Have you always liked working with your hands? Do you know how to fix the majority of household items? If so, think about doing a handyman side hustle to supplement your income.
This guide was designed for you if you’ve never considered it before or if you just don’t know where to begin. By the time it’s through, you’ll know how to expand your business and whether a handyman side hustle is something you want to pursue.
The handyman side hustle is a perfect business. If you charge enough for your services, you may turn a profit in as little as a few hours each week with minimal expenses.
So, in this post, I’ll break down the figures to show you precisely how much you’d need to charge to earn an extra $1,000 per month while just working five hours each week.
If you’re starting your business while working full-time, this is a wonderful first target to set since if you can do it, you’ll have a proven recipe for a six-figure income as a professional handyman.
Plus, having $1,000 extra every month is fantastic. You may spend that much money on a variety of exciting items and experiences.
Let’s go into the math and get a practical idea of how to execute this.
How to Earn $95 per hour doing basic handyman side hustle
Many readers may find $95 per hour to be excessive, and it is. There are many handymen out there who make far less – and despite my efforts to educate them how, many have yet to find me.
But I promise you that it is very achievable.
The trick to generating $95 per hour is not simply pricing $95 per hour. Customers will most likely object to this cost, depending on where you reside and the services you provide.
Instead, set a fixed pricing for as many services as feasible. Alternatively, adopt my preferred price technique, which I discuss in depth in my pricing course.
Here are some examples of frequent jobs that pay $100 or more per hour.
#1 – TV wall install – You may easily charge $100 or more to install a TV, which typically takes 45 minutes to an hour.
#2 – Fence Repair – Using the approach demonstrated in this video, I have earned up to $200 per hour.
#3 – Door Repairs – Several little door repair tasks are simple to price and can rapidly push you above the $100 per hour threshold.
Steps for Starting Your Handyman Side Hustle
Step 1: Start with small odd jobs and price them profitably.
The most common criticism is that it is difficult to locate a dependable handyman that arrives on time, costs a reasonable amount, and performs minor odd chores really well.
This is the gap you must fill when launching a handyman side hustle. To get your firm off the ground, take on projects that no one else wants. Going for the small items early helps you to increase your income flow while also developing your talents and reputation. This will lead to additional jobs and larger projects, allowing you to grow your firm to new heights.
Here are some little services you might try offering:
- Putting together furniture
- Doing light fixtures
- Fixing doors and their fixings.
- Cleaning the gutters
- Hanging paintings or other decorations
- Babyproofing Homes
- Setting up and fixing smart home fixtures
- Power Washing
- Repairing holes in the drywall
- Adjusting curtains and blinds
It is also critical to price your services profitably. Just because they are minor odd jobs does not imply they should be done for pennies. You also need to make money.
The good news is that after you get started, you’ll most certainly acquire a lot of business because your services are in high demand.
We recommend charging per service for tiny odd jobs. This is because you’ll finish them quickly, so charging per hour doesn’t make much sense or money. Here’s a smart technique to determine what to charge:
- Determine the amount of money you wish to earn every day.
- Determine how much gas you require every day.
- Determine the amount you wish to set away for taxes.
- Let’s imagine you want to earn $300 per day, petrol costs $60 per day, and you want to set aside 15% for taxes. Charge $138 to construct a large furniture item ($100 for service, plus $20 for gas and $18 for taxes), and perform three of them every day to meet your objective. This is an approximate estimation. However, you should consider anything that may have an influence on your earnings.
You can also look into how much the average handyman charges for a certain job to ensure you’re in a price range that customers will be willing to pay for.
But bear in mind that after you’ve mastered your skills and established a reputation for showing up on time and getting the work done right, people will be happy to pay whatever you charge.
Step 2: Make Sure You Have Enough Money to Fund the Basic Upfront Costs.
You may need to work a few jobs initially to accumulate enough money to cover everything on this list. However, these are the most basic upfront charges you’ll want money for:
- Business Registration- To make your handyman side hustle appear more professional, you need register it. Your business name must be registered (average cost: $90). And we recommend an LLC ($129 on average) over a sole proprietorship to ensure that none of your personal property or money is at risk if you are sued or fall into legal difficulties. The actual amount you’ll pay varies by state.
