Handyman side jobs.
Assembly, hanging, painting and small repairs pay CHF 35–60 per hour or per piece, need CHF 300 of tools and no licence. Where the line runs (electricity, gas, water), a price list, a quote tool and the one insurance you need before the first drill hole.
Handyman work is the most requested side job in Switzerland, and most of it is free to offer. The line is electricity, gas and water.
Every flat has a wardrobe in a box, a shelf still leaning against the wall and a lamp nobody dares to hang. Assembly, hanging, painting and small repairs pay CHF 35–60 an hour or per piece, need CHF 300 of tools and no licence. What they do need is a clear list of what you will not touch — and business liability insurance for the day the drill meets a pipe.
- Buy the kit once.Drill, level, screwdrivers, Allen keys, mallet, tape, stud finder, dust sheet. About CHF 300.
- Price per piece.Shelf CHF 50, bed CHF 75, wardrobe CHF 130. Clients understand pieces, not hours.
- Say what you do not do.No sockets, no wiring, no gas, no water before the meter. Write it on your profile.
- Insure the drill.Business liability, about CHF 300 a year, before the first client.
Per piece, per hour, and how often people ask.
What the market pays for the usual jobs.
- Shelf, bedside tableper pieceCHF 40–60
- Bed, desk, chest of drawersper pieceCHF 60–90
- Wardrobe (PAX-type)per pieceCHF 100–160
- Hanging shelves, mirrors, curtain railsper hourCHF 35–50
- Painting a room, two coatsper roomCHF 250–450
- Silicone joints, small repairsper hourCHF 35–50
- TV wall mountper jobCHF 60–100
Mid-market figures for private clients in Swiss cities; trade firms charge two to three times more. [1] [2] [3]
Where the licence line runs.
The full twenty-task list is in Which side jobs need a licence or certificate.
Tick what the client asked for.
Six things that separate a handyman from a helpful neighbour.
- Tools: CHF 300 buys the whole kitA cordless drill with bits, a spirit level, a set of screwdrivers and Allen keys, a rubber mallet, a tape measure, a stud finder, a dust sheet. The client supplies the furniture, paint, screws and wall plugs for their walls.
- Price per piece, not per hourClients know what a wardrobe costs to assemble; they do not know how long it takes. Fixed prices per piece sell, and they reward you for being fast. Keep the hourly rate for undefined repairs.
- Rented flats: the landlord’s wallsDrilling into tiles, load-bearing walls or facades needs the landlord’s consent in a rented flat. Ask the client whether they own or rent before you mount a 60-kg TV.
- Paperwork: usually self-employedHandyman jobs are one-offs for many clients, so you invoice. Above CHF 2 500 a year, register with the Ausgleichskasse as self-employed; below it, beside a main job, nothing to do except the tax return. [10]
- First clients: photos and a listPhotograph every finished piece. Three photos and a list of fixed prices are a better profile than any text. The first clients come from your building; the second ones from the first.
Becoming self-employed step by step: Becoming self-employed in 7 steps. Insurance: Insurance for side work.
Short answers.
How much can I charge for furniture assembly in Switzerland?
About CHF 40–60 per piece for a shelf, bed or sideboard, CHF 100–160 for a wardrobe, CHF 60–100 for a TV wall mount. Small repairs and hanging pay CHF 35–50 an hour; tradespeople charge CHF 70–160.
May I install a lamp or a socket for a client?
A socket: never — that is licensed electrical work (ESTI). A lamp or switch on an existing 230 V circuit: allowed in your own home, not for clients. Keep electricity, gas and water lines before the meter off your list.
Do I need a permit for handyman work?
No. Assembly, hanging, painting, silicone, door handles, taps and drains are free for anyone. Only electrical, gas and asbestos work need licences.
Who pays if I drill into a pipe?
You, unless you have business liability insurance (about CHF 300 a year). Private liability policies exclude paid work.
What tools do I need?
A cordless drill, a spirit level, screwdrivers, Allen keys, a mallet, a tape measure, a stud finder and a dust sheet — about CHF 300. The client provides the furniture, paint and screws.
Every task. One app.
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Become a taskerWhere the rules come from.
- [1]Ofri — IKEA assembly job example — about CHF 40–50 per piece for a sideboard, nine quotes. www.ofri.ch
- [2]Baunex — Stundenlohn Handwerker Schweiz — tradespeople CHF 70–160 an hour, painters CHF 70–120, caretakers CHF 50–70. baunex.ch
- [3]knows.com — Stundenlohn Schweiz — simple handyman tasks CHF 25–50 an hour on platforms. www.knows.com
- [4]20 Minuten — Handwerk ist der gefragteste Nebenjob (2026) — over a quarter of requested side jobs are handyman and construction. www.20min.ch
- [5]Die Mobiliar — Strom und Wasser — laypersons may replace lamps and switches only on 230 V circuits with a 30 mA residual-current device; sockets, wet rooms and three-phase only by licensed electricians; no work on water lines before the meter. www.mobiliar.ch
- [6]ESTI — Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations — Installation licences under the NIV — electrical installations for third parties need a licence. www.esti.admin.ch
- [7]Swiss Confederation — Low-Voltage Installation Ordinance (NIV, SR 734.27), Art. 16 — what a layperson may do, in their own home only. www.fedlex.admin.ch
- [8]Helvetia — Private liability conditions — paid work excluded. www.helvetia.com
- [9]Gryps — Betriebshaftpflicht — business liability for a small service business from about CHF 300 a year. www.gryps.ch
- [10]AHV/IV information centre — Merkblatt 2.02 — self-employed side income: register above CHF 2 500 a year (2026). www.ahv-iv.ch