Handyman contract template — task lists and the licence limit
Handyman work is several small jobs under one agreement, and in most states there is a dollar limit on what unlicensed work is allowed. Here is what the contract has to settle.
This is a checklist of what a handyman contract has to settle — not a ready-to-sign legal document, and not legal advice. Most states regulate home improvement contracts: required disclosures, cancellation windows, deposit limits and licence display all vary, and some trades carry extra rules. Adapt this, then have a lawyer in your state review it before you put it in front of a customer.
Download as a spreadsheet to work through, or print it to sit alongside your own agreement.
What a handyman contract has to settle
A handyman contract has two jobs: list the tasks separately so none of them is ambiguous, and stay inside the legal limit. Most states cap the value of home improvement work that can be performed without a contractor's licence, and some cap it per job rather than per visit — a contract that bundles five tasks can cross the line without anyone intending to. Beyond that it is mostly about rate mechanics: the hourly rate, the minimum, the rounding increment, and how materials are charged.
Clauses it needs
- Parties, property address, and licence number or the exemption relied on
- Each task listed separately, with its own scope and its own price or estimate
- Hourly rate, minimum charge, and the rounding increment used
- Materials: at cost or with a stated markup, with receipts provided
- Trip or pickup time, if charged, and how it is calculated
- The state licence threshold, and confirmation the work stays within it
- Work explicitly out of scope — anything needing a licensed trade
- Scope changes during the visit: how a new task gets added and priced
- Payment terms, and whether payment is per visit or per task
- Warranty on workmanship, and what happens if a repair does not hold
What handyman contracts actually get argued over
- Tasks added verbally through the day, then all disputed at once
- Work that crossed into licensed territory without either side noticing
- Minimum charge applied to a short job that was never explained upfront
- Materials bought at retail without receipts, read as padding
The estimate this contract is built on
A contract can only be as clear as the scope it references. BidWand drafts the itemised estimate — labour, materials, exclusions and assumptions — that the scope and exclusions clauses point at.
Draft the handyman estimate this contract references
This generates the estimate, not the contract — describe the job and you get the itemised scope to attach. No email needed to see the first one.
What you get — see the format first
A complete estimate you can send to the customer, built from the rate you enter:
| Description | Qty | Unit | Unit price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor — itemized by task | hrs | hour | your rate | — |
| Materials — with your markup applied | qty | ea / sq ft | cost + markup | — |
| Permits, disposal, access | — | — | — | — |
Plus a plain-English scope summary, assumptions (what had to be guessed), exclusions (what you are not doing — the section that prevents most change-order arguments), and a validity period. Printable, or send the link.
Every figure comes from the rate and markup you supply. We never fill in a market price for you.
Related guides
How much to charge
handyman work · gutter cleaning · gutter installation · water heater replacement · popcorn ceiling removal
Estimate templates by trade
handyman · tree service · pressure washing · junk removal · siding · masonry · excavation · asphalt paving
How to estimate
How to write a contractor estimate · Estimate vs quote vs bid — and which one you should send · What to include in a contractor estimate · How to price a job as a contractor · Should you charge for estimates? · How to follow up on an estimate · How to handle change orders · Estimate vs invoice: what's the difference? · How to raise your prices as a contractor