F.A.Q.

We generally do not mind.  However, we require customers to stay clear of work areas for health and/or safety reasons, especially when there is limited space to perform the service or when personal protective equipment is required.
If we are hired specifically to assist you with a job you're doing yourself that you needed help with as "extra hands" then sure as that is the scope.  However, for liability reasons we generally request that customers keep a safe distance from the work being done.  

Different workman tend to have specific ways of doing things and can perform the work efficiently on their own or with the assigned crew.  In general it is best and safest to allow the hired professional(s) do what they're hired to do without involvement beyond question and answer exchanges or friendly conversation from a safe distance.
In many cases, yes, you may; especially if it is a customer preference item like a book case or table purchased online that needs assembly.  There can be pros and cons to customers buying their own materials.  If a customer is not certain of what to get for a job it is usually easier to allow the service person to acquire what is needed.  It does add time when the service person has to acquire materials, but it can save a lot of headache related to returns or having to stop a job unexpectedly due to material incompatibility.

When we purchase materials those materials are warrantied with the labor.  Materials/items purchased by the customer are not covered under our service warranty.  In that scenario labor to repair or replace customer purchased materials is not warrantied either.  Labor that requires follow-up to correct or modify an installation may be warranty service.  For example: A door purchased by a customer that becomes misaligned three months after installation may be a warranty labor repair.  A door that has a malfunctioning handle and latch system purchased by the customer would not be warranty labor.

Contact us for suggestions or recommendations regarding material purchases if you have questions for a job we have scheduled.
We prefer to meet all new customers in person for the first, initial job.  It is preferred to have customers onsite to review work and ensure everything meets expectations upon completion.

Nevertheless, once introductions are established, and if the job doesn't require a customer's presence then it is OK to leave.  If a customer doesn't plan to be back before the job is complete payment can be left ahead of time or processed via credit card over the phone.  Sometimes with multi-day jobs such as a basement remodel customers provide home access while they are at work or away.

Ultimately, it is up to a customer unless there are reasons we need customers to remain onsite.


Yes!  Some items are too large or too much for residential trash bins.  Some customers do not have a vehicle to dispose of trash or old materials that were replaced.  A disposal fee applies; however, the piece of mind of getting unsightly job materials off your property is often a convenience for customers.

In some cases we can cut down items allowing them to be disposed in the regular residential trash containers if or when preferred. 
Homewyse is a great resource for determining average contractor pricing in your area.  This doesn't mean all contractors and service providers follow the rates Homewyse lists.  There are a variety of factors involved with pricing such as site conditions, timelines, scope, labor hours, materials, business expenses, experience and efficiency, customer expectations, etc.  When looking for job cost Homewyse  is a good reference for helping customers choose what rate is good enough for them without having to schedule several different consultations just to get an idea of cost and affordability.
Significant credit card transactions have a transaction fee.  As of 1/1/2027 card transactions will have a transaction fee with credit and debit card sales.
Some jobs are hourly, and some are bid.  There are some types of jobs we are very efficient at and therefore, bid.  Some jobs may go one way or the other or have a combination of both.  The Handyman trade has a lot of odd, misc. jobs as well that don't fit under a typical service and are best to leave hourly i.e. small punch list items or odd jobs like fixing a door handle, wall hangings, straightening a shelf, re-adhering base boards, or adjusting toilet operation for example.  Call for specifics relative to the services needed.
There are pros and cons to both.  Some jobs are best for one price model over the other.  Many jobs in the trades run into unforeseen problems that may increase time and materials.  Estimating puts that liability on the customer to pay the difference.  Bidding a job puts that liability on the service provider.

Some tradesman are very good at what they do.  Bidding is the only way they can reward their skill and experience.  For example:  A toilet that takes an amateur 3 hours to replace at $100 per hour can make $300.  A more experienced person that can replace it in 30 minutes would lose to a less experienced service person.  Therefore, quoting a toilet replacement at $300 is wiser for the person with more experience that has earned his or her value.

Estimating:  Estimates typically involve a time and materials price.  The labor and/or materials for the job are estimated to the best of the estimators experience and understanding of scope.  However, unforeseen problems do sometimes arise, labor and material costs can increase if more of either is needed.  Consequently, if the job is completed in less than the estimated time the total cost is often reduced to actual time and materials involved.  With estimates some people worry about efficiency and feel like they have to pay attention to every detail of time and cost. i.e. How long was the service person on break?  Why did it take longer than expected getting materials?, etc.  However, reputable tradesmen communicate with customers throughout the job so they are in-the-loop and know what's going on.  Estimating can be great if the serviceman on site is efficient and/or there are no surprises, but also vice versa.

Bids/Quotes:  Bidding a job is sometimes the best course for taking worry away from customers and the person(s) performing the work.  As mentioned under Estimates it is also the only way experienced and efficient service persons can get paid what they're worth.  Bids tend to be higher, but that is due to the service company accepting the responsibility of hidden costs and reasonable surprises.  Customers have one cost regardless of whether the job goes well or turns into a nightmare, and regardless of whether the job site is left for a period of time or not.  Bidding sometimes requires greater details in the documentation of the bid, spelling out what is involved/included and what is not.  Scope changes can cause a bid to have a change order.  The change order can impact the total end price.  However, assuming no changes are requested bids are a nice way of agreeing that you only pay what you signed for.  No more, no less.
One important consideration when using a service provider is asking or verifying if they are licensed and insured.  Legally, Dwelling services are supposed to be performed by a licensed person or entity.  

Another important consideration is checking that the service company is insured.  Without insurance the homeowner becomes liable for accidents and damage for having approved service personnel to be on their property.

Being licensed and insured may mean a services pricing includes coverage of business expenses.  This is the same with any industry.  However, the piece of mind knowing you're working with a service that is protecting their crew and customers can save significant amounts of money when it matters most.
Skill-wise the short answer may be nothing.  Licensing, insurance, experience, equipment, company size and job size are where differences are revealed.   Contracting companies may include multiple trade services with licensed professionals for each trade.  A Handyman company may have limited licensure, and therefore, can't legally do certain types of work.  However, properly licensed and insured Handyman services are allowed to sub-contract other services making them able to still provide specialty services for a job.

Many contractors offer residential and commercial service.  Some Handyman companies may only offer residential.  However, experience regardless of the trade matters more than titles.  There are Handymen out there with high levels of experience and quality, and there are some that don't even realize they're breaking the law by servicing without proper credentials.  It is a spectrum of quality and value perceived by the customer.

Smaller jobs aren't very cost effective for larger companies.  Sometimes in order to make any profit they have to charge a higher price to offer their service. The Handyman trade/niche has developed out of this gap and service need.  A smaller company with less overhead can be profitable servicing small to mid-size jobs due to less overhead.

The size of the contracting company makes a big difference in their availability to perform certain types of jobs based on size and sale amount.  The larger the company the greater the cost of doing business.  This is the nature of running a business in general, and when you're servicing a large geographic area with a large staff it costs a significant amount of money for that company to be able to provide you with the help and services needed.
We are not licensed in the trades listed below.  Therefore, we do not offer the following services, but do at times sub-contract these services for certain types of jobs:

HVAC services.  Dryer vent cleaning or replacing register covers are exceptions.

Plumbing services that are behind a wall or involve water shut-off that impact multiple tenants or residents of a building complex, or water valves that may have unique equipment or scenarios relative to it.

Electrical services that involve running new electrical wiring for newly installed or modified electrical outlets, switches, fixtures, or appliances.