Residential Handyman Services FAQs
Northfield Handyman is a locally owned, family-run home renovation and repair business. We work on a wide range of projects, are licensed in Massachusetts and have been in business since 2015. We pride ourselves in personal service, professional work, and cost-effective solutions.
Here are some commonly asked questions:
Q: What types of projects do you handle?
A: We handle a wide range of projects, including painting, plumbing, electrical, flooring, drywall, doors, windows, stairs, balusters, closets, shelving, fixture updates, interior and exterior repairs-most types of property maintenance.
Q: What towns do you serve?
A: We work in the greater Merrimack Valley area of Massachusetts and portions of Southern New Hampshire. Including, but not limited to Andover, North Andover, Boxford, Haverhill, Methuen, and Newburyport as well as Salem and Plaistow in NH.
Q: Do I need to buy the materials or does your crew handle that?
A: It’s up to you. If you buy the materials, they should be delivered before we get there in time to save us time and save you money. We assume that you have ordered correctly, and in the correct quantity. The client is responsible for any damage to materials.
However, if we purchase: Upon arriving, your Northfield Handyman will assess your project(s) and decide what materials are required. We will create a list of materials and go to the closest store to purchase the materials needed to complete your project. If you have a special fixture to install or a paint color picked out, let us know. The travel time for pickup and delivery is captured in your half day or full day.
Q: What about specialty items?
A: We usually require our clients to preorder and have these items delivered to their homes. Pick up is available upon request and is billed as part of your visit.
However, if we do order any specialty items, it MUST be paid up front by the client and the client is responsible for the accuracy of the order, with any return fees or related.
Q: What is your business model for residential clients?
A: We offer both Half day -3.5 man-hours and Full days -7 man-hours. When you call our office, our Northfield Handyman Service Specialist will discuss your needs, help you define what we can do for you, and help you choose the time frame that works best for your needs. Any time incurred over the half day or full day minimum will be billed in 15-minute increments, rounded up to the next quarter hour.
Q: My handyman did a great job and finished early. What happens now?
A: You have hired us for a half day or full day for efficiency, to perform a task or several tasks. We have created these half or full day plans so our techs can maximize their time and tackle as many projects as possible for our clients. Ultimately, you are paying for full the 3.5 hours or 7 hours, so if we finish early, we HIGHLY recommend you have a list of additional tasks ready so we can continue to work to maximize our time with you!
Q: What if my job requires an additional technician?
A: We charge the same price of a half day rate or full day rate for the additional handyman. Typical reasons for an additional tech may be safety reasons, difficult or dangerous tasks, or heavy/unwieldly materials.
Q: How do I pay Northfield Handyman’s services?
A: To schedule a visit, we require a credit card on file with a $200 deposit and collect the remaining amount at the end of the day. This credit card will only be on file until the job is completed. We cannot schedule a visit without a deposit. Payment is required on completion of each day’s work. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. No cash or other credit cards are accepted. Most of our regular clients keep their card on file to make their life easier.
The remaining amount due will be half day or full day rate, minus the $200 deposit, plus any materials, any truck stock, debris removal, or rental equipment needed. You will receive a full invoice with all labor and materials. Any time spent on pick-up/delivery will be a part of the half/full day charge. Disposal fee/dump fee of $395 per half van load $695 per full van load (subject to change). Any bags of debris removed will be $25 per bag.
Q: I must cancel my scheduled work. What do I do?
A: You can cancel up to 48 hours before the job is scheduled to be performed.
Q: My handyman is on site, and I am not home.
A: The clock starts ticking on your time block when your scheduled appointment begins, whether you are there or not. Please make sure are ready when our techs arrive.
We STRONGLY request that you meet our handyman to go over work scope and advise of any changes, issues, or concerns. This will alleviate most issues before they begin.
Q: My handyman is finished and has done a great job! What do I do next?
A: It is very important that you review the work and let your handyman know if there any problems at that time. If not, we will assume you are pleased with the work, and you will be billed for all related work and materials. And don’t forget to leave us a 5 Star review!
Q: I haven’t worked with you before. Even though I see all your 5 Star reviews from pleased clients, I would like someone to come out and review the work before we commit.
A: While we always try to schedule our work based on the information that you provide during our phone interview, we can send out a tech to meet with you. We will require d payment of $145 for the visit, which will be your deposit toward the first service. If you elect not to hire us at that time, the $145 will cover the tech’s time for the visit. At the very least you will be left with a scope of work from one of our highly experienced technicians.
Q: Will you provide an inclusive bid, not hourly at the half day rate or full day rate?
Yes, we can also provide an estimate for the complete job, labor, and materials, but we often find our clients spend less when going with our half or full day plan, due to the efficiency of our techs. A $145 deposit is still required.
Q: Do you do gutter cleaning?
A: Yes, we do! Gutter cleaning is a two-hour minimum of $350 for the first-floor gutters, as we always send out a two-man team for safety and insurance reasons.
If the house has a second-floor gutter, will charge $450 for both the first and second floor gutters. Please call for pricing on third floor gutters and greater.
We also provide a special for combining gutter cleaning with a half day of work, so call for more details.
Q: Can I set up regularly scheduled maintenance for my property?
A: Yes! We can do a walk through with you and schedule handyman services on a regular basis. This is a great option for seasonal maintenance (gutters, decks, exterior painting/staining, door/window repairs, insulation/winterizing). Let us be your ‘go-to guy’ you can always call. We like to call it our ‘one-stop shop’!