A one-page handyman service agreement for ongoing small-job work at a house whose owner is often away: how jobs are requested and approved, pricing and minimums, access, payment, what happens when a job grows, and the licence line your state may require. Plain words. Not legal advice; a lawyer in your state can check it in ten minutes.
A handyman who looks after the same three or four houses does not need a contract per job. He needs one agreement per house that says how jobs get approved, and then an estimate with a written yes for each one.
Handyman service agreement
Between (“the handyman”) and (“the owner”) for the house at .
1. How a job starts
The owner asks for work by message, with a photo where possible, or the handyman notes something at the house. No work starts without a price and the owner’s written yes (a reply of “approved” counts), except jobs under $, which the handyman may do and bill without asking.
2. Pricing
Hourly rate $, -hour minimum per visit, or a flat price per job when quoted. Parts at cost plus %. A price holds for 14 days unless the estimate says otherwise.
3. When a job grows
If the work turns out bigger than the price covers, the handyman stops, sends a photo and a new price, and waits for a written yes before continuing. The bill never exceeds the last approved price.
4. Access and keys
The handyman holds key(s) and the codes below, keeps them locked and unlabeled, tells the owner before each visit, and returns them within 7 days if this agreement ends. Code(s):
5. Payment
Each job is billed on completion with labor and parts as separate lines and before-and-after photos. Due within days by . Jobs with parts over $ may be billed for the parts first.
6. Insurance, licence and limits
The handyman carries general liability insurance: (carrier, policy number). The handyman is (licensed — licence number — or “not a licensed contractor” where your state requires that wording) and will not perform work that state law reserves for a licensed trade (electrical beyond fixture swaps, plumbing beyond fixtures, gas, HVAC, roofing, or any job over the state’s dollar limit); those jobs are referred out.
7. Problems and damage
The handyman will photograph and report anything found broken, leaking or unsafe at the house the same day. If the handyman damages something, the handyman will say so the same day and the two people will agree on a fix in writing. Work is guaranteed for days; parts carry the manufacturer’s warranty.
8. Ending this agreement
Either person may end it with 14 days’ written notice. Jobs already approved are finished and paid as usual.
The three sections that matter for an owner who is away
Section 1, the small-job limit. An owner in Michigan does not want a text about a $40 fix. Agreeing a number under which you just do it and bill it is what makes you the person they trust with the house, and it is the section that removes most of the messages.
Section 3, when a job grows. This is the change-order rule in one sentence, and it protects both people: the owner never gets a surprise total, and the handyman never eats the rot behind the wall.
Section 6, the licence line. Florida, California and Arizona each draw the line differently, and California requires specific words in advertising for unlicensed work. The dollar limits and the exact wording are in the licence guide. Fill this section in honestly; it is the one a lawyer or an insurer will read.
A handyman on House Matters runs section 1 and 3 in the app: the owner’s ask arrives with a photo, the price goes back as one number, and the yes is recorded with a time on it. The agreement on paper and the record in the app say the same thing.
Questions people ask
Does a handyman need a written contract?
For one-off jobs, an estimate with a written yes is enough. For ongoing work at the same house, especially one whose owner is away, a one-page agreement settles approvals, access and payment before they become arguments.
What should the small-job limit be?
Between $50 and $150 is common. Set it to the amount the owner would rather pay than be asked about, and put it in writing.
Do I have to say I am not a licensed contractor?
In California, yes, if you advertise work under the exemption; the exact wording is in the licence guide. Other states differ. Never claim to be licensed if you are not.
What guarantee should a handyman offer?
Thirty to ninety days on labor is common; parts carry the manufacturer’s warranty. Say the number here so it is never negotiated after the fact.
Set up before your next service call
House Matters is handyman software for jobs where the owner isn’t there: price it, the owner taps yes in writing from anywhere, before-and-after on their record, labor and parts billed as lines. Your first three client homes are free. No lead fee, ever.
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