- Licenses and/or licenses- You may require a contractor’s license and/or permissions specific to the services you want to provide (HVAC, appliance installation, carpentry, drain cleaning, fence, etc.). Many states do not require extra licenses or permits, but if they do, the fees can be up to $1,000. For example, building contractors in Washington must be registered and hold a contractor’s license. The price is $124.70. However, a general contractor’s license is not necessary in Colorado.
- Many individuals already own the tools required to start a handyman side hustle (tape measure, level, hammer, pliers, drills, flashlights, shop vac, gloves, safety equipment, saw, knives, and so on). The cost of tools and equipment varies significantly. However, the finest prices may be found at garage sales, thrift stores, and sites such as Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp. You could get lucky and discover folks willing to give away equipment, particularly at garage/estate auctions, on Facebook Marketplace, and on OfferUp.
- Insurance is a must-have for every handyman business. General liability insurance costs between $500 and $2500 per year, which equates to around $20 to $200 each month.
- Transportation- The ideal case is that you already own a vehicle and simply need to worry about gas, insurance, and maintenance. However, a typical circumstance is having to buy a new or used truck. You’ll be responsible for a monthly car payment (avg. $735 for new cars and $523 for used vehicles), petrol (avg. $100-$150 per month), insurance (avg. $100-$300), and maintenance.
Again, these are only the essentials. You’ll get away very cheap if you own a vehicle, have or thrift all of your tools and equipment, and don’t require any additional licenses or permissions.
Step 3: Open a separate bank account for your handyman side hustle finances.
One of the most critical but sometimes forgotten procedures is to create a separate account for your business’s finances. It’s a means to ensure that all of your purchases, bills, and other transactions go via a single account, giving you a full history of what’s going on with your firm.
If you don’t yet have an LLC or don’t have enough money to create a company account, you may normally open a personal checking or savings account for free with no initial investment. Call your bank or travel to a branch to speak with a banker about the criteria for a free account.
It is also critical to have a single spot for all of your business receipts and finance-related papers. This might be any paper folder you already have laying around the home. If you want to manage things digitally, you may use Google Drive, which is free.
Step 4 – Form an LLC.
There are two primary reasons we recommend an LLC over a sole proprietorship. First, LLCs provide an additional degree of liability protection. So, if something goes wrong on a task, which is undoubtedly possible in this field, your personal assets will be safeguarded if a customer sues you.
Second, incorporating an LLC helps to legitimize your firm. It communicates to potential consumers that you are more than simply a guy with a vehicle. People will be more willing to let you inside their homes or businesses if you are acting as a legitimate business.
You may fill out and pay for the LLC application on your state’s government website ($90 to register your business name, $129 on average to form an LLC).
If you are concerned about getting the details correct, employ a business creation service. It costs more, but you will have piece of mind knowing that it is done correctly.
ZenBusiness is a great option to consider. Simply follow the directions on their website to properly register your handyman company in your state. You don’t pay anything for their services, but you are responsible for state filing and formation fees.
Step 5: Get General Liability Insurance.
To operate safely, you must at least have general liability insurance. General liability insurance covers a variety of claims, including property damage, physical injuries, and advertising injury.
While an LLC provides some liability protection, it does not pay claims if something goes wrong. Proper insurance for a handyman might be the difference between bankrupting your business and just paying the deductible. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so protect yourself.
General liability insurance costs between $500 and $2500 per year, which equates to around $20 to $200 each month. You should have at least $10,000 in general liability insurance with personal injury protection.
Consider purchasing the following insurance when you become successful and the circumstances are suitable:
Inland maritime insurance protects supplies and equipment in transit or kept somewhere other than the company’s principal site, such as a warehouse.
Worker’s compensation insurance helps pay for medical bills, loss of earnings, rehabilitation, and other expenses for employees who are injured or sick on the job.
Professional liability insurance protects you from financial damage caused by you or someone on your team giving false or inappropriate advice to a client.
Handyman bonds safeguard you from potential damages and liabilities if you fail to satisfy the conditions of an agreement or contract.
