Landlords, What do you look for in a good Handyman? Pricing??

Question

Hi BP,

I am a new investor and just started my own one-man handyman service last week.  I just got my $1 million insurance policy and am ready to get started!

I am looking for tips and advice from seasoned landlords about how they found a good handyman, problems they have with bad ones in the past so I can avoid repeating those mistakes, and how I can be a valuable member of someone's team.

So far I have only given out flyers at this month's REIA meeting, which was poorly attended due to COVID 19.  Sometimes when I search the local GIS and discover a certain investor owns many properties in an area, I will look them up.  Is it appropriate or creepy to contact them and say "Hi, I wanted to let you know I am a new handyman in your area. I admire your portfolio and would love to help you manage it."....?

I have never hired a handyman for my own properties, so I don't even know how pricing works.  Are you charged a flat fee just for them to show up and assess the problem? Is it an extra fee if it is the proverbial toilet overflowing at 2 am?

While I enjoy fixing and building things, more importantly I consider this a way to build a network of like minded investors and provide them with value so in the future I can focus more on investing and less on swinging a hammer and plunging a toilet.

Thanks!

Pat L. · Answer

I pay my guys by the hour, one got greedy & sloppy so he no longer gets work. Another did some work for a friend & didn't bother to return to correct a problem. He just got laid off from his new job & wanted work. No way. I had a great one 12 years ago & he's back & desperate for work so we'll see how long that lasts.

I've met a lot of burned out mid 50's guys over the years with a beat up vehicle & a few tools who will work for $12-$20/hour depending on the type of work assigned. They come & go like nomads hoping one day to work for another contractor until they get the itch to move on.

Matt W. · Answer

Thanks Maria, that is a great tip! I would like to focus on quick turnaround jobs that investors need, like wall and cabinet repair, light plumbing and electrical, and rental make ready. I also work part time for a property management company that mostly does beach house rentals.  They give me some work for longer jobs that would take too long for the other maintenance guys to do, such as painting or deck repairs.

I imagine on-call pricing working something like to show up is $50 which includes the first hour, and each hour after that is $30.  I know this pricing is much cheaper than what the property management company charges.

Account Closed · Answer

@Matthew Wilson

Hourly $20. I want someone who can handle all general handyman type jobs. Minor painting, minor carpentry, flooring, hang blinds, asses a problematic dishwasher or dryer etc. Some yard work. And I want someone who knows their limitations, don’t say yes to a job you can’t do. And I don’t want to babysit, everyone gets a chance to hang themselves, only the stupid ones do it. Bill me 3x the hours it would’ve taken me? Adios amigo. I once had a handyman bill me for 3 hours that he “tried” to remove the tub drain... I’m not paying you to learn I’m paying you to do.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

Licensed and insured

Good communicators

Honest

Quality workmanship

Complete work on time and on budget

Tim Jacob · Answer

Since most jobs are small I  pay by the job.  Ive done this a while and have an understanding what fair for that is though.  Being honest about your capabilities is key.  If you tell me you can finish drywall and you can't I probably wont continue with you because then I will assume even the easiest jobs are not too par.  You could get a lot of work doing heavy turnovers.  Unfortunately a lot of these are in shot neighborhoods so you need to be comfortable parking your vehicle there.  Being reliable is another key.  You should be able to get work though.  Especially with buy and holds where the finish work in low income isnt as scrutunized though should still be quality.  Many slumlords wont care and will hire on price.

Greg M. · Answer

Most important to me is that if you say you will be at the property tomorrow at 11 AM, I expect you to be there at 11 AM. Not 11:45, not 12:30, not calling me at 11:30 saying you're running late and will be there within an hour.

Bill me by the job, not the hour. You're the expert, you figure out how much time it will take. If you bill me by the hour, I'll only use you on jobs that you get done quickly. Therefore, you may become my go to painter, but my toilet repairs will go to someone else.

