Any pitfalls to working as a handy man?

[Vermont woodsman]

I know a few guys working as a handy man making 25 an hour and booked for weeks ahead of time, so i was thinking of doing it part time. Has anyone ever done this? and maybe you could give me some pros and cons, and also some pitfalls to be awear of. Thanks guys.

 

[stjames]

Customers. You could spend the rest of your days trying to satisfy a little old lady on some $100 job that you can never get done as well as she likes.

Insurance and liability. If you injure someone or damage something you might find yourself in court, where legal fees alone might drive you to capter 11.

 

[Bob W]

My brother did it for a bit while he was between 'regular' jobs. He seemed to really enjoy it - flexible hours, interesting work, and good money. But no insurance or benefits and depending where you live work may not be available consistantly.

The one factor that would be a huge bonus for me, any sort of tool you could ever want suddenly becomes a business expense! Just imagine!

-Bob

 

[mycroftt]

My brother did it for a bit while he was between 'regular' jobs. He seemed to really enjoy it - flexible hours, interesting work, and good money. But no insurance or benefits and depending where you live work may not be available consistantly.

The one factor that would be a huge bonus for me, any sort of tool you could ever want suddenly becomes a business expense! Just imagine!

-Bob

What business expense? You include it in the cost of materials when you give a quote and take it with you when you leave.

 

[mycroftt]

Generally, you should get yourself licensed, bonded, insured. Then try to hook up with a property management company - you will be doing repairs and light remodeling between tenants and you will be working for the property managers so you don't have to deal with picky owners who can never be satisfied. You won't have to worry about being stiffed either.

 

[Bob W]

What business expense? You include it in the cost of materials when you give a quote and take it with you when you leave.

I mean table saws, routers, wrench sets, truck accessories, etc. Most jobs are very small; you'll have a hard time adding a $700 table saw onto a $50 invoice as a "material cost".

-Bob

 

[Matches]

I just happen to be a handyman (full-time) and on the side. I can give you a couple pointers, one of which has been mentioned. If you have a job for a property management company, not only do you already have steady income and experience, but you also get free advertising. Most of my spare work has been a result of people seeing me at my regular job. People will ask, "Do you moonlight?"
If you decide to do side work without insurance and are otherwise "under the table", you need to communicate that to your customers. You can't sue them, they can't sue you. All the people I have done work for I know fairly well so it has not been a problem. I also don't take on more than I can handle or I will warn the person that I'll give the project a try but the outcome isn't guaranteed.
I also tend to charge slightly less per hour than what a "professional" would charge. This makes up for not being insured and almost guarantees being called back for more work. Good Luck!

 

[Lone Hunter]

A lot of guys on the job do window washing on the side. 20-30 bucks an hour if you move fast. A couple of ladders,plastic buckets,drying towels and polishing cloths and your good to go. One guy I work with got a fair number of dates with woman whose windows he washed too.