How I Work

🛠️ How My Handyman Service Works

My aim is simple: keep things professional, organised and straightforward from your first enquiry right through to the job being done.

This page covers how I assess jobs, how I work out the right pricing method, how I handle changes along the way, and what to expect around access, payment and the work area.

I'm fully insured, and I take care with the work, your home and keeping you informed.

Bookings are subject to my Terms and Conditions.

💬 Getting Started — Your Enquiry

Get in touch through the online contact form or give me a call.

• Contact form: Usually the best way to go — send through the job details and a few photos and I'll take it from there.
• Phone: You'll find the number on the Contact page. I'm often on-site or driving, so I might not pick up straight away.

A few good photos go a long way — a close-up of the problem, a wider shot of the area, and any labels, parts or model numbers if there are any.

Just a heads-up: response times can stretch out a bit during busy periods or when I'm flat out on a job.

💲 How Pricing Works

Every job's different, so I pick whichever pricing method suits it best — depending on the work itself, the risk involved, and how clearly I can pin down the scope before booking.

There are three main ways I price a job: by the hour, a fixed-price quote, or service-tier pricing for certain jobs.

1. Hourly Rate Jobs

I generally use hourly pricing for smaller jobs, a few small tasks knocked out in one visit, or anything I can't fully scope until I've had a proper look.

• Materials, parts, parking, disposal and other job costs are charged separately unless I've said otherwise.
• Extra labour is billed at the current hourly rate, in 15-minute increments.
• What it comes to depends on how long the job takes and any extra work or materials you approve on the day.

2. Fixed-Price Quotes

When the scope's clear enough to price properly upfront, I'll give you a fixed-price quote instead.

• The written quote spells out exactly what's included, what's not, and the price.
• That price covers the agreed scope — nothing more.
• If you change your mind on something, or I find hidden damage or extra work once I'm in there, that'll need a variation or an additional charge.
• Worth reading the quote alongside my Terms and Conditions.

📊 Estimates and Service Tiers

For some jobs, I use service tiers instead. Sliding doors are the best example — the cost really comes down to the door type, roller system, track condition, risk, access, panel size and whether the right parts are available.

A service tier gives you a solid starting point for the likely labour. It's not a fixed quote covering every possible issue, unless I've confirmed that in writing.

Sliding-Door Service Tier Examples

• Service call and minor adjustment: A look at the door, minor adjustment, lubrication and basic realignment where possible.
• Standard roller replacement: For standard residential sliding doors where compatible rollers are on hand — usually done in one visit.
• Special-order roller replacement: For uncommon or obsolete rollers that need identifying and ordering before I come back to fit them.

A few other things can affect how a sliding door performs too — worn tracks, a damaged sill, frame or slab movement, an out-of-square opening, damaged guides, heavy panels, or the condition of the glass and surrounding structure.

🔁 Changes and Variations

If I come across hidden damage, the site conditions change, or extra work turns up once I'm in there, I'll explain what that means for the scope, price or time before going ahead.

🏡 Preparing for the Job

A clear, safe work area just makes everything run smoother.

• Access: Please make sure I've got safe, clear access to the work area.
• Pets: Keep pets away from the work area and anywhere I need to get the van in and out.
• Personal items: Move fragile, valuable or personal items out of the immediate work area before I arrive.
• Large items: I can sometimes help with larger items too — just flag it before booking so we can talk through what's involved.
• Parking: Let me know ahead of time if parking's restricted, metered, permit-only, height-limited or just plain tricky.

🅿️ Parking and Job-Related Costs

Metered or paid parking, and any other necessary parking costs, may get added to the invoice unless they're already built into the price.

If there's visitor parking, a permit, loading access or some other arrangement available, let me know in advance.

My van's a long-wheelbase, about 2.1 metres high, so it needs suitable access and clearance.

🧹 Cleaning the Work Area

I take reasonable care to protect the work area and keep dust and mess to a minimum.

I'll clear away the larger debris and give the immediate area a general tidy-up. A full deep clean of the room or house isn't included unless we've agreed on that beforehand.

💳 Payment

Payment's due when the job's done, unless we've agreed on something different in writing.

I take EFT, cash or card. A card surcharge of up to 1.7% may apply — I'll always tell you upfront, and it'll never be more than what it actually costs me to accept the payment.

You'll get a tax invoice sent through electronically, and everything's kept on record through my accounting system.

📅 Cancellations and Rescheduling

If you need to cancel or reschedule, the more notice you can give me, the better.

A reasonable cancellation fee may apply if a confirmed booking's cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice — especially if I've already set time aside or incurred costs for the job. Full details are in the Terms and Conditions.

👥 Rentals and Third-Party Bookings

Before I accept a booking, I need to know exactly who's authorising the work and who's responsible for paying for it.

🏠 Non-Resident Property Owners

If you own the property but don't live there, I may ask for reasonable proof of your identity, current address and authority to approve the work.

🤝 Property Managers, Family Members and Other Third Parties

If you're booking on someone else's behalf, you'll need the authority to approve the work and give me what I need to sort out access and payment.

Unless we've agreed something different in writing, whoever confirms the booking is responsible for the charges.