Be clean and respectful of the place you are working at. I have a guy who does nice work, but my wife hates him and therefore, I don't use him. He did a bunch of work at our place, but he stepped on her flowers, didn't clean up very well after his work, and without asking filled our trash bin with debris that should have been hauled away. He's my last resort guy now.

Be available when I need you - even if it is inconvenient to you. A few months back I needed an appliance installed which required cutting cabinets to a smaller size. Due to a slow delivery I ended up needing this done immediately. My regular guy was booked solid for several weeks on two very big jobs. He didn't blow me off, he instead came over at 6 PM and worked a few hours for a few nights in a row. He didn't even charge me extra. Dedication like this is why he is my first call when I need something done and I recommend him to friends.

Don't nickel and dime me. Don't up-charge me on supplies. I'm not stupid, I know you get a sizable discount on everything at the home improvement stores. I expect you to charge me your cost.

Anthony Angotti · Answer

@Matthew WilsonAs a landlord price is probably third on my list of important characteristics.

1.) I'm looking for someone responsive and polite/kind to my tenants. Major plus if the give the tenant notice themselves when given the phone number.

2.) I'm looking for someone who does quality work and who can be trusted to not overstate or overcharge for the job based on hours or scope. Lots of contractors will tell the equivalent of a fisherman's tale to do a bigger job than they need to.

3.) I'm looking for a reasonable price. For a general contractor I understand that they need to pay their guys, insurance, general overhead, etc. but in my market I'm not about to pay $100 an hour for basic tasks. I'm also not looking to get a steal. Hiring my own in house handyman soon and he will cost us around $45 an hour after all benefits and whatnot (his wage is $25 per hour) so I'd expect to pay around 65 per hour to someone who has a team and around the same for someone who is a 1 man show. That's just my market though. I'd assume every market is different.

4.) I'm looking for someone that is honest about their capabilities. If you can't do basic plumbing work don't tell me that you can. If you don't know how to hang a ceiling fan don't tell me that you can. If you can't finish drywall smoothly don't tell me that you can. I'll still hire you for other tasks, but if you tell me you're able to do something and it comes out like trash or causes larger problem I'm never going to call you again.

5.) Someone that realizes this is a long term relationship. We own around 80 units and manage some others so there is consistent work. As long as you're honest and fair to me I can probably keep a handyman busy on my own (which is why I'm hiring one).  If you realize that it's a long term thing and you treat it that way then I'll continue to repay you with more and more business.

Scott Mac · Answer

As far as personal qualities goes:

1) Quality of workmanship

2) Quality of workmanship

3) Quality of workmanship

4) No Alcohol consumption on the job

5) Dependable show ups

6) Experience on a particular type of job (if semi-complicated such as countertop installs vs light bulb replacement)

7) Doesn't need CONSTANT supervision or granular directions

8) Pride of workmanship when finished

I picked these pics off of the internet to illustrate 7) and 8).

This guy wouldn't be a good fit for me (although for some people he would) because "You didn't tell me you wanted it smoothed out Boss" or "That's the way it's done", or "That's all you paid for"--isn't what I'm looking for in a workman.

Compare the above pic to the one below, that has been completed in a "Neat and workmanlike manner".

Glen P. · Answer

Be trustworthy, open and honest. Follow all licenses and rules required with them.

I’ve turned people away because they wouldn’t agree to show me the receipts for The supplies when they wouldn’t let me buy them myself.

I feel as if any good handyman contractor would know how long each job would take as well. In addition knows when they can do the job based on the schedule. In suburban Nj, you’re looking at $75 per hour basically.

Luke Reninger · Answer

I do a lot of handyman stuff, if you want cheap they won’t last long. In Florida, a handyman can earn 400 plus a day.

I charge a lot but i don’t do crappy work, I make tenants happy, and I show up on time anytime of the day or night.

Landlords, What do you look for in a good Handyman? Pricing??

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