I went from general contracting to handyman work to siding repair only. Of the three, siding repair was the one that let me make good money as one guy without running myself into the ground. Here's why I think it beats general handyman work for a solo operator.
1. Less stuff on the truck
A handyman needs a little of everything: plumbing parts, electrical, drywall, paint, carpentry, hardware. Every job is a trip to the store.
A siding repair guy carries a focused kit: the tools for vinyl, a small stock of common colors and profiles, J-channel, trim, coil stock and fasteners. You know what you need before you leave the driveway. More of your day is billable.
2. You get good fast
When you do the same kinds of repairs every week, you get fast. Fast means you can price by the job and still make money, and customers get a better result. A handyman doing a different job every day never gets that speed.
See the 10 most common siding repair jobs.
3. Higher tickets, less haggling
Homeowners expect to haggle with "a handyman." A siding repair specialist is the expert they called because the big siding company wouldn't come out for a small job. That changes the conversation. My average repair ticket is around $350, and most jobs take a few hours or less.
4. Less competition
Lots of people call themselves handymen. Very few people do siding repair only. Big siding companies want full re-sides, not three panels on a gable. That leaves a gap. See why siding companies turn down repair jobs.
5. Better referrals
When you specialize, people remember you for one thing. "Call the siding repair guy" is easier to pass along than "call the guy who does odd jobs." Realtors, inspectors and property managers send work to specialists. See realtors and home inspectors and property managers.
6. Seasonal rhythm you can plan around
Siding work comes in waves: storm season, spring cleanup, fall prep before winter. You can plan for it. Winter is slower in cold climates, but there's still work. See winter work for a siding repair business.
7. Easier on the body (mostly)
There's ladder work, but you're not crawling under sinks or in attics every day.
The tradeoffs
- Ladders and heights are part of the job. Safety matters.
- Discontinued siding makes some jobs harder. See matching discontinued vinyl siding.
- Weather decides your schedule more than it does indoors.
Should you switch?
If you're a handyman already doing siding jobs and liking them, you're halfway there. Start by marketing siding repair separately and see how much of your week it fills.
Inside Siding Pro Academy, we walk through how members made the switch, including what to say to their old handyman customers.
Photo: from a real Siding Pro Academy repair job.
