You’re pretty handy around the house and will tackle almost any project, from installing drywall to replacing a toilet’s worn-out float valve. Friends and neighbors sometimes ask you to help with home repairs. If you think there’s a business opportunity here, you’re right. The global handyman services market is forecast to roughly double, to $3.3 billion, between 2023 and 2031.
If you have an entrepreneurial mindset and a knack for fixing things, learn what steps to follow when starting your own handyman business.
How to start a handyman business
- Decide what services to offer based on your skills
- Research the competitive landscape in your area
- Write a business plan
- Register your handyman business
- Obtain any necessary licenses, permits, and insurance
- Purchase tools for your handyman business
- Set your prices for different services
- Create a website for your handyman business
- Market your business to find new clients
- Provide excellent service and build a good reputation
You can start a handyman business with minimal upfront costs, but it takes time and dedication to build your business, land clients, and turn a profit. Here are some basic steps to consider before launching your own handyman services company:
1. Decide what services to offer based on your skills
Decide what services your company will offer based on your home repair skills. Handyman businesses often specialize in specific services to carve out a niche. For example, you might have experience with house painting, in which case you could focus on developing a business specializing in painting services. Some of the handyman services you might consider offering include:
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Drywall repair and maintenance
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Fence repair and installation
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Minor plumbing work, like unclogging a drain or fixing a leaky faucet (more complicated tasks will need a licensed plumber)
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Tile installation and maintenance
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Minor electrical work, like replacing the switch for light fixtures (more complex electrical issues will require a licensed electrician)
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Furniture assembly
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Interior and exterior painting
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Babyproofing (e.g., covering sharp corners, installing child-proof locks on cabinets, and covering electrical outlets)
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Gutter cleaning
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Window treatment (installing shades, blinds, or curtains)
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Pressure washing building exteriors
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Smart home upgrades (installing a smart thermostat or security cameras)
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Carpentry services (including installing and repairing doors, windows, and cabinets)
2. Research the competitive landscape in your area
Perform a competitive analysis on handyman businesses in your local area. Research what services are most commonly offered by other local handyman businesses and what prices they charge. Who are the ideal customers for handyman services in your area? Are there mostly residential or commercial clients in your area? What marketing channels do successful handyman businesses in your area use?
By performing extensive research on the competition, you can make more informed decisions about how your handyman business can offer a unique value proposition to the clients in your area. You could find ways to offer services at lower rates than your competitors or identify a type of service that has little to no competition. For example, your market might be saturated by general handyman businesses handling minor repairs and odd jobs, but require a handyman service provider specializing in smart home upgrades.
3. Write a business plan
A business plan can be a helpful road map, serving as a to-do list, a mission statement, and a pitch deck rolled into one. Use your market research to inform your business plan and include what will make your business stand out, your day-to-day operations, your service list, and your financial projections and path to profit. A business plan is also a necessary document if you want to apply for funding, whether from investors or a small business loan.
4. Register your handyman business
Establish the business structure that best suits your business model. For example, if you’re operating a handyman business by yourself, you could opt for a sole proprietorship with an easy setup process. Or you could form a limited liability company (LLC). An LLC separates your business from your personal assets in case of accidental property damage or legal judgments.
5. Obtain any necessary licenses, permits, and insurance
Research the business registration process for handyman companies in your local area. Depending on where you live in the US, you may need a general business license from your town, city, county, or state. Additionally, some areas require handyman businesses to obtain a contractor’s license to perform specific services or handle jobs over a certain size. For example, businesses handling any home repair project valued at more than $1,000 (including materials and labor) need a contractor’s license in California.
Visit the US Small Business Administration website to research your region’s specific requirements.
Once you have all of the necessary licenses and permits to operate a handyman business in your area, get general liability insurance to protect your business against lawsuits or major financial losses from injuries and property damage. Insurance is necessary to protect your handyman business and give clients the peace of mind that your business is covered in case of accidents.
Other types of insurance you could consider based on the size and needs of your company include commercial auto insurance to protect the vehicle you use for your business. You may also consider workers’ compensation insurance, which covers financial losses your employees experience from getting injured or sick on the job.
