Most new handymen get stuck trying to build a website before they've taken a single job. A website can wait. What you need first is something a property manager, realtor, or small landlord can hold in their hand that tells them exactly what you do, what you won't touch, and how to reach you. A single well-made page, printed or digital, does all of that. This is Step 3 of the Handyman Business Series.
Why a service sheet beats a half-built website
There's a version of starting a handyman business where you spend two weeks arguing with a website builder, picking fonts, writing an "About Me" page, and waiting to launch until everything feels ready. Meanwhile you haven't taken a job and you haven't earned a dollar.
A website has its place, and you'll want one eventually. But for the first three to six months of a handyman business, a polished one-page service sheet does everything a basic website does for the people who are actually going to hire you first. Property managers don't Google you. Realtors don't browse your portfolio. They receive your sheet, scan it in thirty seconds, and decide whether to call.
- What do you do?
- What don't you do?
- How do I reach you?
- Where do you work?
- What does it cost to get you out?
- A full website with multiple pages
- A logo designed by someone else
- A portfolio gallery of professional photos
- Social accounts on every platform
- A business email on a custom domain
The logic is simple: a half-built website with broken links and no reviews is worse than no website at all. A clean, complete one-page sheet, even printed in black and white, signals that you're organised and take your work seriously. That's the bar you need to clear to get that first call from a stranger.
"A printed page left with a property manager costs nothing and works for years. Most websites cost weeks of time and never get finished."
What goes on the sheet
The sheet has six components. All of them fit on one side of a standard letter-size page. Nothing gets cut. Nothing needs explanation. A person who's never heard of you should be able to read it in under a minute and know whether to call you.
Your name and business name
Lead with your business name in large text, and put your personal name below it. People hire people, not companies, especially for home repair. "Garcia Home Services, Carlos Garcia" is more trustworthy than a business name alone at this stage.
Phone number, large and impossible to miss
Your phone number is the only call-to-action on this sheet. Make it large, make it prominent, and make sure you answer it. A number that goes to voicemail every time loses the job to whoever picks up. Include your email too if you check it daily.
Service area
List the cities, towns, or neighbourhoods you serve. Be specific rather than vague. "North Sacramento, Citrus Heights, Roseville, Folsom" is more useful than "greater Sacramento area." Specificity signals that you actually work in the area and aren't wasting the customer's time.
Services you offer
A clean list of the work you're comfortable quoting on. Not a sentence for each, just the service name, clearly labelled. Be honest about what you can do well. Listing "plumbing" when you can only fix a leaky faucet creates mismatched expectations and bad reviews.
Services you don't offer
This section earns trust faster than anything else on the sheet. Telling someone upfront what you won't touch signals that you know your limits, which is exactly what a property manager wants to know before they add you to their vendor list. More on this below.
Your starting rate (optional but recommended)
Listing your hourly rate or minimum service call fee filters out customers who push back on any price, and reassures customers who want to know roughly what they're getting into before they call. You don't need to be exact: "from $65/hr + trip fee" is enough. Learn how to set your rates in Step 4 of this series.
The jobs you do section: be specific, not exhaustive
New handymen tend to list everything they've ever touched a screwdriver near. The result is a service list so long it stops being believable. Aim for eight to fourteen specific services that accurately represent what you do most and do well.
Group related services to make the list scannable. A property manager reading your sheet is looking for "does this person do the kinds of things I need regularly?", not checking off an encyclopaedia.
Good groupings for a service list: Interior repairs (drywall patching, door adjustments, trim and moulding, shelf installation, fixture swaps). Exterior (fence repairs, gate adjustments, deck maintenance, caulking and weatherproofing). General (furniture assembly, TV mounting, grab bar installation, minor tile repairs, gutter clearing).
The jobs you don't do section: not optional
This is the section most new handymen skip because it feels like admitting weakness. It's the opposite. It's the section that turns a generic handyman flyer into a professional service sheet.
Every property manager, realtor, and landlord has hired a handyman who said yes to everything and then either did substandard work or had to refer out mid-job. Being explicit about what you don't do is proof that you're not that person.
It also protects you legally and reputationally. Listing "no electrical panel work" means you're never in a position where a customer expects you to do something that requires a licensed electrician's permit. You set the boundary before the conversation happens.
Typical don't-do list for a new solo handyman: Major electrical work (panel upgrades, new circuits). Licensed plumbing (drain installations, gas lines). Structural work. Roof replacement. HVAC. Jobs requiring permits. Jobs outside your service area.
The don't-do list also makes you easier to refer. A plumber who gets called for handyman work will send that customer to you if your sheet makes it obvious you're complementary, not overlapping. That relationship works both ways, and it's one of the best sources of steady work for a solo handyman.
Full example sheet
Here's what all of it looks like assembled. This is printable as-is, or usable as the starting point for a PDF or a simple website page.
