How to Start a Handyman Business in 2026

Starting a handyman business offers low startup costs (£2,000-£5,000) and immediate demand. Here's how to launch legally, price correctly, and build a sustainable business without overextending into regulated trade work you're not qualified for.

Legal Requirements & Licenses

Good news: there's no general "handyman license" in the UK. You can legally offer general maintenance, minor repairs, flat-pack assembly, decorating, and basic carpentry without specific qualifications.

Bad news: The moment you touch regulated work without proper certification, you're breaking the law and personally liable for any consequences.

What You Can Do Without Certification

• Flat-pack furniture assembly - IKEA wardrobes, bed frames, shelving
• Picture hanging & curtain rails - Drilling, wall plugs, basic mounting
• Painting & decorating - Interior/exterior, no structural alterations
• Basic carpentry - Shelving, door hanging, skirting boards, trim work
• Minor plumbing - Tap washers, toilet seats, shower heads (NOT water supply alterations)
• General repairs - Door handles, locks (not security-rated), hinges, catch repairs
• Tidying & organization - Garage clearance, shed building (not structural), basic landscaping

What You CANNOT Do Without Certification

The Grey Area: Minor Electrical & Plumbing

You CAN legally do "non-notifiable" electrical work (replacing light fittings, sockets, switches on existing circuits) and basic plumbing (replacing taps, fixing leaks on existing pipes). But:

• You're personally liable if your work causes damage, fire, or injury
• Insurance may not cover you without relevant qualifications (City & Guilds Level 2 Electrical, Level 2 Plumbing)
• Customers increasingly ask for certification - "Are you qualified?" becomes a sales barrier

Smart approach: Either get basic qualifications (£800-£1,500 for Level 2 courses) or partner with licensed electricians/plumbers and take a referral fee (10-20% of job value).

Business Registration

• Sole trader registration - Register with HMRC within 3 months of starting (free, online)
• Public liability insurance - Not legally required but commercially essential (see next section)
• Business bank account - Separate personal and business finances from day one
• Trade body membership - Optional but builds credibility (TrustMark, Checkatrade, Which? Trusted Traders)

Multi-Trade Insurance

This is non-negotiable. One damaged water pipe or dropped television = £5,000+ claim that ends your business without insurance. Budget £300-£600/year depending on coverage limits and trade mix.

Essential Coverage

Multi-Trade vs Specialist Insurance

Standard "handyman insurance" policies typically cover general maintenance, carpentry, decorating, and minor plumbing. They EXCLUDE or charge extra for:

• Electrical work - Add £80-£150/year, requires proof of qualification
• Roofing - Add £100-£200/year due to height risk
• Tree work - Usually excluded, needs specialist arborist insurance
• Structural work - Excluded on standard policies, needs specialist cover

Tip: When getting quotes, list EVERY service you might offer. Discovering you're not covered mid-claim is how businesses go bankrupt.

Defining Service Boundaries

The biggest mistake new handymen make: saying yes to everything. This creates liability risk, quality issues, and customer dissatisfaction when jobs go wrong.

The Service Menu Framework

Build your service list around three categories: Core (do confidently), Conditional (do with caveats), and Refer (never attempt).

The Referral Network Strategy

Instead of saying "I don't do that" (lost customer), say "I don't do gas work myself, but I work with a Gas Safe engineer. I can arrange a quote for you and project manage it." Then take a 10-15% referral fee.

Build relationships with:

• Gas Safe engineer - Boiler services, installations, gas appliance work
• Qualified electrician - Notifiable work, consumer units, new circuits
• Plumber (licensed) - Water supply mods, heating systems, bathrooms
• Roofer - Anything beyond basic gutter clearing or replacing a tile
• Structural engineer - Wall removal, lintels, load-bearing assessments

This turns "no" into "yes, and here's my comprehensive solution" while earning referral fees on work you legally can't do anyway.

Essential Equipment List

Budget £2,000-£3,500 for a professional handyman tool kit. You can start cheaper (£800-£1,000) with basics and add specialist tools as jobs demand them.

