Free handyman estimate template

What goes in a handyman estimate?

Each task on its own line

Clients approve tasks one at a time. A lump sum for 'misc repairs' gets haggled over; a list gets approved, and the client can drop a line instead of walking away.

Trip charge or minimum

If you charge to show up, or have a minimum, put it on the estimate. It's the line clients argue with when it first appears on the invoice.

Who supplies the parts

Note when the client is buying the faucet, fan or light. It changes the price, and it settles who returns the wrong part.

Materials

Price materials per task or as one line, but say whether they're in the price. 'Plus materials' with no number is how a small job turns into a dispute.

What happens if more turns up

Rot behind the old caulk, a shut-off valve that won't close. One sentence saying you'll stop and price it before going on covers it.

Writing a handyman estimate that gets approved

• Group the tasks by room, in the order you'll do them. The estimate reads like a plan, and it's the order you'll work in on the day.
• Give a fixed price for tasks you've done many times. A fixed price for a faucet is easier to say yes to than an open hour count.
• Write tasks in the client's words: 'fix the back door that sticks', not 'adjust hinge'. The client finds their request on the list and approves faster.
• Send it the same day you walk the job, while the client still remembers you standing in their kitchen.

Questions

Should a handyman charge by the hour or by the job?

A handyman can charge either way, and many do both: a fixed price for tasks done many times, and an hourly rate for open-ended work like finding a leak. Whichever you use, put it on the estimate so the client knows what kind of number they're approving.

Is there a limit on how big a job a handyman can take?

In many states there is. Jobs over a set dollar amount, or work like electrical and plumbing, need a contractor's or trade license. The limits differ by state, so check yours before you quote a bigger job.

Should a trip charge be on the estimate?

A trip charge should be on the estimate as its own line, even if you waive it when the client books the work. A charge the client didn't see on the estimate is a surprise on the invoice.

When the job's done

Walk the finished work with a printable punch list before the invoice goes out.

• Home inspection repair punch list
• Rental turnover punch list