How much does a builder charge per hour in 2026? Real prices for small jobs
A builder charges between €30 and €40 an hour in Valencia, Alicante and on the Costa Blanca for small jobs that need no permit: filling chases, replacing loose tiles, regrouting a bathroom or repairing a crack. We fix the price per job before starting, with a visit within 24 hours and basic materials included.
Quick answer
In 2026 a self-employed builder charges €30-40 an hour in Valencia and Alicante, usually with a 2-hour minimum. Small jobs are better agreed at a fixed price: replacing 1-5 tiles €60-120, repairing a crack or chipped plaster €50-120, regrouting a whole bathroom €150-300. All our prices include IVA (VAT) and come with an invoice.
Small building works prices in 2026
| Job | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Builder per hour | 30 € - 40 € €/hour | |
| 1-5 tiles replaced | 60 € - 120 € | |
| Full bathroom regrout | 150 € - 300 € | |
| Crack or chip repair | 50 € - 120 € |
Self-employed builder hourly rate and price per job
The usual way to charge for small building work is by the hour, with a 2-hour minimum, or at a fixed price when the job is clear from a photo. We prefer the second: you see the total before the builder arrives and you do not pay more if it takes a little longer than planned.
This table shows what we charge in 2026 for the most frequent jobs in flats in Valencia, Alicante and on the Costa Blanca. Basic materials (tile adhesive, grout, plaster, silicone) are included; tiles and special pieces you supply, or we buy them and invoice them separately. If what you need is a list of assorted repairs, see the handyman hourly rate as well.
| Job | 2026 price |
|---|---|
| Builder by the hour | €30-40/hour (2-hour minimum) |
| 1-5 loose or broken tiles replaced | €60-120 |
| Full bathroom regrout | €150-300 |
| Crack or chipped plaster repair | €50-120 |
| Filling chases after cables or pipes (2-3 h) | €60-120 |
| Half a day of a builder (4 h) | €120-160 |
Price by town: Valencia, Alicante, Torrevieja and Benidorm
In central Valencia the price goes up 10-15 % because of parking, blocks without a lift and the time spent carrying materials up. In Alicante we apply the base rate. In Torrevieja and Benidorm the surcharge, when there is one, comes from the distance to outlying urbanisations such as Los Balcones or La Cala.
| Job | Valencia | Alicante | Torrevieja | Benidorm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Builder's hour | €33-45 | €30-40 | €30-42 | €30-42 |
| 1-5 tiles replaced | €65-135 | €60-120 | €60-130 | €60-130 |
| Full bathroom regrout | €170-340 | €150-300 | €150-320 | €150-320 |
| Crack or chipped plaster repair | €55-135 | €50-120 | €50-130 | €50-130 |
What changes what a builder charges
Two jobs that look identical in a photo can cost twice as much one as the other. These are the factors we look at before giving a fixed price:
- Actual hours of work. One loose tile is replaced in an hour; five tiles on a wall with old cement can take three.
- Drying time. Regrouting or tiling means coming back the next day to seal or clean, and the second visit counts.
- Materials to be sourced. If you have spare tiles in the storeroom the price goes down; if a discontinued one has to be tracked down in warehouses in Alicante or Valencia, it goes up.
- Condition of the substrate. Hollow plaster, old damp or loose brick mean making good before repairing.
- Access and rubble. Block without a lift, street with no loading bay, or rubble that has to be carried down in sacks.
- Working height. 3 m ceilings in older blocks in central Alicante or El Carmen need a platform or a stepladder.
- Urgency. Weekends or public holidays carry a surcharge; a cosmetic crack can wait until Monday.
- Area. Central Valencia +10-15 %, outlying urbanisations in Torrevieja or Benidorm +0-10 %.
What the price includes and what it does not
The fixed price we give you by WhatsApp includes travel, labour, small tools, consumables (tile adhesive, grout, plaster, filler, anti-mould silicone), rubble removed in sacks and basic cleaning of the area. It also includes a 6-month written guarantee on the work.
It does not include tiles, ceramic skirting or sanitaryware; nor does it include painting the repaired area, although we can do that in the same visit at the painter's price per m². If on opening up we find an active leak or a wall that needs demolishing, we stop, explain the situation and give you a new price before continuing.
