The Handyman's Business Starter Kit
USA (2026 Edition) — What's Inside
Most handymen think their biggest risk is doing the work wrong. It's not. It's the four legal and financial landmines they never see coming: EPA RRP lead paint (up to $37,500/day per violation), the state licensing patchwork, concealed conditions clauses, and the 1099 trap. The businesses that quietly disappear in year two usually don't fail at the work — they fail at these four things nobody mentions in the YouTube tutorials.
What's inside the 100+ page manual
This kit covers all four landmines — plus everything else you need to run the business, not just do the work.
- The pricing system — true hourly cost (your real number, not $50/hr), minimum service call floor ($125–$150), and the three pricing methods (flat-rate, T&M, project) that match handyman work. Price book pre-loaded with 50 flat-rate services
- EPA RRP from zero to certified — the pre-1978 + 6/20 sq ft trigger, firm registration (free), 8-hour hybrid certified renovator course (~$250, 5-year validity), lead-safe work practices, and the $75–$150 RRP add-on you should be charging
- Concealed Conditions clause — full verbatim contract language you can copy into your service agreement today, the red flags to note during walk-through, and the Change Order workflow for when you find rot behind the bath surround
- Licensing in your state — three-category system with state lists; CA AB 2622 $1,000 threshold, TN threshold updates, Arizona enforcement, and 2026 California WC mandate
- The 1099 / employee classification — the real IRS test, the ABC test states, California AB5, the safe subcontractor setup with W-9 + COI + agreement
- Getting customers without racing to the bottom — the property management account approach that produces $1,500–$5,000/month per account, Nextdoor as the highest-conversion local platform, Google reviews to the 3-pack
19 ready-to-use templates
- 7 Excel calculators — 50-service handyman price book, startup costs tracker, profit first allocator (55/25/15/5), 10-metric monthly P&L dashboard, lead pipeline tracker, breakeven projection, and monthly fixed costs tracker
- 12 Word documents — handyman service agreement with Concealed Conditions clause and EPA RRP disclosure, estimate, work order with pre-1978/RRP check, change order with concealed conditions checkbox, invoice, warranty certificate, LLC operating agreement, subcontractor agreement with 8-point 1099 qualification check, phone intake checklist, site assessment with RRP triggers, 15-point QC checklist, and 3-message customer follow-up sequence
Preview — pages from the kit
Cover & title page
Table of contents — 20 chapters
Chapter sample — EPA RRP guide
Price book — 50 flat-rate services
Full kit contents overview
Who this is for
- Handymen going independent
- Experienced trades workers moving into a multi-trade handyman model
- Owners doing it informally who want a real system
- Anyone working in pre-1978 housing markets who needs to understand RRP before the EPA does
Not for: specialty trades who only do one thing (we have separate kits for plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and roofing), or non-US markets.
Choose your tier
Instant download · PDF + Word + Excel · Refund within 14 days if not satisfied