- Register as a sole proprietor or incorporate with BC Registries (~$40–$380)
- File your Burnaby business licence (~$100+/yr)
- Get general liability insurance
- Set your rates ($60–$95/hr, with half-day minimums common)
- Build a brand, website, and online booking
- Set up card payments and simple bookkeeping
- Launch a Google Business Profile focused on Burnaby
The handyman business that wins in Burnaby is built around the city itself. Here's the local picture. Burnaby's mid-century housing stock below the towers is aging on schedule — fences, decks, doors, drywall — while thousands of new condo owners upstairs need mounting, assembly, and small fixes that stratas won't touch.
Why Burnaby specifically
Where the work is: Pick up aging-home exterior work (fences, gates, deck boards) in the Heights each spring with a simple postcard drop. Neighbourhoods like Brentwood, Metrotown, Burnaby Heights each have their own client base — your Google Business Profile and local pages should name them.
The Burnaby startup budget
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| BC business registration (sole prop) | ~$40 |
| Name request fee | ~$30 |
| Burnaby business licence | ~$100+/yr |
| General liability insurance | $500–$1,200/yr |
| Equipment & supplies | $1,000–$3,000 (tools, van shelving, consumables) |
| Branding, website & booking setup | $0 DIY – $3,000+ agency |
Government fees change — confirm current amounts with BC Registries and the City of Burnaby. Burnaby issues home-occupation licences for service businesses; if you also work regularly in Vancouver or Surrey, the Metro West inter-municipal licence ($300/yr) can replace buying separate city licences.
What the money looks like
Around Metro Vancouver, $60–$95/hr, with half-day minimums common is the going range. Keep the calendar full and $5,000–$9,000+ per month solo is achievable solo — though your niche, service area, and how professional you look all move the number. No certification for general handyman work in BC; leave gas, and most electrical/plumbing alterations, to licensed trades.
Let's name it
Before the tactics, the mindset blocker worth naming out loud. “What if I take on a job that's beyond me, or something I fix fails later?” A clear written scope, a workmanship note, a liability waiver, and insurance draw the line — all included in every Prontco launch.
Talk it through on a free callTrue Cost of Launching Calculator
Before you quote your first job in Burnaby, work out what launching actually costs you — then price so the work covers it. Real 2026 Canadian rates, every source listed.
Run the numbers →Your first clients in Burnaby — the handyman playbook
- Flyer the parcel rooms of new Brentwood towers with a 'moving-in list' offer — TV mounting, shelving, assembly bundles.
- Introduce yourself to Burnaby property managers handling rental turnovers; between-tenant repair lists are steady contract work.
- Pick up aging-home exterior work (fences, gates, deck boards) in the Heights each spring with a simple postcard drop.
The shortcut
None of this requires Prontco — it just requires weeks you may not have. We compress it into about 10 business days: registration, the Burnaby licence, a real brand, a booked-ready website, payments, and accounting — plus 30 days of hands-on support after launch. From $997. Every account is yours.
Related guides
How to start a handyman business in BC · How to start a business in Burnaby · The complete BC startup guide · Free calculators & checklists