, ceiling fans and air conditioning are a way of life. Sooner or later the fan will malfunction or the design will need to be updated to keep the home up to date. The infrastructure is already in place, it’s just a matter of purchasing the new fixture. Depending on the quality of materials, it could cost anywhere from $54 to over $1k for the new fan, and labor will run you $50 to $200 for an electrician’s time. Your grand total for the fix comes to $104 to $1,200.
Repair Cracked Tile
It’s a good idea to always order extra tile when completing your bathroom project. This will avoid the daunting task of finding a replacement tile if you crack one tile during the course of life. If you have secured your tile, all you need now is to get a handyman in there to replace it. To replace a 2-foot by 2-foot section of tile, you’re talking $30 to $125 an hour and $1 to $20 per square foot for materials. Also, handymen typically have a minimum charge to come out and do work which could range from $50 to $350 for the job. Your total estimate for a replacement tile gig is $34 to $430.
Replace Caulking around Tubs, Sinks, and Showers
If you notice your caulking starting to peel, it’s time to re-caulk before you experience further issues with leaking and damage to drywall and flooring. Your handyman can remove all the old caulk and seal it up with new in about an hour. Labor will run you $30 to $125 per hour, again keep in consideration the handyman’s minimum charge, and with a $1-4 material cost, your total cost comes to $31 to $354 for the job.
These are just the top five we felt were most relevant to home-buyers and homeowners today, for the complete list, go to HouseLogic.com. All of these projects can be completed on your own to save money. YouTube and Google will be your best friends if you’re interested in pursuing that route. Good luck out there!
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