A handyman at a home repair company runs several small jobs a day: rehanging doors, patching drywall, fixing a running toilet, mounting shelves and working through a homeowner's list. They find the cause, fix what they can on the first visit, and log parts and time for the office.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, residential builders and remodelers · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for executing a wide range of maintenance and repair tasks that ensure client homes and commercial spaces are safe, functional, and well-maintained. Plays a key role in upholding the company’s reputation for quality handyman services while ensuring prompt resolution of repair and installation needs. Collaborates with team members and clients to provide exceptional service and timely solutions.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Diagnose and address minor repairs, installations, and maintenance tasks efficiently.
Perform basic carpentry, electrical, and plumbing repairs according to industry standards and safety protocols.
Ensure all work complies with local building codes and safety regulations.
Maintain detailed records of work performed, parts used, and time spent on each job.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Inspect work sites to assess repair needs and plan tasks accordingly.
Communicate effectively with clients to understand repair issues and explain the resolution process.
Source necessary materials and tools to complete tasks with quality and efficiency.
Schedule and prioritize service calls and manage daily workload to ensure timely service delivery.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Completion Rate: Achieve a 95% on-time completion rate for scheduled jobs.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain a rating >4.8 stars from client feedback.
First-Time Fix Rate: Resolve at least 90% of repair tasks on the initial visit.
Callback Rate: Keep the callback rate for repairs under 5%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent; technical training in carpentry, electrical, or plumbing preferred.
Minimum of 2 years of experience in handyman services or a related field.
Strong technical aptitude with a keen eye for detail and problem-solving skills.
Excellent customer service and communication skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous work experience in residential or commercial maintenance services.
Background in working with diverse teams in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.
Experience with preventive maintenance and repair scheduling software.
Familiarity with industry tools and best practices for small-scale repairs and installations.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and handle moderate physical labor.
Comfortable working in variable environments including confined spaces and outdoor conditions.
Capability to work at heights when necessary for specific repair tasks.
Stamina and manual dexterity to work efficiently throughout the day.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
Occasional on-call duties for emergency repair requests.
Minimal to moderate travel between client sites within the designated service area.
A work environment that includes indoor and outdoor conditions.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate ranging from $20 to $30 per hour based on experience.
Opportunity for performance-based bonuses that reward productivity and customer satisfaction.
Benefits package includes comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.
Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Our team is dedicated to professional growth and values the contributions of every member towards achieving excellence in service.
We believe in investing in our employees and providing opportunities for advancement in a supportive and dynamic environment.
Join us to become part of a company where your skills are appreciated, your ideas are valued, and your career can flourish.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A plumber or a carpenter goes deep in one trade. A handyman goes wide: a string of unrelated fixes in different homes, each starting with a quick call on whether the job is theirs to do at all.
Dollar caps decide which jobs need a license
States that let unlicensed people take small jobs keep the limit tight. Arizona's exemption covers casual or minor work under 1,000 dollars, counting labor, materials and everything else, that needs no local building permit. It doesn't cover a piece split off a bigger job, and any ad must carry the words "not a licensed contractor." A company your size outgrows that exemption, so check which contractor license class covers the work your techs do. Source: Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1121: Persons not required to be licensed.
Wiring, pipes and gas often need a trade license
North Carolina's electrical licensing law exempts replacing lamps and fuses, installing and servicing plug-in appliances, and servicing appliances wired to an existing junction box. That exception doesn't reach permanently installed outlets or putting in the junction box. Bona fide employees of a licensed electrical contractor are exempt too. Plumbing, gas and HVAC work can carry their own license rules, so check each one in your state before the ad lists faucet, water heater or thermostat work. Source: North Carolina General Statutes 87-43.1: Exceptions to electrical contractor licensing.
Old paint limits what counts as a small job
In homes built before 1978, EPA's lead rule leaves out minor repair. Inside, that means 6 square feet or less of painted surface disturbed per room; outside, 20 square feet or less. Pulling off a painted part, like a door casing, counts its whole surface. Window replacement, tearing out painted surfaces and banned methods such as power sanding without a HEPA shroud are never minor. Visits to one room inside a 30-day window count as a single job, which catches a long list split over several trips. Source: 40 CFR 745.83: Definitions, including minor repair and maintenance (Cornell LII).
One visit, a whole list of fixes
Homeowners and property managers send lists: a sticking door, a loose stair rail, a cracked outlet cover, old caulk in the tub. The handyman prices each item, groups them so one trip covers them, and flags anything that needs a licensed trade or a second person. Bringing the right parts the first time is what the template's first-time fix rate measures.
Alone in someone else's home
Your handymen will often work alone in occupied homes. If a background screening firm runs your checks, the Fair Credit Reporting Act sets the steps: a stand-alone written notice, the candidate's written OK, and, before rejecting someone because of what the report says, a copy of it plus the federal summary of consumer rights. Some states and cities also regulate how employers use those reports, so check local rules before you write the check into the ad. Source: FTC and EEOC: Background checks, what employers need to know.