Garcia Home Services
Reliable handyman work for homeowners, landlords & realtors · Carlos Garcia
What I do
- Drywall patching & repairs
- Interior & exterior painting
- Door hanging, adjustments & hardware
- Trim, moulding & baseboard installation
- Tile repairs & grouting
- Shelf & cabinet installation
- Furniture assembly
- TV & picture mounting
- Fence repairs & gate adjustments
- Deck maintenance & staining
- Caulking & weatherproofing
- Gutter clearing
- Grab bar & safety fixture installation
- General property maintenance
What I don't do
- Electrical panel work or new circuits
- Licensed plumbing (gas lines, drain installs)
- Roof replacement
- HVAC repair or installation
- Structural or load-bearing work
- Permit-required jobs
- Jobs outside my service area
Service area
North Sacramento · Citrus Heights · Roseville · Folsom · Elk Grove
Rates
From $70/hr · $55 trip fee · Free estimates for larger jobs
Who to give it to, and how
The sheet is most powerful when it lands with people who have recurring maintenance needs, not one-time homeowners. Prioritise these four groups first.
Property managers
One property manager with twenty units needs a reliable handyman constantly: appliance installs, unit turnovers, small repairs between tenants. Getting on one property manager's vendor list can fill a quarter of your calendar.
Walk in, introduce yourself, leave two sheets: one to keep, one to pass on.
Realtors
Realtors need handymen regularly for pre-listing prep and post-inspection repairs. They move quickly and pay promptly because deals have deadlines. A relationship with two active realtors is a steady stream of work.
Drop sheets at real estate offices. Find local agents online and email them directly.
Small landlords
An individual who owns three to five rental properties doesn't have a maintenance team. They need someone they can call for any small job. Once you've done good work for them once, you become their person, and they stop looking for anyone else.
Ask your network. Many people know a landlord who would welcome a trusted contact.
Other trade contractors
Plumbers, electricians, and HVAC techs constantly get called for handyman work outside their scope. They need someone to refer it to. If you refer their work to them too, the relationship is mutual and valuable for both sides.
Introduce yourself to licensed trades in your area. Give them sheets. Build the referral chain.
The digital version: when to make one and what it needs
At some point, once you have a few customers and a clearer picture of what you specialise in, you'll want a digital version of the sheet. This doesn't need to be a full website. It can be a single webpage, a PDF hosted on Google Drive, or a simple link in your email signature.
When to upgrade to a digital version: you've taken enough jobs to know your actual specialities and can remove services you don't enjoy doing; you have at least 5 Google reviews you can link to; or someone has asked you for a website link and you've had to explain you don't have one. Any of those signals means a web page is now worth a weekend of your time.
When you do build a digital version, the structure is the same as the print sheet, but you can add photos of completed work, a link to your Google Business Profile for reviews, and a contact form. The content is identical. The medium is just more shareable.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a website to start a handyman business?
No. A Google Business Profile plus a clean one-page service sheet does everything a basic website does for the property managers, realtors, and landlords who hire you first. A website makes sense once you have paying customers, a clearer sense of your specialities, and reviews to show. For the first three to six months, the sheet is enough.
What should I put on a handyman service sheet?
Six things: your name and business name, a large phone number, your service area, the services you offer, the services you don't offer, and your starting rate. All of it fits on one side of a letter-size page. The don't-do list matters as much as the do list, because it signals that you know your limits.
Who should I give my handyman service sheet to?
Prioritise people with recurring maintenance needs: property managers, realtors, and small landlords, plus other trade contractors who refer handyman work they won't take on themselves. One property manager or a couple of active realtors can fill a large share of your calendar, so those relationships are worth building first.
Should I list prices on my handyman service sheet?
Listing a starting rate is optional but recommended. A line like "from $70/hr + trip fee" filters out customers who push back on any price and reassures the ones who want a rough idea before they call. You don't have to be exact. If you're still deciding on your numbers, Step 4 of this series covers how to set an hourly rate, trip fee, and service call minimum.
Should I print the service sheet or share it digitally?
Both. A printed sheet is what you leave in person with a property manager or at a real estate office. A digital version, even just a PDF or a single web page, is what you text or email when someone asks for more information. The content is identical. Start with print because it costs nothing and works the moment you hand it over.
Where to go from here
How to Set Your Hourly Rate, Trip Fee & Service Call
The three numbers every solo handyman needs defined before their first job, and how to set them without underselling yourself.Series HubHow to Start a Handyman Business: The Complete Guide
All 11 steps from LLC to repeat customers: the full series overview.Sheet ready. Now send quotes that get approved.
When your first customers call, you need a way to send a professional quote by SMS and collect a signature before the job starts. CashWrench does all of it in one tap, then flows the approved quote straight into the invoice when the job is done.