6. Purchase tools for your handyman business
You can purchase tools at hardware stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot, online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, or more localized marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp. The types of tools and the cost will vary depending on what services you’re offering. For example, a table saw for carpentry will cost far more than general maintenance tools like screwdrivers, hammers, and wrenches.
Here’s a list of tools to get you started:
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Hammer
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Nails
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Pliers
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Screwdrivers and screws
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Levels
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Tape measure
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Stud detector
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Power drill and drill bits
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Utility knife
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Wrenches
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Ladder
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Protective wear (like gloves, masks, and safety goggles)
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Flashlight
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Brushes, rollers, and sprayers (for painting jobs)
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Saws (for carpentry work)
7. Set your prices for different services
Create a pricing strategy that fits your market based on the research from your competitive analysis. For example, you could charge an hourly rate for home repair services, set a minimum time requirement for services, or use a flat-rate system based on the project. Handyman businesses can charge $50 or more an hour, depending on the type of service. For example, you could charge $50 an hour for general home repair services like gutter cleaning or TV mounting, but $150 for light plumbing services.
Make sure your pricing strategy reflects your expenses—including equipment, materials, and transportation costs—and price services high enough to yield a profit margin after calculating your expenses.
8. Create a website for your handyman business
Use an ecommerce platform like Shopify to create a reliable business website. Before you launch marketing efforts online or in your local community, you first need a user-friendly website where you can send customers to learn more about your services and book appointments.
You can integrate appointment booking applications with your Shopify website to let clients easily book handyman services directly from your website with automatic updates to the calendar based on your schedule.
9. Market your business to find new clients
There are several ways you can market your business and attract new clients, including:
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Listing on business directories.List your business on directories and platforms online designed to connect clients with handyman service businesses. Some of the most popular platforms include Yelp, Angi, Nextdoor, Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, Taskrabbit, and Handy.
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Sharing printed materials. Market your handyman business with physical ads like flyers, brochures, and business cards that you can hand out or post at areas with high foot traffic like community centers, coffee shops, hardware stores, and libraries.
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Leveraging local SEO tactics. To attract customers making search queries for handyman services in your area, focus on local SEO to improve the placement of your business on search engine results pages (SERPs). Claim your Google Business Profile and fill it out with relevant information and photographs about your services and previous work. Use keyword research tools to identify relevant local keywords related to your business that you can use in your content and on your website.
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Marketing on social media. Another option for attracting new clients online is through social media marketing and content marketing. Consider creating how-to videos for simple home repair projects that promote your company and services while offering helpful information to viewers. You can post video content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Start small with local business listings and work your way into content marketing as your business expands, so you’re not overindexing on marketing efforts as you establish your reputation. The best marketing a fledgling handyman business can get is through word of mouth.
10. Provide excellent service and build a good reputation
In building a foundation for a profitable handyman business, you will have so much to do. Rather than get overwhelmed by the sheer number of administrative tasks, focus on completing one job at a time excellently. When each job is done, ask clients if they wouldn’t mind leaving a positive online review or sharing your information with friends.
As you grow into a profitable business, you can create a more formal referral program that encourages happy clients to recommend your business to their friends, family, and colleagues in return for benefits like discounts, free services, or points that can be redeemed for services. You can similarly incentivize positive reviews with discounts on future services to clients who post reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp.
How to start a handyman business FAQ
Is a handyman business profitable?
A handyman business can be profitable if it builds a strong reputation for quality and has a clear marketing strategy in an area with high demand for handyman services.
How much does it cost to start a handyman business?
The upfront costs associated with starting a handyman business can vary depending on what equipment and transportation you already have. New equipment can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on what tools you need for the services you plan to provide. Business registration, licensing, and insurance can cost several hundred dollars.
How do I start a small handyman business?
Choose what services to offer based on your skills, research the competition, and register your handyman business. Obtain any necessary licenses, permits, and insurance. Purchase tools and set your prices. Create a website and use platforms like Angi, Thumbtack, and Handy to share your services and find clients.
