Handyman estimate app — 5 jobs/year free, then $19/mo
Free phone app to write a handyman estimate in the driveway and turn it into an invoice. Not Jobber money. 5 jobs/year free, no card. $19/mo flat. No payment cut. Measure → estimate → approve → get paid.
Three floating shelves on a plaster wall. The estimate is below, line by line.
A punch list, priced line by line
Handyman work arrives as a list: mount the TV, fix the door, patch the hole the last guy left. Price each one as its own line and the customer sees a number per task. Mark a line optional and they can check it on or off when they approve; the total moves as they choose.
| Task | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Furniture assembly | $90 |
| Drywall patch | $110 |
| TV mount | $120 |
| Door or lock fix | $130 |
| General repair | $140 |
| Shelving install | $160 |
| Everything else, by the hour | $75/hr |
The $75 an hour is the handyman row of our 2026 Side-Work Rate Report. Handyman tickets are mostly time: the same row puts labor at about 75% of the ticket.
A TV mount, estimated at $120
A 65-inch TV, mounted into studs on a drywall wall. The customer bought the mount. Cords go in a paintable raceway.
| Find studs, mount, level and secure the TV (hrs) | 1.2 × $75 | $90 |
| Cord raceway kit | $18 | |
| Lag bolts and washers | $12 | |
| Total the customer approves | $120 | |
| Materials cost (you), private | −$13 | |
| Est. profit | $107 |
Ninety dollars of this is your time. It’s a good first job for a new customer: an hour and change, a clean result, and they now have your number for the rest of the list.
The minimum and the drive
A ten-minute fix still costs you the trip. That’s what a one- or two-hour minimum or a flat trip fee is for.
- A minimum is set once per trade in Shop. When a job comes in under it, one tap adds a Shop minimum line for the difference.
- The drive is its own charge. Tap Charge for the drive, type the miles and what you get per mile, and the customer sees the trip as a line.
- Your miles go in their own private field on the job, whether or not you charge for the drive. They never show on the customer’s documents, and they add up in Money → Tax wrap-up.
Handyman
The door that sticks, the shelf that sags, the list on the fridge.
Know what Saturday is worth.
They approve the lines they want before you load the truck.
Shelving, estimated at $160
Three 36-inch floating shelves on a plaster wall. The customer supplies the shelves; the wall decides the anchors.
| Lay out, anchor and hang three shelves (hrs) | 1.8 × $75 | $135 |
| Toggle anchors and structural screws | $14 | |
| Patch compound and touch-up paint | $11 | |
| Total the customer approves | $160 | |
| Materials cost (you), private | −$15 | |
| Est. profit | $145 |
Plaster takes longer than drywall and the anchors cost more. Both belong on the estimate, in writing, before you drill.
Where handyman work stops and a license starts
Without a contractor’s license, handyman work generally means small, casual jobs: the total, labor and materials together, stays under your state’s minor-work limit, and the job needs no building permit. The limit varies by state, some states require a license or registration at any amount, and in several the exemption ends once you advertise as a contractor.
- Electrical, plumbing, gas, HVAC and structural work are a separate question. Most states license electricians and plumbers, and some keep these trades out of the small-job exemption whatever the price. Check before you take one on.
- Splitting one project across several estimates or invoices doesn’t get it under the limit.
- Houses built before 1978 may fall under the EPA’s lead-safe renovation rules when you disturb paint.
When a job total gets big enough that a license may be required and there’s no license number on your profile, the app shows a caution on the job before you send it. The app uses one amount for every state, so your own state’s limit may be lower or higher. It never blocks you. It tells you the rule and leaves the call with you.
What the small stuff costs
Materials on a handyman job are anchors, screws, caulk and a quart of paint. Bill them at what you paid plus your markup. These are the app’s starting figures:
| Task | Materials billed | You pay about |
|---|---|---|
| Drywall patch | $15 | $9 |
| Shelving install | $25 | $15 |
| Door or lock fix | $35 | $21 |
Price a job from your hours, your rate and the materials
$19 a month, or $190 for the year. Five jobs a rolling year are free, and you never enter a card to start. SideWRK takes no cut of what you’re paid.
Start freeWhen a small job gets complicated
Can the customer approve only part of the list?
Yes. Mark lines optional and the customer checks them on or off on the approval page. The total updates as they choose, and what they approved is logged.
How do I charge a minimum?
Two ways. Set a minimum for handyman work in Shop, and a job that comes in under it offers an Add shop minimum line for the difference. Or type it yourself as a line, for example a two-hour minimum at your hourly rate.
Can I bill materials for what I paid?
Yes. Each material line has the price the customer sees and a private cost only you see. Set them equal to pass materials through at cost.
What if a small job turns into one that needs a permit?
The printed estimate carries a notice that, where no license number is shown, the work is offered as small jobs that don’t require a building permit, and that electrical, plumbing, gas, HVAC and structural work generally require a licensed contractor. SideWRK doesn’t decide whether your job needs a permit; your building department does.