Every other hourly-rate calculator assumes you're a company with employees. This one starts with the paycheque you want and works backward.
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Handyman · Ontario tax region · Target take-home $80,000
Break-even
$13/hr
Don't go below this
Target
$86/hr
Hits your take-home goal
Margin-safe
$99/hr
Buffer for slow months + bad debt
Charge the margin-safe rate ($99/hr). The break-even is what keeps the lights on - the margin-safe rate is what builds a business that survives slow months and unpaid invoices.
Typical handyman rate: $65/hr · Your target: $86/hr · Gap: +$21/hr
Tip: most solo operators close this gap with flat-rate package pricing - customers balk at $145/hr but happily pay $220 for a “faucet swap + clean-up.”
How we got there
Annual overhead
$18,700
Annual expenses (+ take-home)
$128,289
Billable hours / year
1500
Take-home is grossed up by ~27% for Ontario self-employment tax. Billable hours assume 40hr weeks, 50 weeks/year, minus your unbillable %.
Tip: in the print dialog, choose “Save as PDF” to share with your accountant.
Take your target rate and turn it into 8 flat-rate packages customers actually book. The cheat sheet shows the exact framing solo operators use.