One thing I’ve noticed about “while you’re here…” work
After reading a bunch of comments on this topic, one thing stood out to me:
There doesn't seem to be one universal rule for extra work.
Some guys just knock out a 5–10 minute task for free if it’s easy.
Others have a small fixed-price add-on.
Others switch to hourly or T&M once the extra work gets bigger.
And some will stop completely, price the additional work, and schedule it for another visit.
What seems to matter most is having a clear line between:
“This is a small favor”
and
“This is now additional work that needs to be priced and approved.”
The other thing I found interesting is how many guys rely on experience and judgment rather than a strict formula.
Makes sense. After doing the same type of work for years, you probably know what a job is worth without pulling out a calculator every time.
Just sharing what I’ve been noticing from the discussion. There’s clearly a lot more nuance to pricing handyman work than just labor + materials.