A handyman contract needs eight parts: both parties' names and addresses, a clear scope of work, the price and what it covers, a payment schedule, a start-and-finish window, a change-order clause, who supplies materials, and signatures with a date. Copy the layout below into Google Docs or Word and you have a one-page agreement that heads off most disputes before they happen.
We run our own home-service companies, so we've learned the hard way that the cheapest insurance in this trade is a clear scope and a change-order line. The money and goodwill don't get lost on the original job — they get lost on the three extra things the customer asks for and then doesn't expect to pay for.
"Fix up the bathroom" means one thing to you and another to the customer. List the exact tasks so "done" is obvious to both sides.
"While you're here, can you also..." is how a $640 job becomes a $900 job you only get paid $640 for. The clause makes added work a new line, not a favor.
Fronting materials with no deposit means lending the customer money. A 50% deposit covers your costs and signals they're serious.
"I'll get to it soon" invites complaints. A target finish date sets expectations and protects you from being blamed for delays you didn't cause.
Be honest about the job before you over-lawyer it. A clean one-page template is plenty when:
Step up to a lawyer-reviewed contract for large jobs, commercial work, or anything with significant risk. And always check your own state and local rules — several states require a written contract above a set dollar amount, and some require specific cancellation language.
A good contract protects the job you already booked. The harder problem is booking enough jobs to stay busy. That's the part we handle: a site with 24/7 AI lead capture so the searches in your area become named leads instead of missed calls while you're under a sink.
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For anything over a couple hundred dollars, yes. Many states also require it above a set threshold. A one-page agreement takes two minutes and saves the argument later.
The change order. Added work gets its own price and signature before it starts. That single line is where handymen stop losing money to scope creep.
For everyday jobs, usually. For large or commercial work, have a lawyer review it. Either way, check your state's contract and licensing rules first.
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