Explore
Self-employed trades
Freelance Handyman
Your own truck, your own customers, your own risk.
Typical pay
$40k-$110k
How you get in
Experience plus local licensing and insurance
Outlook
Strong home-service demand
Independent handymen take on repair and small renovation jobs. Half the job is the work, half is quoting, scheduling and chasing payment.
A day in the life
- 7:00aReturn quote requests from last night
- 8:00aFirst job: door and trim repair
- 11:00aHardware store run
- 12:30pDrywall patch and paint
- 3:00pEstimate a bathroom remodel
- 6:00pInvoicing and material receipts
How to get in
Work for a company, then go solo
Duration
2-5 years
Cost
$0 while employed, then $2,000-$10,000 to launch
Credential
Local business license and liability insurance
- Work for a handyman service, contractor or property management company
- Learn the range of trades and, more importantly, how jobs get priced
- Save for tools, a vehicle and insurance
- Register the business, get insured and take your first jobs from your network
Start solo immediately
Duration
Weeks to months
Cost
$3,000-$15,000 for tools, vehicle, license and insurance
Credential
Local business license and liability insurance
- Check your state's dollar threshold — above it you need a contractor license
- Register the business and buy real liability insurance
- Buy tools as jobs demand them rather than all at once
- Expect the first year to be as much quoting and chasing payment as actual work
Franchise
Duration
2-4 months
Cost
$60,000-$120,000 plus ongoing royalties
Credential
Franchise agreement plus local licensing
- Buy into an established handyman franchise
- Complete their training and branding setup
- Get leads routed to you instead of generating your own
- You trade a large share of the margin for the pipeline
What people love
- · Keep the full margin
- · Choose your jobs
- · Grow into a crew
What wears people down
- · You handle insurance and taxes
- · Unpaid quoting time
- · Slow seasons