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Are You Paying Too Much for Common Repairs?
Here are things most likely to break in your home and how much they typically cost. To be safe, you should set aside money every year - 1% to 3% of your home's purchase price - for repairs and maintenance.
The good news is that most repairs are simple, inexpensive, and DIY-friendly. If you can fix stuff yourself, you'll only pay for the cost of materials and save a bundle on these common repairs and replacements.
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1. Replace Toilet Fill Valves
That annoying sound of water continually filling and draining from your toilet tank is often caused by leaky fill valve, which a plumber can replace, stopping water waste and restoring quiet. Plumber rates vary widely around the country, from $45 to $150 per hour, and the job will take about two hours - the minimum some plumbers require just to take the job.
Labor: $50 to $200
Materials: $11 to $23
Total: $61 to $223
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2. Repair a Leaky Faucet
The water torture drip-drip-drip from a leaky faucet won't just drive you insane, it can drive up water bills, too. Depending on the type of faucet you have, fixes typically involve replacing damaged rubber washers (10 for $2), O-rings (10 for $2), or a faucet cartridge ($8 to $30).
Labor: $95 to $300
Materials: $2 to $30
Total: $97 to $330
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3. Replace Ceiling Fan
If you've got a ceiling fan, sooner or later the motor will burn out, the blades will warp, and fashions will change, so you'll need to replace it. Replacing isn't a big deal, because upgraded wiring, a reinforced ceiling box, and a light switch with ceiling fan controls are already in place. What you're paying for is an electrician's time - one or two hours - and a new fixture.
Labor: $50 to $200
Materials: $54 to $1,000 and up
Total: $104 to $1,200
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4. Repair Drywall
Nicks, gashes, and smashes inevitably mar your beautiful walls. You'll have to patch and paint to make them look as good as new. A painter can do both jobs and will probably give you a flat rate that will include patching or filling blemishes, then sanding, priming, and painting. Painters charge $25 to $62 per hour for labor or $2.68 to $4.60 per square foot including materials. Figure it will take about three hours to repair a wall, including drying time for the patching compound and paint. It's a good idea to save up painting chores so you have enough to keep a painter busy while repairs cure. Materials include paint at $12 to $50 or more a gallon, which should cover about 350 square feet; plus another $10 to $50 for brushes, rollers, drop clothes, and drywall patching compound.
Labor: $75 to $186
Materials: $22 to $100
Total: $97 to $286
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