- Know your legal scope: general repairs yes; regulated gas and most electrical work requires licensed trades
- Register your business with BC Registries
- File your municipal business licence
- Get liability insurance — it's what lets you work in nice homes
- Price by the hour or half-day, with a minimum call-out
- Build a brand and website with online booking for small jobs
- Win repeat clients: the whole model is the callback list
Handyman work is the highest-leverage start for anyone who's already handy: near-zero equipment cost, instant demand, and a client base — homeowners, landlords, realtors, small offices — that generates repeat work forever. One good landlord relationship can mean steady jobs for years.
The trade-off is trust. You're an unknown person with a drill asking to be let into someone's home. Nothing converts that skepticism faster than a real business: a name, a website, reviews, insurance, and a booking link instead of phone tag. Handymen with those things charge $75–$110/hr in this market. Handymen without them compete on Craigslist at $40.
What it costs to start
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| BC business registration | ~$40–$380 |
| Municipal business licence | $100–$250/yr |
| Liability insurance | $600–$1,200/yr |
| Tool gaps & consumables | $500–$2,000 |
| Vehicle organization / signage | $100–$500 |
| Branding, website & booking | $0 DIY – $3,000+ agency |
| Realistic lean total | $1,500–$4,000 |
Assumes you already own core tools. The biggest 'cost' is usually weeks of unbilled time spent figuring out setup — which is exactly what a done-for-you launch removes.
What you can earn
Established handymen in Metro Vancouver commonly bill $75–$110 per hour or set half-day ($300–$450) and full-day rates, with a minimum call-out (often $120–$180) protecting small jobs. Five billed hours a day at $85 is over $8,000 a month in revenue. The ceiling comes from repeat clients — landlords, realtors, property managers — who stop shopping around once they trust you.
True Cost of Launching Calculator
Before you quote your first job, work out what launching actually costs you — then price so the work covers it. Real 2026 Canadian rates, every source listed.
Run the numbers →Licensing & requirements in BC
Here's the part every new handyman must get right: general repairs, assembly, mounting, doors, decks, fences, painting, drywall patching, and most home maintenance are fair game without a trade ticket in BC. But regulated work is off-limits — gas work requires a licensed gas fitter, and most electrical and plumbing beyond basic like-for-like fixture swaps falls under provincial safety regulation (Technical Safety BC) and municipal permit rules. The successful play: do the unregulated 90%, and build referral relationships with licensed trades for the rest. It makes you more valuable, not less.
Let's name it
“Am I even allowed to charge for this without a ticket?” Yes — for the broad category of general repairs and maintenance, no certification is required in BC. Knowing exactly where the line sits (and saying so on your website) is itself a trust signal that wins careful clients.
Talk it through on a free callThe 7 steps, properly
01Define your scope in writing
List what you do (repairs, assembly, mounting, fences, drywall, painting, fixtures) and what you refer out (gas, panel electrical, major plumbing). Publishing this makes you look professional and keeps you clearly onside of regulation.
02Register and licence
Sole proprietorship (~$40) plus your municipal business licence. Handymen who serve multiple cities should look at the Inter-municipal Business Licence.
03Get insured
Liability insurance ($600–$1,200/yr typical) is the difference between working in $2M homes and not. Many strata and property managers require a certificate before you touch anything.
04Set rate structure with a minimum
Hourly ($75–$110), half-day, and full-day rates, with a minimum call-out. The minimum is what makes small jobs profitable instead of charity.
05Brand for trust
A solid name, a clean logo, a website with your face, your scope, and your reviews. For a trade built on being let into homes, the about page is a sales page.
06Make booking effortless
Online booking for standard small jobs and a quote form for bigger ones. Every hour of phone tag you eliminate is an hour you bill.
07Farm the callback list
Follow up after every job, ask for the review, and stay in front of landlords and realtors. A handyman business is a list of people who call you first.
The shortcut: launched in about 10 business days
Everything above is doable yourself over a couple of months of evenings. Or you hand us the details on one 30-minute call and we build all of it — registration, licence filing, brand, website, online booking, payments, accounting setup, Google Business Profile, socials, and your service agreement — in about 10 business days, with 30 days of support after handoff. Most handymen fit Starter ($997) perfectly — registered, licensed, branded, bookable, with the service agreement and waiver that protect you in other people's homes. Serving several cities or targeting property managers? Launch ($1,997) adds the local pages and credibility kit.
Handyman business FAQ
Do I need a licence to be a handyman in BC?
No trade certification is required for general repairs and maintenance in BC. You do need a registered business and municipal business licence, and you must stay clear of regulated work — gas, and most electrical and plumbing — which requires licensed trades. We prepare and file your registrations; approvals rest with the authorities.
What can't a handyman legally do in BC?
Gas work of any kind requires a licensed gas fitter, and most electrical and plumbing work beyond simple like-for-like fixture swaps is regulated and may require permits and licensed trades. When in doubt, refer it out — a referral network of licensed trades makes you more bookable, not less.
How much should a handyman charge in Vancouver?
Established operators commonly charge $75–$110/hr with a minimum call-out of $120–$180. Underpricing signals risk to good clients; a professional brand is what lets you charge market rates from day one.
How do I get handyman clients fast?
Google Business Profile plus online booking captures the “handyman near me” searches; landlords, realtors, and property managers provide repeat volume. Ask for a review after every single job — ten reviews in, your close rate jumps.
Should I incorporate?
Most start as sole proprietors and incorporate later. If you're doing higher-risk work or building toward a crew, incorporation's liability protection matters sooner — it's included in our Launch package, and we'll help you think it through.
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