Win-Win Pricing and Scheduling

I’m a Professional

I want to be clear right up front that while some handymen have very low rates, maybe even offering a discount if paid in cash since they won’t be paying taxes, that’s not me. My business is completely above board. Uncle Sam gets his cut, and I set my prices high enough so I can deliver exceptional service, quality, and professionalism. If you’re looking for cheap labor, I respectfully ask that you please save us both some time and don’t contact me.

If you’re still interested, let me share how I overcome two major problems to create win-win pricing and scheduling so you get the most value working with me.

Two Problems

Because of the variety of jobs and the difficulty of predicting how long certain jobs will take, handyman pricing and scheduling have many inherent challenges and inefficiencies. Handymen and contractors often account for that uncertainty by padding their quotes.

For example, Paddy O’Contractor estimates a job will take 4 hours, but he quotes based on 8 just in case. If he finishes in 4, he’s happy, but Maggie McCustomer just paid twice as much for the job. If the job actually takes 10 hours, Maggie comes out ahead since she only paid for 8, but for those last couple hours, Paddy is probably rushing, wondering which steps he can skip, and committing himself not to letting this happen again. Not ideal either way.

So, some handymen choose to work hourly. This solves the quote padding problem but doesn’t address the other major problem common in the handyman business – inefficient scheduling.

Tim E. D’Hourly charges by the hour. Some days Tim works full days tool-in-hand – other days only a few hours, with significant gaps in between jobs. He has trouble letting Maggie know when he’s coming since the length of his jobs varies so much. Tim’s hourly rate needs to be high enough to compensate for his inefficient schedule, and Maggie, again, pays more than she probably should.

My Solution

There must be a better way! There is.

I solve both problems with what I call block pricing – so that I’m not padding quotes that one or the other of us are going to lose from, and so that I can keep an efficient schedule that allows me to work more hours tool-in-hand and keep my overall rates lower – providing you with more value.

Block pricing keeps things efficient and win-win. Here’s how it works.

I offer full day, half day, and two-hour-minimum blocks of my time to solve as many of your problems and provide as much stress-releaving, time-saving value to you as I possibly can.

Small Job = Two-Hour-Minimum

If you have a small job, I’ll probably just quote you my two-hour-minimum rate. There’s no trip charge or other gotcha fees. Of course, any materials used for your job are added to the final cost.

Medium or Multiple Jobs = Half Day

If I’m not sure I’ll finish in under two hours, I’ll probably recommend that you book me for a half day and find a couple other projects for me to do in case I finish the primary project quickly. I’m also happy to inspect your home and generate a list if you’d like. Refer to my Services page for more on the services I offer. Half days work great for honey-do or punch lists.

Large, Complex, and/or Multiple Jobs = Full Day(s)

If your project or list of tasks is more complex or has a high degree of uncertainty, I may recommend a full day or more to make sure I have time to finish. I estimate larger projects based on the number of days I think it will take me to complete. Again, having secondary tasks at the ready if needed is a good idea to ensure you get the most value from full day blocks.

Volume Discount

A full day block gives you my best rate per hour. Similarly a half day is a better deal per hour than my two hour minimum. The more of my day I can be tool-in-hand instead of driving around, the better rate I can offer. Again, I’m all about win-win, and providing the most value I can to you.

In Person Quotes/Estimates?

I hope you agree that block pricing is better for you and me than traditional quoting. There’s one more thing about the traditional quoting process that I try to avoid – in person quotes/estimates. Why? Well, all the time Paddy spends driving around quoting jobs is time without a tool in hand that will need to be compensated for in higher quotes or higher hourly rates. For large projects this may make sense, but for the small to medium sized jobs that I typically do, it’s usually not worth it.

Instead, I try to understand the job thoroughly over the phone, with pictures (or even FaceTime) if necessary, so that I can help you select the most appropriate block to schedule and understand the materials involved so I can come ready to work efficiently. If it’s really a you-have-to-see-it-in-person type job, I’ll schedule a block, show up ready to work, take a look when I get there, give you my best estimate for what it’s going to take, then you can decide if you want me to start.

Simple, Easy, and Convenient

With all the potential challenges and complexity of handyman pricing and scheduling, block pricing keeps it simple, easy, and convenient to hire and schedule my services. Often my clients keep an on-going list of projects for me, adding to it as things come up, and when the list is long enough, they call, text, or email to get on my schedule.