The "around" number
The most common way handyman pricing breaks down is the "around" number. You describe the job over the phone, the contractor says "yeah that should run you around four hundred dollars," and you book on that. Then on job day they're at your house for six hours instead of three, materials cost more than expected, and the invoice comes in at $620.
Sometimes the contractor is genuinely surprised by the scope. Sometimes the original number was a sales pitch and the real number was always going to be higher. From the customer's side, you can't tell the difference, and you're stuck with the bigger bill.
What a written estimate actually contains
A real written estimate has at least these parts:
- Scope boundaries — what's in scope and what isn't, in plain language. If the wall is being patched but not painted, that's spelled out.
- A total, in writing, before any work starts.
- How scope changes are handled — what happens if the wall comes open and there's something nobody expected.
Why we send written estimates
Three reasons. First, it forces us to actually think through the scope before we commit. A verbal quote can be a guess; a written estimate has to add up. The estimate process is part of how we don't end up with a job we mispriced.
Second, it gives you something to compare against if you're getting estimates from multiple shops. Different contractors will have different scopes and different material specs. Verbal quotes are unbatchable; written estimates side-by-side let you see what's actually different.
Third, it's how we keep the relationship clean. The written estimate keeps both sides honest.
Questions to ask any handyman before booking
If you're hiring a handyman in College Station, Georgetown, Weatherford or anywhere else, these four questions will tell you a lot:
- "Will I get a written estimate before any work starts?" If the answer is "yes" — good. If it's "well, we usually just give a verbal" — keep looking.
- "What happens if you find something you didn't expect mid-job?" The right answer is "we stop and call you, you decide whether to continue." The wrong answer is "we just keep going and add it to the bill."
- "What materials are you using? Brand and product?" If they can name the paint line or the trim profile or the fixture model, they've thought about it. If they can't, ask why.
- "Does any part of this job need a licensed trade?" Texas has no small-job exception: anything that requires a licensed electrician or a licensed plumber requires one at any size. We don't do electrical, plumbing or locksmith work. We work alongside licensed electricians and plumbers and bring the right one in when your job needs it. A shop that can't tell you where its own scope ends is telling you something.
When verbal pricing is fine
Two cases where a verbal price is reasonable. First, any rate we publish — if a figure is already on our pricing page, quoting it on a call is the same as quoting it in writing. Second, very small repairs (a sticking door, a small drywall patch) where the whole job lands at a single predictable figure anyway.
Anything else, ask for it in writing. Any handyman shop with their act together will give it to you without complaint.