Tier 1: Absolute Essentials (£800-£1,000)

Tier 2: Growth Tools (Add as revenue justifies)

• Circular saw (£80-£150) - Sheet cutting, decking, fencing
• Jigsaw (£60-£120) - Curves, worktop cutouts, flooring
• Multi-tool (£80-£180) - Cutting, sanding, scraping in tight spaces
• Tile cutter (£50-£120) - Minor tile repairs, splashbacks
• Paint sprayer (£150-£400) - Faster decorating on large jobs
• Inspection camera (£80-£200) - Diagnosing hidden issues professionally

Pricing Strategy

Most handymen under-price by 30-40% because they forget about travel time, quotes, admin, and gaps between jobs. Here's how to price for reality.

The Three Pricing Models

Standard Job Pricing Examples (UK Average)

The Real Hourly Rate Calculation

If you charge £40/hour thinking you'll work 40 hours/week, you'll starve. Here's the reality:

This is why charging £35/hour doesn't work. You need £45-£55/hour minimum to hit £40K take-home after accounting for non-billable time and expenses.

Minimum Job Charges

Always have a minimum charge to avoid wasting time on £20 jobs that cost £15 in fuel and 90 minutes door-to-door.

• Minimum callout: £50-£75 (covers first hour + travel within 5 miles)
• Extended travel: Add £1/mile beyond 5-mile radius or flat £15-£25 fee
• Emergency/same-day: 50% premium (£75/hour minimum)
• Evening/weekend: 30% premium (£65/hour vs £50/hour weekday)

TaskRabbit vs Direct Clients

Online platforms offer easy customer access but take 15-30% commission. Here's when each model makes sense.

Platform Comparison

The Platform Strategy for Year 1

Month 1-3: Use TaskRabbit or MyBuilder heavily to build reviews, learn pricing, test services. Accept the 15-25% cost as "marketing spend" to build credibility.

Month 4-6: Ask every platform customer: "I'm building my own business. If you're happy with my work, I'd love to work with you directly next time—saves us both the platform fees. Here's my card."

Month 7-12: Transition to 70% direct customers (referrals, repeat clients, local marketing) and 30% platform work (fills gaps when you're quiet).

Getting Your First 20 Customers

You need 20 satisfied customers to build momentum through referrals. Here's the 60-day plan to get there.

Week 1-2: Platform Launch

1. TaskRabbit profile setup - Professional photo, detailed service list, set rates at £40-45/hour (competitive to build reviews quickly)
2. MyBuilder registration - Complete profile, upload insurance docs, aim for 5 quotes/day
3. Initial availability - Set availability to "always available" first 2 weeks to build momentum
4. Goal: 5 completed jobs with 5-star reviews

Week 3-4: Local Presence

1. Facebook/Instagram business pages - Post before/after photos (ask permission first)
2. Join 15 local groups - Nextdoor, Facebook community groups, local forums
3. Post value first: "Top 5 things you can fix yourself vs when to call a handyman" (builds authority)
4. Then offer services: "Local handyman available. Here's what I charge and what I'm good at."

Week 5-8: Referral Engine

This is where sustainable growth happens. After every completed job:

Conversion rate: 30-40% of satisfied customers will refer at least one person within 3 months. 20 happy customers = 6-8 referrals without any other marketing.

The Business Card Strategy

Leave 5 business cards after every job (ask permission first). Put them:

• On kitchen counter (visible, they'll see daily)
• Stuck to fridge with magnet (if you provide branded magnets—£40 for 100)
• In their hands: "Keep one, give the others to neighbors if you think they'd need my services"

Card cost: £15-£25 for 500 cards (Vistaprint). Include: Name, services summary, phone, email, and "No job too small" to overcome the barrier of people thinking their task isn't "big enough" to call you.

Managing Liability Risk

This is the part most handymen ignore until something goes wrong. Here's how to protect yourself legally and financially.

