What the tradesperson earns, and what you are billed
These two numbers are not the same, and the gap is where most of the suspicion about trade pricing comes from. Start with the wage, which is public data.
| Trade | Ontario low | Ontario median | Ontario high | Toronto median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC mechanic | $21.00 | $37.00 | $58.00 | $37.00 |
| Electrician | $20.00 | $34.00 | $50.50 | $34.86 |
| Plumber | $20.00 | $32.50 | $50.38 | $35.20 |
| Construction labourer | $18.50 | $27.00 | $42.00 | $30.00 |
| Handyman / building maintenance worker | $17.60 | $24.00 | $39.00 | $24.00 |
Hourly wages from the Government of Canada Job Bank, drawn from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey, reference period 2023–2024, wage data updated 19 November 2025.
Now put the shop rate beside it:
| Trade | Ontario median wage | Typical rate you are charged | Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handyman | $24.00 | $80–$120 | 3.3×–5.0× |
| Electrician | $34.00 | $100–$160 in Toronto | 2.9×–4.7× |
| Plumber | $32.50 | $110–$145 | 3.4×–4.5× |
| HVAC technician | $37.00 | $100–$175 | 2.7×–4.7× |
Roughly three to five times the wage. That sounds outrageous until you see what sits in between. The employer does not pay the wage — the employer pays the fully loaded cost: wage plus payroll taxes, WSIB premiums, benefits, paid time off, training hours. That runs about 1.4 to 1.6 times base wage before anyone leaves the yard.
On top of that loaded cost sits the truck and its fuel and insurance, the tools, the van stock of parts that sits there for months, the person who answers the phone, the licence and certification fees, the insurance the business carries, the unbilled travel between jobs, and whatever margin keeps the company alive. The industry rule of thumb is a markup of 2.5 to 3.5 times fully loaded cost, which lands almost exactly where the Ontario numbers land.
So the honest framing is this: the person in your basement is not taking home $140 an hour. They are taking home about a quarter of it, and the rest is the cost of being a business that shows up.
Trade by trade: what to expect on the invoice
Handyman
| Line | Typical CAD |
|---|---|
| General hourly rate | $75–$150, most commonly $80–$120 |
| Specialised work (drywall, minor plumbing or electrical) | $100–$162 |
| Minimum service fee | $100–$200 |
| First hour, then subsequent hours | $150–$200 first hour, then $85–$120 |
| Half day (4 hours) | $350–$550 |
| Full day (8 hours) | $650–$1,000 |
| Evenings, weekends, holidays | 1.5×–2× base, usually a 2-hour minimum |
| Same-day rush | +$50–$150 |
| Materials markup if they supply | 15–30% |
The handyman economics reward batching. Four small jobs in one visit spreads the minimum call-out across all of them; four separate visits pays it four times. Make a list and hold it.
Note the legal limit on what a handyman may do: electrical and plumbing are compulsory trades in Ontario, and electrical contracting requires a licensed business. A handyman changing a light fixture is in a grey area you should not be paying to test.
Electrician
| Line | Typical CAD |
|---|---|
| Apprentice | $60–$80/hr |
| Journeyperson | $80–$130/hr |
| Master electrician | $100–$160/hr |
| Toronto, Ottawa and larger centres | $100–$160/hr |
| First hour of a service call | $100–$200 |
| Separate trip fee, where charged | $75–$150 |
| Emergency or after hours | 1.5×–2×, often a 2–4 hour minimum, so $300–$600+ |
| Materials markup | 15–25% over wholesale |
Ask one question before booking: is the trip fee included in the first hour or charged on top of it. Both practices exist and the difference is $150.
Electrical rates from a Canada-wide price guide, so treat them as national bands with Ontario sitting in the upper half.
Plumber
| Line | Typical CAD |
|---|---|
| Standard hours, Ontario | $110–$145/hr |
| Emergency and after hours | $200–$350/hr, roughly 1.8×–2.4× |
| Apprentice or helper labour | $50–$80/hr |
| Diagnostic or inspection fee | $90–$150, often waived if you approve the repair |
Plumbers carry more of the job cost in materials than the other trades, and material markup is rarely disclosed as a percentage. Ask for parts to be itemised on the invoice rather than folded into a lump sum.
HVAC technician
| Line | Typical CAD |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $100–$175/hr |
| Typical furnace repair, all in | $150–$500 |
| Typical air conditioner repair, all in | $150–$600 |
| After-hours premium | 50–100% over scheduled service |
HVAC is the most seasonal trade on this list. A furnace call in January and an air conditioning call in July both land in a week where the company has more work than technicians, and the price reflects it. Nothing you can do about that except book maintenance in the shoulder seasons.
