The best one-man trade for six figures isn't plumbing.
I ran GC. Then handyman. Then only vinyl siding repair: short outside jobs, no crew, a handful of tools. That's the model.
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Do You Need a License for Siding Repair? (By State)Siding repair articles
Practical, lived-in guides for the one-man siding repair business.
The Repairs
Patch, match and fasten: the repairs that make up most of the work.
See all The RepairsFinding the Work
Where the calls come from when you don't buy leads.
See all Finding the Work
Built for guys who already know a trade is the move
College isn't the path. Trades need people. If you've tasted GC chaos or handyman scatter, this is the narrower specialty: outside-only repair work that actually pencils.
Short jobs
Most of the work ran 1-3 hours. Not a two-week re-side circus.
Outside only
No dirt through the house. No unlock waits. No theft-accusation lottery.
No crew required
Optional one helper. If they no-show, you still earn that day.
Limited risk
Ladder and hammer are real. Steep roofs and live panels are worse.
Why not the other trades?
I tried them. They can pay. They can also own your nights, your back, and your need for helpers.
Plumbing
Dirty, inside, other people's waste. Scheduling depends on unlocking the door.
Roofing
Weather shutouts, heavy tear-off, real fall risk on steep pitches.
HVAC / electric
Inside, specialty gear, every call feels like an emergency.
Siding repair
Visible. Specialized. Sized for one person. Customers will usually wait a week.
The 85% kit is not a warehouse
Hammer, snips, drill, cordless saw, and often just a 16-foot fold-up in the bed of the truck. The lived average on my mix was about $350 a repair. That is a frame from my work, not a promise for your zip code.
Jack Kent, Siding BusinessRead the full case for siding repair →
Shop talk, not a pitch
Siding Pro Academy is a paid Skool community for operators learning vinyl siding repair as a business: how the work is found, quoted, and finished without a crew.
Latest articles
All articles
The RepairsWhat photos does a homeowner need from you before they call the insurance company?
The RepairsWhich jobs should you turn down because the caulk will not cure?
The RepairsThe ITEL "Closest Match" Isn't at Any Supplier. Here's What to Send the Adjuster
The RepairsOne Supplier Letter Won't Settle a Discontinued Siding Claim. Here's What Will
The RepairsOne discontinued-siding letter can turn a one-wall hail claim into a whole house
The RepairsWhy a 2-foot Hardie repair is a $650 job