Pre-Job Risk Assessment

Before saying yes to any job, ask yourself:

1. Am I qualified to do this safely? If not, refer it out.
2. Does this require Building Control approval? If yes, customer needs to handle that (or you charge to project manage it).
3. What could go wrong? Flood? Fire? Structural damage? If consequences are catastrophic, walk away.
4. Is this covered by my insurance? Check your policy schedule or call your broker.

Job Documentation (Protects You Legally)

For every job over £200, create a simple written agreement covering:

• Scope of work - Exactly what you're doing (and NOT doing)
• Materials - Who supplies what, quality specifications
• Price - Fixed or hourly, payment terms (50% deposit on £500+ jobs)
• Timeline - Start date, estimated completion (not guaranteed unless you're confident)
• Exclusions - "Any work discovered beyond original scope requires separate quote"

When Things Go Wrong

Eventually you'll damage something or a job won't go as planned. Here's the professional response:

1. Stop work immediately - Don't make it worse trying to fix it in a panic
2. Tell the customer immediately - "I've had an issue with X. Here's what happened and what I'm going to do to fix it."
3. Document everything - Photos, description, proposed solution
4. Notify your insurer if damage exceeds £500 - Don't wait, even if you plan to fix it yourself
5. Offer solutions: Fix it yourself (your cost), claim on insurance, or reduce invoice if minor

Most important: Don't hide it. Customers respect honesty and transparency. They don't respect discovering damage after you've left and trying to chase you down.

Software & Systems

Handyman businesses die from chaos, not competition. Here's the minimum viable software stack.

Month 1-3: Free/Cheap Tools

• Scheduling: Google Calendar (share with customers for transparency)
• Invoicing: Toolfy (£29/month includes scheduling, invoices, payment tracking, customer portal)
• Customer records: Simple spreadsheet with name, address, jobs completed, prices, notes
• Banking: Separate business account (Starling, Tide, or traditional bank)

Month 6+: When Revenue Justifies

• Accounting software: FreeAgent or Xero (£15-£25/month) when approaching VAT threshold
• Route planning: Built into Toolfy or Google Maps with multiple stops
• Customer reviews: Checkatrade membership (£40-£80/month) or TrustPilot integration
• Payment processing: Stripe for card payments (2.9% + 20p), GoCardless for bank transfer (1% capped at £2)

The Reality Check

Here's what the "start a handyman business" guides don't tell you:

1. You're Competing on Price (Until You're Not)

First 6 months, you'll compete with established handymen on price. After 6 months with solid reviews and repeat customers, you compete on reliability and speed. That's when you can charge premium rates.

2. Customer Quality Varies Wildly

20% of customers are amazing—clear communication, pay immediately, refer others. 60% are fine—normal people, reasonable expectations. 20% are nightmares—vague requirements, constant changes, late payment.

Solution: After 3 months, you'll spot red flags in initial calls. Trust your gut—fire problem customers before they become problems.

3. Scope Creep Will Kill Your Margins

"While you're here..." costs the average handyman £8,000/year in free labor. Set boundaries from day one. Charge for extras or schedule separate visits.

4. You Need Systems to Scale Past £50K

One-man handyman earning £50-60K/year is comfortable and sustainable. Want to hit £100K+? You need staff, systems, and professional software. See our guide on hiring your first employee.

Your First 90 Days Action Plan

Final Word: Know Your Limits, Build Your Systems

The handyman businesses that last beyond year two do three things right:

1. Clear boundaries. They know exactly what they will and won't do, and they don't cross those lines for any customer.
2. Proper pricing. They charge £45-£55/hour minimum because they account for non-billable time and actually want to earn a living.
3. Systems early. They implement booking, quoting, and invoicing software before they're drowning in admin.

You don't need £10,000 and a van full of specialist tools. You need £2,000 in quality hand tools, proper insurance, clear service boundaries, and the confidence to charge what your time is worth.

The UK handyman market is worth £2.1 billion annually. Your goal is to capture £50-70K of that in year one by focusing on common residential jobs, building referral momentum, and saying no to work outside your expertise.

Start focused. Price properly. Protect yourself legally. Build systems early.