HVAC hourly figures here come from an aggregator that states its estimates are not drawn from contractor quotes, so treat them as the weakest numbers on this page and get your own quotes.
The questions that actually control your bill
Before any trade sets foot in your house, four questions in a text message will tell you more than any hourly rate:
- What is the minimum charge, and how much time does it cover? This is the single biggest driver on small jobs.
- Is the trip or diagnostic fee separate, and is it credited if I approve the work?
- How are materials billed — at cost, or with a markup, and what is it?
- What is the after-hours rate and the after-hours minimum? Worth knowing before the emergency, not during it.
Then one more, in writing, for anything beyond an hour or two: a written estimate. Under Ontario’s consumer rules, where a contract includes an estimate the final price cannot exceed it by more than ten per cent unless you agreed to additional work or a new price.
Red flags on a trade invoice
| What you see | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| An hourly rate quoted with no minimum mentioned | The minimum is usually where the money is on a small job | Ask for it before booking, not on arrival |
| “Materials included” with no itemisation | You cannot see the markup or check the parts | Ask for parts listed separately on the invoice |
| Diagnostic fee that is not credited | Some shops credit it against the repair, some do not | Confirm in advance; it changes who you call |
| Cash price, no invoice | No receipt means no warranty claim and no proof of payment | Pay traceably and keep the paperwork |
| Electrical work with no ECRA/ESA licence number | Only Licensed Electrical Contractors may be hired directly for electrical work | Ask for the seven-digit ECRA/ESA number and check it |
| You are asked to file the electrical permit yourself | The Electrical Safety Authority flags this as a sign the contractor is unlicensed | Stop and verify the licence |
| A four-hour minimum on a fifteen-minute after-hours call | Common and legitimate, but you should know before you dial | Ask whether it can wait until morning at the standard rate |
Frequently asked questions
Electrician and plumber are compulsory trades in Ontario, and electrical work in a home must be done by a Licensed Electrical Contractor. A general handyman is fine for carpentry, drywall, painting, fixtures and assembly, which are not compulsory trades. For anything inside the electrical or plumbing systems, hire the licensed trade.
Because the wage is not what the work costs. The employer pays the wage plus payroll taxes, WSIB, benefits and paid time off — about 1.4 to 1.6 times base wage — and then the rate has to cover the truck, tools, van stock, dispatch, insurance, licensing, unbilled travel and margin. The industry markup is about 2.5 to 3.5 times fully loaded cost, which works out to three to five times the wage.
A fixed amount billed regardless of how long the work takes, covering travel, dispatch and the first block of time. In Ontario it typically runs $100 to $200 for a handyman or electrician, and it is the reason a twenty-minute repair can cost far more than twenty minutes of the hourly rate.
Generally one and a half to two times the standard rate, and often with a minimum of two to four billable hours. Plumbers commonly quote $200 to $350 an hour for emergency work against $110 to $145 standard. For HVAC, a 50 to 100 per cent premium over scheduled service is typical.
Commonly $80 to $120 an hour, with a range of $75 to $150 and higher rates of $100 to $162 for specialised work. Expect a minimum service fee of $100 to $200, and a first hour often billed at $150 to $200 before the rate drops. Half days run $350 to $550 and full days $650 to $1,000.
Roughly $80 to $150 an hour overall, splitting to $60–$80 for an apprentice, $80–$130 for a journeyperson and $100–$160 for a master electrician. Toronto sits at the upper end. The first hour of a service call is typically $100 to $200, and emergency calls run one and a half to two times the rate with a two to four hour minimum.
Sources
- Government of Canada Job Bank — wage data by occupation for Ontario and the Toronto region, NOC 72200, 72300, 72402, 73201 and 75110; Labour Force Survey reference period 2023–2024, wages updated 19 November 2025, jobbank.gc.ca, checked 18 September 2026
- Government of Ontario — compulsory trades and enforcement, ontario.ca, checked 18 September 2026
- Electrical Safety Authority — hiring an electrician or contractor, and contractor locator tool, esasafe.com, checked 18 September 2026
- Government of Ontario — your rights when starting home renovations or repairs (written contract and ten per cent estimate rules), ontario.ca, checked 18 September 2026
- Rate ranges: UrbanTasker (GTA handyman), HomeStars electrician price guide (Canada-wide), Plumbwize (Ontario plumbing), ProScore (HVAC), Premier Plumbing (after-hours premium), all checked 18 September 2026
- Contractor markup structure: Level CFO, contractor bill rates 2026 (United States data; the calculation structure transfers, the tax percentages do not), checked 18 September 2026
Rates vary by region, season and company, and the figures here are planning bands rather than quotes. Carpenter Bee does not set prices and does not employ tradespeople.
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