Find Handyman Services in the UK

A handyman is a versatile professional who can handle a variety of small repair, maintenance, and installation tasks around the home. They can tackle jobs like painting, furniture assembly, plumbing repairs, and minor electrical work. They’re generally known as jacks-of-all-trades, and are able to help with many issues, including:

• Painting and wall repairs

• Furniture assembly

• Minor plumbing repairs

• Minor electrical work

• Tile and grout repairs

• Hanging blinds

• Minor carpentry work

• Gutter cleaning

• Door repairs and installation

• Outdoor maintenance

Naturally, this isn't a comprehensive list. Whether you need help fixing holes in walls, with interior painting, or even changing your bathroom fittings, there's a good chance a handyman can step in.

Handymen can be both men and women, but the phrase ‘handyman’ has become a common term for someone who can handle a wide array of repair and maintenance tasks in domestic settings.

Since many handyman services can take on anything from installing light fittings to rendering your walls, it's always worth knowing a reliable professional. If you’re looking to hire a handyman (or woman!), you can find highly rated professionals on Yell.

Depending on where you’re located, expect to pay between £15 and £50 per hour for a handyman. These are average costs, since many handyman costs vary depending on the complexity and duration of the work. You may, for example, be charged more for electrical work than gutter cleaning.

Handymen do usually charge an hourly rate or a flat fee for specific services, so it should be relatively simple to compare quotes between local handymen. Try to find a balance between experience and good value for money.

Most handymen accept various forms of payment, including cash, cheques, or online payments. It’s common to pay in full once the job is completed to your satisfaction, though some may request a deposit for larger projects.

Always ask about payment terms upfront. You should know how much you’re going to have to pay, detailed payment terms – including payment structure – and any other associated terms and conditions. Get this information early and eliminate any handyman services who can’t supply these details.

Yes, almost all handymen bring their own tools for the job, but the materials required for repairs or installations might need to be provided by the homeowner. For example, you might need to supply paint, or the doors you want hung in your home.

You can avoid disappointment and any misunderstandings by clarifying this before hiring a handyman. In fact, since the cost of materials has a significant impact on the total cost of the work, this should be something you’re asking about when taking quotes from several local handymen.

Handymen can often take on minor plumbing and electrical tasks, such as fixing leaky taps, installing light fixtures, or replacing outlets. These tasks are often too difficult, dangerous, or frustrating for DIYers, but naturally fall within the remit of handyman services.

For more complex plumbing or electrical issues, it’s recommended to hire a licensed plumber or electrician. They’ll charge higher prices than a handyman, but only these professionals have the experience, training, and certification needed to do the job to the necessary standard.

You can build a shortlist of highly rated handymen by searching through profiles and reading reviews on Yell. Look for high ratings, detailed reviews, and feedback on their professionalism and quality of work. Once you have a shortlist, make sure to ask them these questions before hiring anyone.

• What type of work can you do?

One of your local handyman services might have hundreds of 5-star reviews, but if they only do carpentry work and you need plumbing repairs, that doesn’t hold any real value. Start by making sure they know how to do the task you need completed – this is the most basic requirement.

Beyond that, you need to understand how much experience they have in that type of work. A handyman might have done some plumbing before, but to make sure you’re getting a great outcome, perhaps you’ll want to hire a professional with tons of experience in plumbing – not just a little.

• What do you charge and what are exact your payment terms?

Getting prices from handymen is a good start. It allows you to weed out the professionals you can’t afford. But you need to get into the details to really tell whether you’re getting a good deal or not. Ask for a breakdown of what’s included in their price, including material and labour costs, plus additional fees – like short notice or cancellation charges. You also need to know their accepted payment methods.

Make sure you get everything in writing, since this gives you something concrete to point to if there are any disputes or disagreements later on. By taking this approach, you’re making sure you fully understand the value you’re receiving, not just the total amount you’re paying.

• Do you provide any warranties or guarantees on your work?

