Handymen: repair and replacement quotes that survive the hardware store run. Free, no signup.
Mailbox repair is the job that looks like a favor and prices like one. This calculator prices it like a job. Pick the preset that matches the work: a post-hit repair, a full replacement, a brick pillar fix, or a door and latch repair. Each preset fills in parts and labor minutes as editable starting points, then you adjust them to the actual mailbox in front of you.
Enter your target hourly rate, profit margin, and minimum trip fee. The calculator adds the parts with your markup, the drive, every hardware store trip at your labor rate, and a reserve for a USPS or HOA spec redo. The recommended quote rounds up to a clean number and never falls below your trip fee. Run the gut check after a customer asks for a number on the phone, and use the day planner to see how many of these jobs it takes to hit your daily goal.
Example only, not typical pricing. A post-hit repair at a $55 target rate with a $35 box, a $40 post, 60 labor minutes, 40 drive minutes, 24 miles, one 30-minute store trip, and the spec rework reserve comes to about $237.75 in true cost. The recommended quote is $300, which pays about $71.31 per hour after parts and vehicle. A $150 gut quote pays about $15.06 per hour, sits $87.75 below true cost, and leaves $150 on the table.
USPS asks for the bottom of the mailbox to sit 41 to 45 inches above the road surface, set back 6 to 8 inches from the curb or road edge. Check with the local post office before replacing, since road and curb conditions vary.
Yes. One or two trips at your full labor rate plus the drive can add $50 or more to a small repair. Unpriced supply runs are one of the most common leaks on handyman jobs.
When the repair price climbs past about 70 percent of a full replacement, most customers will just ask for the new one. This tool flags that line so you can pitch the replacement instead of defending a repair price.
Many neighborhoods specify the exact box, post, and color. A non-compliant install can mean a free redo, so confirming the spec before the job is cheap insurance.
On a $75 box and post, a 25 percent markup is under $19. It still covers the time you spent sourcing, storing, and hauling them, and on small jobs that is real money.