Step 6: Obtain any required licenses/permits.
Fortunately, you may be in a state such as Kansas, Colorado, or Iowa where you do not need any permits or licenses other than your company license to operate, saving you a significant amount of money at the outset.
On the other hand, you may require a contractor’s license and/or particular permissions to perform the services you wish to provide. License and permit fees vary, but can exceed $1,000.
In Washington state, for example, you must have a contractor’s license if you operate in the construction industry. If you want to work on projects worth $2500 or more, you must obtain a contractor’s license in Georgia. To operate as a contractor in Florida, you must first get a state license.
You may obtain your licenses or permissions on your own or through a service like ZenBusiness.
Step 7: Get Your First Three Clients.
The foundation, structure, and legality of your handyman side hustle are all taken care of. It’s time to obtain your first three clients.
The first one will most likely be a friend or family member. The second option will feel like serendipity, perhaps a reference from a family member or friend. The third customer will signify the beginning of your “legit” clientele gained through legitimate marketing.
You don’t have much (or any) money to invest in marketing. But you have a lot of time, and there are many of practically free marketing outlets and ideas to test. Many ideas will fail while you are learning. However, as you get more information and expertise, you will become more comfortable with it.
As previously said, homeowners frequently complain about not being able to locate a handyman that arrives on time, offers fair rates, and can perform tiny odd chores very effectively. As a result, we recommend targeting middle-class homeowners as your ideal clientele.
Handyman Side Hustle : First Steps for Your First Clients
While being in high demand is a significant advantage of having a handyman side hustle, don’t anticipate clients to materialize out of nowhere. Here are three easy yet effective techniques to acquire your first clients:
- Online listings.
Listing your business on classified sites and business directories such as Craigslist, TaskRabbit, Angie’s List, Google My Business, Nextdoor, and Yelp is an excellent approach to reach a broad audience for free. Weisberg found his initial clientele on Craigslist, which sustained his firm for years without any extra marketing efforts.
- Family and pals.
After all, they’re undoubtedly aware of how helpful you are, and word-of-mouth recommendations are one of the most effective marketing strategies available. You may even ask them to distribute your business cards.
- Hanging fliers.
Hanging fliers at local businesses (such as hardware stores, retailers with community bulletin boards, and community centers) can be an effective and low-cost approach to market your services to the community. You may create your flyers using a tool like Canva and print them yourself, or you can design and purchase them from a service like VistaPrint.
Give your initial clients the finest customer service experience possible by doing excellent work, maintaining a professional approach, and being nice throughout the process. If they are satisfied with your work, they will most likely consider you for future tasks, recommend you to their friends and family, and write favorable reviews about your company.
Determine Your Handyman Side Hustle Offerings.
To construct your optimal blend of products, start by listing all you know how to accomplish. Can you hang photos? Installing ceiling fans? Mount a television? Compare these core abilities to those indicated in other area handyman advertising, presuming they wouldn’t take up valuable ad space if they weren’t in demand. These are the main service offerings that are most likely to provide you with steady employment.
“While you do want to include your most profitable skills, be sure not to stray too far from your existing skillset in search of higher profits,” Weisberg points out. “Never take on work that is outside of your skill set.” That will get you in big trouble quickly.
And don’t be hesitant to try out new services that will set you apart from the competition and meet profitable demands in your neighborhood. Weisberg discovered that none of the few small engine service providers in his region offered mobile service, therefore he is planning to fill that need.
Handyman Side Hustle : A Recipe for Six-Figure Income
The benefit of starting your business part-time is that when you’re ready to go full-time, you can simply scale up what you’ve previously built.
So here’s how the math will likely look after you go full-time.
Hours invested might range from 5 to 40 per week, with handyman services accounting for around 28 hours.
Monthly costs will certainly increase from $260 to over $1700 per month.
This is the cool part. Maintaining an hourly rate of around $95 per hour can increase your annual revenue from $12,000 to $100,000.So, by setting a monthly income target of $1,000 and working 5 hours each week, you will basically lay the groundwork for a six-figure handyman side hustle. That sum can easily replace the earnings from most desk jobs.