You can do everything possible to hire a reliable professional and, unfortunately, things can still go wrong. You can make sure you’re financially protected in the event of shoddy workmanship or accidental damage by asking whether handymen provide warranties or guarantees on their work before hiring them.

Most reputable handyman services are willing to stand behind their work in this way. If the handyman you’re talking to isn’t willing to provide any guarantees or warranties, it’s a sign that they are behaving dishonestly, or that they don’t have confidence in the quality of their work. Either way, it’s best to find a more trustworthy professional.

• Do you have insurance in case something goes wrong with the work?

Generally, handymen should be covered by public liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance. This kind of insurance coverage helps protect both you and the handyman in case something goes wrong either during or after the work.

If you’re talking to a handyman and they reveal they are not covered by insurance – or they aren’t willing to say whether or not they have insurance – this is shaky territory and you’re better off choosing another professional. This is a situation where you should hope for the best and plan for the worst.

• How long will the work take to complete, and how soon can you come?

It’s always good to know how long a task is going to take a handyman to complete. This is especially true if you have a long list of small tasks for your handyman, as many people do. While minor work doesn’t usually take long for a professional, a daunting list of tasks could stretch into days or even weeks.

You’ll want to know how long the tasks will take, but also how soon the handyman can come to your home and get started. If they don’t give you a concrete day when they’ll visit your property, they might be prioritising other projects elsewhere instead of you. In cases like these, it’s best to find another handyman service.

• Do you provide a written contract?

Getting payment terms and job expectations down in a written quote is valuable, but having a written contract holds even more weight. This ties the handyman to the project, and can be called upon to settle disputes, should they arise during or after the work is completed.

Many handymen are willing to provide written contracts, but that isn’t always the case. If you’re dealing with someone who is unwilling to offer a written contract, you might consider another professional. Of course, if you’re only hiring them briefly, for a small job, you might feel a written contract isn’t necessary.

Having a disagreement with a handyman? Read TrustMark's guide on what to do if a project goes wrong now.

• Do you have any references or photos of your previous work?

Online reviews are valuable and worth reading, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for references. Experienced handymen can usually offer several references to prove their competence. If they don’t have any references, they’re either inexperienced and just starting out, or someone that doesn’t provide high-quality work.

You could also ask for photos of work they’ve completed previously. Naturally, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting photos of work relevant to the task you’re giving them. Again, professionals should be able to show evidence of their abilities, and a lack of photos could suggest inferior workmanship or a lack of experience.

In general, handymen typically do not need a specific licence to perform most general home maintenance tasks. That would include tasks like furniture assembly, hanging doors, fitting shelves, and other small jobs of that type.

Yet, there are some tasks where certifications for specialized skills, like electrical work or plumbing, might be required. For certain types of more substantial electrical work, for example, safety regulations demand that only qualified electricians can perform the work. In cases like these, you should only consider hiring a specialist electrician rather than a generalist handyman.

While you can’t always tell if a handyman has experience through certification, you can check whether they belong to any trade associations. In the UK, a handyman might belong to the Association of Certified Handyman Professionals (ACHP). Alternatively, they might have been checked by TrustMark, the only UK Government Endorsed Quality Scheme. You can find out whether they belong to these organisations by checking their registers directly.

Many professional handymen offer warranties or guarantees on their work, giving you peace of mind in case any issues arise after the job is completed. After all, it’s entirely possible that something could go wrong, even if you hire a reliable handyman with a proven track record.

Always ask about their policy on warranties before hiring. If you hire a professional without checking whether they provide guarantees or warranties, you could be out of luck – or forced to go through expensive legal proceedings, for damages – if things go wrong.

Yes, most handymen offer free quotes or estimates after assessing the scope of the job. Gathering detailed quotes from several services helps you compare costs between different professionals and understand what’s included in the pricing – and the value for money you’re likely to get.

On Yell, you can contact handyman services to ask for quotes, or you post a free enquiry and let them contact you. The more details you include in your enquiry, the more easily the handymen can assess the work and give an accurate quote for you to consider.

