Handyman

Being a handyman means doing various small jobs, usually manual ones, that customers either can’t do themselves or don’t have the time for.

The range of tasks you can do includes:

• Household repairs and maintenance
• Gardening
• Assembling furniture
• Repairing appliances
• Performing home inspections
• Painting
• Basic carpentry

Some of these tasks require specialized know-how and potentially training, particularly the ones that involve plumbing or maintaining electrical and heating systems. Others just require you to be willing to work with your hands.

Handymen don’t usually need the special licenses that other tradespeople need to have. However, that isn’t universally true; the exact requirements to become a handyman vary from state to state and depend on the kind of work you plan on doing.

In Florida, for example, you don’t need a license to be a handyman, but to do any kind of structural work (e.g., building or roofing), you need a general contractor license.

On the other hand, in New Mexico, you need to apply for either a handyman certificate or a general contractor license to perform even minor repairs or maintenance if you earn $7,200+ per year.

Licensure and certification requirements for handymen are variable enough that if you’re considering getting into this line of work, your best bet is to look up the laws in your city and state that apply to the kind of gig you’re interested in (e.g., electrical work, plumbing, carpentry, etc.).

Required skills

In addition to your formal credentials, as a handyman, you’ll need to be reasonably physically fit, skilled at performing small household jobs, and personable enough to chat with the people you help out (customer service is a bigger part of this job than you might expect).

It’s up to you whether you specialize in a particular type of work, such as plumbing or HVAC maintenance, or remain a generalist. Again, the more you specialize, the more likely it is that you’ll need to acquire some sort of certification.

Tools

You’ll need a certain amount of equipment to be a handyman. At minimum, you should have:

• Your own set of tools (a screwdriver set, a drill, hammers, wrenches, a utility knife, etc.)
• A vehicle for driving to and from jobs
• Comfortable and durable clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty
• Personal protective equipment, including rubber gloves, goggles, and masks

You may also need other, more specialized tools, depending on your niche. For instance, if you plan on doing tiling, you’ll need a trowel; to do electrical work, you’ll need a voltage tester, electrical tape, wire strippers, and so on.

Your earning potential as a handyman will heavily depend on the jobs you do. People in this profession may earn anywhere from $20 to $150 per hour.

The factors that affect your earnings as a handyman include:

• How you land work: There are several gig apps that handymen use to find work. Most of these pay relatively low rates, whereas self-employed handymen who find work off-app generally make more.
• Your location: As with many side hustles, your location will affect how much work you get, how much you can charge, and your expense ratio.
• The task at hand: Labor- and skill-intensive jobs, like carpentry, pay more than less demanding tasks, like cleaning.
• Tips: Customers often tip handymen. More challenging jobs are likely (but not guaranteed) to net you higher tips.

How will expenses affect your profits as a handyman?

Regardless of whether you find work independently or through a gig app, you’ll probably be classified as an independent contractor when you do this type of work, which means you’ll be responsible for your own expenses. These will include:

Tools & materials

All of the tasks done by handymen require at least basic tools and materials. Repairs and maintenance will be your bread and butter, and you’ll need a fully stocked toolkit to be an effective handyman.

Fuel

Fuel is another inevitable expense. Since you’ll probably have to drive to and from jobs, you’ll consume a lot of gas, meaning fuel costs may eat up a significant chunk of your earnings.

Taxes

As the saying goes, the only certain things in life are death and taxes. Whether you find gigs via an app or work independently, you’ll be responsible for tracking your earnings and filing your taxes every year.

Fortunately, you can take deductions for business expenses, such as tools and fuel. This will reduce your tax burden somewhat, although you’ll still have to pay something.

Licenses

Again, you need a license or certificate in certain states to work as a handyman, and you may need to pay for it. Fortunately, it probably won’t be that expensive. A handyman certificate only costs $15 in New Mexico, for example.

Other states also require you to have a contractor’s license, and these usually cost more. Oregon’s contractor license (CCB), for instance, costs $385 for the application and exam, plus $400 each year to renew it.

