Handyman franchise costs

Handyman franchises send technicians to fix the jobs homeowners put off: doors, drywall, decks, fixtures, small carpentry and painting, and sometimes electrical work. Most owners don’t do the work themselves; they run the office, sell the jobs and hire tradespeople, so the business is limited by how many good technicians you can find. The list also covers electricians and niche installers such as pull-out shelving.

The business runs from a home office or a small shop with a van or two, so the cost to open is mostly the fee, the vehicles and the cash to cover wages while the phone starts ringing.

What a handyman franchise costs

Across the 19 brands on the handyman list, the typical cost to open runs from $104K at the low end of each brand’s estimate to $160K at the high end. The low end is a small location in a cheaper market with little build-out; the high end a large site in an expensive one. Of these brands, 19 start at $250K or less and 7 at $100K or less.

Where the money goes

Each franchisor itemizes its cost to open. Grouping the lines for the 19 handyman brands with a full breakdown shows what a typical budget pays for, as an average share of the high estimate, with the typical amount.

The franchise fee is the single biggest line for many handyman brands, because there is so little else to buy. Working capital follows: technicians are paid by the hour from the first day, and repeat customers take time to build. Tools, vans and their wraps make up most of the equipment.

Cheapest and most expensive handyman franchises

The cheapest handyman brands with at least 20 US locations, by the low end of the cost to open. Use the full range on each brand’s page for budgeting, not the low end alone.

Fees and royalties

The typical handyman brand charges a franchise fee of $55K, a royalty of 6% of sales and 2% to a marketing fund. Another 4 brands charge a flat or tiered royalty instead of a single percentage. Royalties and marketing come off sales before rent, staff or loan payments, so on a $438K year they cost about $35K. The fees and royalties guide compares industries.

What handyman franchise locations sell

Of the handyman brands, 3 publish a comparable yearly sales figure per location. The typical one is $438K, below the $797K typical across all brands.

Few handyman brands publish a sales figure per business. Revenue depends on how many technicians you keep busy and the hourly rate your market bears, so ask brands for revenue per technician and for the share of jobs that come from repeat customers.

Which handyman franchises are growing

Of the 16 handyman brands with three years of figures, 14 added US locations from 2023 to 2025 and 0 shrank. The typical brand with 20 or more locations changed by +31%, against +3.8% across all franchises.

Who runs a handyman franchise

Of the handyman brands whose agreements are clear, 12 let a trained manager run the business day to day and 7 require the owner to. Initial training typically runs 40 hours, against 71 across all brands. The typical brand loses 4.2% of its franchised locations a year to closures, terminations and non-renewals. On the SBA Franchise Directory are 13 of the 19 brands, so SBA-backed loans are available for them.

Best handyman franchises to own

These handyman brands pass all five tests on the best franchises to own ranking: they grew, lost no more owners than is typical, publish earnings figures, are on the SBA directory and had 100 or more US locations three years ago.

Before you buy a handyman franchise

Hiring is the constraint. Ask how long owners take to fill each technician role, what they pay, and what the brand does to help recruit. Check your state’s contractor licensing: many states cap the value of jobs an unlicensed handyman can take, and electrical or plumbing work almost always needs a licensed trade.

Read each brand’s location history and closures on its page, and see the home-based franchises for other service brands that need no storefront.