The time needed to finish the work depends on the nature and complexity of the task. Small jobs like furniture assembly or hanging shelves might take a couple of hours, while more extensive tasks like painting or plasterboarding a ceiling could take a few days. For a longer list of tasks, you could be looking at weeks.

No two handyman services will take the exact same length of time. It’s best to ask how long tasks are likely to take when taking quotes from interested handymen. This way, you can not only compare costs, but also how much time the work will take, and how it’ll impact your life.

A handyman usually handles small, less complex tasks and repairs in and around the home. Builders and contractors generally take on larger, more complex projects that could involve planning permission or permits, multiple trades, and detailed planning.

If you’re planning on embarking on a more substantial home improvement project, the likelihood is that you’ll need to hire a builder for the work. If you’re unsure where your project falls in this spectrum, you can speak to both handymen and builders to learn whether they can help you.

While it’s not always necessary, it’s generally a good idea to be present, especially if it’s the first time you’re hiring them. This allows you to answer any questions, make decisions on the spot, and make sure the work meets your expectations. You might also feel more comfortable being present rather than having a relative stranger in your home without anyone there.

Of course, being home is not usually a requirement. If you’ve hired a handyman several times and they’ve proven they’re trustworthy and reliable, you could consider leaving them alone in your home. As always, it’s better to err on the side of caution in these situations.

Yes, many handymen offer exterior services, such as fixing fence panels, cleaning gutters, power washing, or repairing decks and patios. This is really handy for homeowners, since it means they can hire just one professional to take care of most of their indoor and outdoor tasks.

Obviously, you’ll find some handymen only provide service for work in home interiors. Like with indoor tasks, you should always check if the handyman has experience with the specific outdoor task you need. That way, you’re far more likely to receive high-quality results.

You can potentially reduce the time your handyman needs to complete the work by clearing the area where the work will take place and removing any fragile or valuable items. Having the necessary materials (if they’re not being provided by the handyman) ready and a clear idea of what you want done can help the job go smoothly.

In some cases, this might be the difference between a handyman taking an hour or a couple of hours. Given that handyman services generally charge between £15 and £50 per hour, this could save you a nice sum of money.

Yes, many handyman services can install flooring for you. The type of flooring that you need installed might affect whether or not handyman services can help you. While many flooring materials are advertised as suitable for DIYers, it’s still worth considering hiring a handyman for the job.

If you install floors yourself, there’s a chance you’ll get an unsatisfactory, uneven finish – and even if things go smoothly, you’ll need to spend quite a bit of cash purchasing tools required for the work. If you’re in any doubt about whether or not you can DIY a floor installation, it’s safer to hire a professional.

Only Gas Safe registered engineers are legally allowed to install, repair, or service gas appliances in the UK. It’s very unlikely a handyman will have the necessary Gas Safe credentials to carry out this kind of work on your behalf, but if they insist they are qualified, check their registration on the Gas Safe register.

Even if a handyman is Gas Safe registered, you might consider hiring a gas engineer or plumber who specialises in gas and heating equipment. They are likely to hold more experience and deliver more reliable results than a generalist handyman.

Certain types of small tasks do not require planning permission in listed properties, but carrying out more substantial unauthorised work is strictly prohibited in the UK and could lead to prosecution. If caught and prosecuted, planning authorities could also require all work carried out without consent is reversed.

You can avoid breaking the rules – and causing yourself legal headaches – by getting in contact with your local planning authority and finding out exactly what you can do and how the rules work. Make sure you only hire handyman services that are familiar with the special requirements related to listed buildings.

Yes, many handyman services are capable of installing locks both within and outside of your home. Flimsy locks are just one of the most common home security mistakes in the UK, so if you have any doubts about the strength of a lock, consider having it changed.

Handymen can improve your home security infrastructure in other ways, too. Whether you're looking to install a burglar alarm or you're considering adding security lights around your property, a handyman is capable of stepping in and providing assistance.