For a 30-minute TV mount, an approved estimate and an invoice may be all the paperwork you need. For a two-day project, or ongoing work for a landlord, a short written agreement protects both you and the customer. It answers the questions that cause arguments later, before anyone is upset. Use this checklist to build your own.
This is a planning checklist, not legal advice. Home improvement contract rules, required disclosures and cancellation rights vary by state, and some states require specific language for certain jobs. Have a local attorney or your state’s small business resources review your final agreement.
When you need more than an estimate
- Jobs that take more than a day or involve a deposit
- Jobs where you buy significant materials up front
- Ongoing work for landlords, property managers or businesses
- Anything where the scope is likely to change once you start
Many handymen simply add an agreement section to their estimate, so one document does both jobs.
The checklist
1. Who and where
Your business name and contact details, any license or registration number your area requires you to show, the customer’s name, and the job address. For rentals, note who is authorized to approve work and pay: tenant, owner or manager.
2. Scope of work
Each task listed clearly, ideally copied from your estimate. Be specific about locations, quantities and finishes. “Install customer-supplied light fixture in dining room” is better than “electrical work.”
3. What is excluded
Work you are not doing, including anything that needs a licensed trade or a permit you will not pull. This protects you if a customer later assumes you were responsible for something nearby.
4. Materials
- Who supplies what
- Whether material prices are estimates or fixed
- How customer-supplied items are handled if they turn out damaged, incomplete or unsuitable
- What happens to leftover materials
5. Price and payment
The total or the hourly rate, any deposit, when the balance is due and accepted payment methods. Some states limit how large a deposit can be on home improvement work, so check before you set yours. Our handyman rates guide covers hourly versus per-task pricing.
6. Changes and surprises
How changes are handled: you stop, explain, give a price and get written approval, even by text, before continuing. Add how hidden conditions like rot, mold, old wiring or pests will be handled, and that some may need to be referred to a licensed professional.
7. Schedule and access
- Expected start date and rough duration
- Working hours
- Access, keys, parking, pets, and use of power and water
- What happens with delays caused by weather, back-ordered materials or access problems
8. Permits
Whether any permits are needed and who is responsible for getting them. If a job needs a permit that you cannot or will not pull, that is often a sign it belongs with a licensed contractor. Our guide on handyman licensing explains how to check your local limits.
9. Cleanup and disposal
What cleanup is included, and whether you haul away old fixtures, packaging or debris, or leave them for the customer.
10. Workmanship guarantee
Many handymen offer a limited guarantee on their own workmanship for a set period, separate from any manufacturer warranty on products. Spell out what it covers, how long it lasts, and what it does not cover, such as customer-supplied parts or later damage. Some states have implied warranty rules for home repair, so check yours.
11. Damage and insurance
How customers report damage and within what time. Mention your liability insurance if you have it, and ask your insurer what they recommend the agreement say.
12. Cancellation
How much notice is needed to cancel or reschedule, and what happens with materials already purchased. Note that some contracts signed in the customer’s home may come with a legal right to cancel within a few days, and certain disclosures may be required. Check federal and state rules that apply to you.
13. Photos
Permission to take before-and-after photos for your records, and separately for marketing. Taking your own before photos also protects you if pre-existing damage is later disputed.
14. Signatures
Signatures from both sides, or a recorded online approval, with the date. Keep a copy with the invoice.
For landlords and property managers
If you do regular work for the same property owner, consider a simple ongoing agreement: your rates, a spending limit you can approve without calling, how tenants are notified, how keys are handled, and how invoices are sent. Then each job only needs a short work order.
Get templates with the starter kit
Our handyman starter kit includes quote and invoice templates, a job request form with photo upload and a guide to licensing limits. We build it once 25 people vote for it, and voters get 20% off at launch. Vote for the handyman kit.
This is general information, not legal advice. Contract, licensing, deposit and cancellation rules vary by state and city. Have your agreement reviewed by a local attorney or small business development center.
Leave a Reply