Real examples with the total
Four broken tiles in a kitchen in Benalúa (Alicante). The customer had the spare pieces. Chip out, clean the substrate, fix with tile adhesive and grout the next day: 2.5 hours over two visits. Total: €95, IVA included.
Full regrout of a 6 m² bathroom in Ruzafa (Valencia). Joints black with mould, bath silicone peeling away. Joints raked out with a grout remover, regrouted with grey epoxy grout, new silicone. 5 hours plus a check-up visit. Total: €280.
4 m chase after running a water pipe in a bungalow in Torrevieja. Filled with two coats of plaster, sanded and left ready for painting: 2 hours. Total: €75, with travel to Los Balcones included. Painting the wall was added for €40 more.
How to save money and which offers to avoid
There are adverts for builders at €15 or €18 an hour on Wallapop and Milanuncios. At that price there is no public liability insurance, no invoice and almost never a guarantee: if the tile falls off a month later, the phone stops being answered. A registered self-employed tradesman with a van and tools cannot work for less than €25-28 an hour.
Be wary of hourly rates with no cap, too. Asking for a fixed price per job protects you from hours that stretch. To really save:
- Group several repairs into one visit: chases, tiles and a crack on the same day cost less than three call-outs.
- Have the spare tiles located before you call; if we have to look for them it is charged by the hour.
- Clear the work area: moving furniture and emptying a kitchen cupboard is invoiced as time.
- Avoid public holidays if the damage is cosmetic; Monday costs the same as any other day.
- Always ask for the invoice. If you sell or let the flat, the expense is deductible.
When it is worth doing it yourself
A rawlplug hole or a small chase in a plaster wall is fixed with filler from Leroy Merlin in half an hour, and we explain it step by step in the guide how to fill holes in a wall. If the hole is in a tile, follow how to fill holes in tiles before calling anyone.
Call a builder when something has to be chipped out, when the crack reopens after filling, when the tiles sound hollow across a whole area or when there is damp of unknown origin. That is what our small building works service is for, in Valencia and Alicante. Anything that is a full renovation, partition walls or work needing a permit we pass to a trusted renovation company; if your plan is to convert the bath to a shower, we have a page with the prices for that job.
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Guides and tips
Frequently asked questions
Do the builder's prices include IVA?
Yes. Every price on this page includes 21 % IVA and we always issue an invoice, even for €60 jobs. If you are a company or you let the flat, we issue it with your tax details so you can deduct it.
Do you charge a call-out fee?
Not if you accept the quote. If we make a visit to assess the job and it then does not go ahead, we charge €25 in Valencia and Alicante city or €35 in the rest of the Costa Blanca. Most small jobs are quoted from photos, with no prior visit.
How much does a builder charge on a Saturday or a public holiday?
We work Monday to Sunday from 8am to 9pm at the normal price. Outside those hours we only attend locksmith and drain emergencies, not building work. A crack or a broken tile is not an emergency and it is best to wait for the next working day.
Is there a minimum number of hours?
If we charge by the hour, the minimum is 2 hours (€60-80). That is why we almost always propose a fixed price per job: for a loose tile or a small crack it works out cheaper than two hours of a builder.
How and when do I pay?
When the job is finished, in cash, by card, Bizum or bank transfer. We do not ask for a deposit on jobs under €300. For regrouting or tiling with materials bought by us, we ask for the cost of the materials in advance.
What guarantee comes with a small building job?
6 months in writing on the labour: if a tile we fitted comes away or a repaired crack opens up through poor workmanship, we come back at no cost. The guarantee does not cover structural cracks that are still moving or damp with an active source.
Do you do bathroom or kitchen renovations?
No. We stick to the small stuff: loose tiles, chases, cracks, regrouting, skirting. Full renovations, partition walls and any work needing a permit are done by a partner renovation company; we put you in touch and we take care of the small part (shower screens, taps, silicone) if you want.
Get a free, no-obligation quote
Shall we fix it today?
Call, message us on WhatsApp or leave your details. Fixed price before we start, no call-out fee if you accept the quote.