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- Who it's for
- Handymen
For the list on the fridge, and everything added to it
A shelf at nine, a sticking door at ten, then a run to the hardware store for one hinge. Each job feels too small to write up, which is how a full afternoon ends up as a number scribbled on the back of a receipt. Those small jobs are your whole income, so they deserve a proper bill.
A working week, in pages
"What do you charge to hang a TV?"
You can't cross town for one hour of work at one hour's money, and it's awkward to say that on the phone. Put your minimum charge and usual jobs in a list, and send that to whoever asks. When your rate goes up, change it by text.
prices: 2-hour minimum $140, hourly $70, TV wall mount $120, flat-pack from $60, gutter clear from $95
The list on the fridge
Maureen has eleven things on a sheet of paper and wants one number. Give each its own line, so she can see the gate costs more than the three doors put together. If she drops the gate, send the new total.
quote Maureen Bell: rehang side gate $90, fix 3 sticking doors at $20, loft hatch $40, bathroom shelf $45, valid 30 days
Timber on your own card
The fence panels are $600 and the customer is a friend of a friend. You've already been caught once, stuck with materials for a job called off that morning. Ask for the yard's bill up front, before anything goes on the roof rack.
deposit Luis Romero, 8 fence panels and posts fitted, $1,250 total, $600 for materials
"While you're here..."
You came to fix a cupboard door, and now there's the shower tray and the shed. A cheerful yes on the doorstep turns into a sour look at a bill twice what they pictured. Put the extras and the price on their phone and let them approve it before you get the drill out again.
variation for Anne Sutter, 5 Ash Close: while I'm here, reseal shower tray and rehang shed door, extra $85
Turnover at the rental
The tenants left on Friday, the new ones come on the first, and the landlord wants everything patched and painted at a day rate. Add the hours by text as each day ends, with what got done. The landlord approves the page, and the total isn't up for debate.
timesheet for Kerr Lettings, 14 Mill Row turnover: Monday 8 hours, Tuesday 6 hours, $45 an hour
The cheque at the door
Mr Dunn is eighty-four, pays by cheque and wants something on paper for his file. Make a receipt with the job and how he paid. Print it at home for your next visit, or send the PDF to the daughter who looks after his papers.
receipt Harold Dunn $165 paid by cheque no. 2041, rehanging the back door
Questions
Should I charge by the hour or by the job?
You can mix them. A towel rail sits well as a fixed price and a rotten sill as hours and a rate, both on one invoice. Show materials on their own line, so the customer can see what you spent at the store.
What about jobs I'm not allowed to take on?
What a handyman can do without a licence varies a lot by state, province or country, and sometimes by job value. Check your local rules. Your price page can say plainly which work you pass to a licensed trade.
Some of my customers don't own a smartphone. Is this any use to me?
Yes. Quotes, invoices and receipts all print, so you can leave one on the hall table. When they pay by cheque or cash, record it and the invoice page shows paid. The card option only comes into it if you connect your own Stripe account.
Read next
- Change orders and variation orders for small jobsHow to record extra work and get a clear yes before you do it, even on a small job. Includes wording to copy, a worked example and what counts as a good approval.
- How to write an invoiceWhat belongs on an invoice, how to number it and how to set terms that people actually follow. Includes a worked example and wording you can copy.
- How to ask customers for reviews without breaking the rulesAsk every customer, the same way, soon after the job, with a direct link and no reward. This guide gives you the wording, the timing, and what Google's policy and the FTC actually say.
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