If you’re ready to start working as a handyman, there are a few different avenues you can check out.

Become an independent handyman

One of the best paths is also arguably the simplest. You can become an independent handyman and start picking up jobs in your area, essentially starting your own one-person business.

Pros and cons of working independently

The biggest advantage of working independently is that you have full control over your rates and schedule—no other path gives you this much freedom.

Being an independent handyman is probably also the most lucrative avenue. As mentioned, some self-employed handymen charge as much as $150 per hour for their services.

However, going at it alone also requires a significant investment of time and resources. You’ll need to put a lot of effort into advertising your services to potential customers. In contrast, if you land work through an app, less of that burden will fall on you.

Since you’ll most likely be operating in your local area, you can start doing jobs for family and friends, but if you want to attract new clients, you’ll need to advertise both digitally and through physical means like flyers and posters.

Tips for starting a successful independent handyman side hustle

If you decide to be an independent handyman, follow these tips to reach more clients and boost your profits:

• Advertise: As mentioned, solid advertising is essential. Promote your services on social media and create flyers, posters, and business cards to build your client base.
• Target the right areas: More affluent areas usually have more work available, and the slightly awkward truth is that the people who live in them are usually better tippers. Operating in these places can boost your profits.
• Highlight your skills: If you have any particular specialties, like woodworking or car maintenance, make sure you highlight these skills when selling your services.
• Work when there’s demand: Many of your customers will work during the day and need your services during the evenings (or weekends). Being flexible with your schedule and adapting to your customers’ needs will open up more opportunities.
• Be punctual: Arriving to jobs on time will demonstrate your professionalism, which is essential when you’re just starting out and building your client base. It will also get you better tips.

Find work on an app for handymen

If you’re not ready to fly solo, there are several apps that you can use to find work as a handyman. We’ll take a look at three of the most famous of these platforms (although others exist as well).

1. TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is an online marketplace that connects customers who need assistance to freelancers in their area. Most of the jobs involve household tasks that are well within a handyman’s wheelhouse.

After setting up a profile, freelancers on the platform, called “Taskers,” receive invitations catered to their skills. You get full control over your schedule as a Tasker, and can work as much or as little as you want.

User reports suggest that you can make $20–$30 per hour as a Tasker, although this figure varies depending on where you’re working. You keep 100% of your earnings and tips, and you get one hour of pay if a customer cancels on you.

While TaskRabbit doesn’t take a cut of what its Taskers earn, you do have to pay a $25 membership fee to sign up.

2. Handy

As the name suggests, Handy is geared towards handymen. It’s an online marketplace that connects workers, called “Professionals,” to customers who need help with all kinds of odd jobs.

Professionals and customers use different platforms. As a Professional, you’ll use the Angi Services for Professionals app to browse and accept jobs that customers submit.

Unlike TaskRabbit, you don’t get to set your own rates on Handy. They pay a predetermined rate for jobs, and they’re not very transparent about what this is or how much they’ll take off your wages as a commission.

Unfortunately, user reports suggest that the rates you can get on Handy are much lower than what independent handymen charge—around $16 per hour or so.

Moreover, some people report that Handy doesn’t always pay on time, and that there’s a problem with customers on the app lying about Professionals or trying to get out of paying them (e.g., claiming that they didn’t arrive on time). Not all purported Handy workers have these complaints, but enough do that we recommend being cautious if you use this app to find work.

3. Thumbtack

Thumbtack is another platform where freelance handymen, called “Pros,” advertise their services to customers. Jobs on the platform are known as “leads” or “bookings,” and may be initiated by either Pros or clients.

One big downside of Thumbtack is that you have to pay to accept jobs. Thumbtack doesn’t disclose exactly how much you have to pay, stating that prices vary based on the job type, how many pros are available, and other unspecified factors.

According to anecdotal user reports, leads can cost anywhere between $35–$200, and some users claim that you won’t be refunded if a customer decides to cancel on you.

Paying to work is a big red flag with any side hustle. Between this and Thumbtack’s lack of transparency, this platform is one of the riskier gig apps out there, and its upside (if any) is unclear.