How much handymen make
The closest BLS group for handymen is maintenance and repair workers, general. Maintenance and repair workers, general who work for residential builders and remodelers earned a median of $23.54 an hour ($48,960 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $49,590 median for maintenance and repair workers, general in all industries. About 7,800 of the 1,529,700 maintenance and repair workers, general in that survey work for residential builders and remodelers.
The template pays an hourly wage plus bonuses for productivity and customer ratings. BLS has no handyman code of its own. O*NET lists handyman as another name for general maintenance and repair workers, so this chart uses that group.
Residential builders and remodelers
$48,960$48,960 median Middle half $41,630–$59,500 10th–90th $35,250–$73,050
All industries
$49,590$49,590 median Middle half $40,840–$62,620 10th–90th $35,350–$77,180
$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Residential builders and remodelers
$35,250
$41,630
$48,960
$59,500
$73,050
All industries
$35,350
$40,840
$49,590
$62,620
$77,180
BLS doesn’t publish pay for handyman companies on their own. These figures cover residential building construction, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Repairs drywall, doors, trim and decks to a clean finish
Finds the cause of a problem before buying parts
Knows where their skills and your licenses stop, and says so
Keeps the van stocked and comes back with the right part
Explains the fix in plain words and leaves the room clean
Teach these on the job
Your price book and how to write up added items
Your field service app and photo rules
Lead-safe methods through EPA's renovator course
Which tasks your licenses cover in each territory
Mounting and assembly for the products customers ask for most
Expect a stocked van: cordless drill and impact driver, oscillating multi-tool, stud finder, non-contact voltage tester, levels, a stepladder and an extension ladder, plus caulk, anchors and common fittings. Jobs, photos and time usually run through a field service app on the tech's phone, so ask candidates which ones they have used.
Handyman interview questions
Two of the 7 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Handling scope creep
You're halfway through hanging shelves when the homeowner asks you to also fix a running toilet and patch a hallway hole. What do you do?
A strong answer: Takes a quick look at each, explains they'll be added to today's price or booked separately, updates the work order with the office, and gets approval before starting.
Behavioral · Telling customers about cost changes
Tell me about a time you had to tell a customer a job would cost more or take longer than they expected.
A strong answer: Told them before doing the extra work, showed why, gave options, got approval and wrote it down.
Pull these per technician from your field service app. Compare techs who take similar work, since a tech on assembly and mounting will score differently from one on repair lists.
Completion Rate
Scheduled jobs finished inside the booked window, out of all scheduled jobs. Mark visits that ran long because the customer added items so they don't count as misses.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Survey scores and reviews tied to this tech's visits, read with the comments. Ask every customer the same way, and never tie a reward to a good score.
First-Time Fix Rate
Repair items closed in a single trip, divided by all repair items. Leave out items waiting on a part the customer picked, and track trips caused by missing van stock.
Callback Rate
Items reopened within your warranty period because the fix failed, out of all items closed. Record the cause: workmanship, a bad part, or a problem the first visit missed.
It depends on the state and the job. Florida exempts work that is casual, minor or inconsequential when labor and materials total less than 2,500 dollars. The exemption doesn't apply to part of a larger job, or to anyone who advertises as a contractor or claims to be qualified to contract. Trade work can need its own license on top of that, as North Carolina's electrical law shows, so check both before you set your services list.
How much does a handyman make?
Maintenance and repair workers, general who work for residential builders and remodelers earned a median of $23.54 an hour ($48,960 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $41,630 and $59,500 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
What jobs should a handyman turn down?
Anything a license or permit covers that your company doesn't hold, such as adding a circuit where the state saves wiring for licensed electricians. Also hold back work that needs two people to do safely, like setting a heavy exterior door or footing an extension ladder that can't be tied off, unless a second tech is booked. Give techs a simple script: thank the customer, note the item, and let the office book the right trade.
What should a handyman do when a job turns out bigger?
Stop and call the office before starting the bigger part. A rotted subfloor under a toilet or a soft wall behind a tub surround changes the price and may need a permit or a licensed trade. The tech sends photos, the office quotes the new work, and the customer approves it in writing. Breaking a big job into small tickets to stay under a state's handyman limit is something Arizona's and Florida's exemptions both exclude.
How do you test a handyman in an interview?
Set up a short bench test: a door that rubs, a drywall hole to patch, a leaking sink trap to reseat. Watch the order they work in and whether they check the fix before calling it done. Then hand them a three-item list and ask them to price it out loud. You see their skill, their speed and how they would explain the work to a customer.
How should a handyman ad list the physical work?
The tasks, not the person. The template ships with lifting up to 50 pounds, work at heights and in tight spaces, and a line on stamina and dexterity, which describes the worker rather than the work. In your ad, name what a day holds: carrying a toilet or a solid-core door, working from an extension ladder, kneeling in a crawl space, and reaching overhead to hang a light fixture.
How many jobs should a handyman do in a day?
It depends on ticket size and drive time, not a fixed count. A day of quick fixes in one neighborhood fits more stops than one long list across town. Track billable hours against paid hours for each tech, group jobs by area when you book them, and leave room for the item that takes twice as long as planned.
