Hourly rate
Billed in half-hour steps. The invoice lists the hours.
Handyman work in Buncombe County
Small jobs, done by one retired carpenter
A door that rubs, rotted trim, a shelf that has to find a stud. I come by myself, I tell you my rate before I start, and I say plainly what I won't touch.
- One person, no crew
- Rate told before I book
- Weekdays, 8 to 4
How I bill
How I bill by the hour, and the minimum visit
I bill by the hour, door to door inside Buncombe County. The sample jobs show the time they usually take, so the hour count never surprises you.
How I bill
Minimum visit
Two hours. It covers the drive, the tools I bring and the clean-up.
Materials
At costWhat I paid, with the receipt on the invoice. No markup.
Sample jobs and their usual time
Rehang a door that rubs
About two hours.
Mount a TV or a heavy shelf on studs
About two hours.
Patch and repaint a drywall hole
About three hours, over two visits so the compound can dry.
Replace ten feet of rotted trim
About three hours, plus the lumber.
Times are what these jobs usually take, not a promise. If one will run past what I told you, I call before the next half hour starts.
My limits
What I will not do
A handyman who says yes to everything is a risk to your house. Here is where I stop, and who to call instead.
| Kind of work | I won't do | Call instead | I'll do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | I won't doWiring, panels, new circuits or ceiling fans | Call insteadA licensed electrician | I'll doChange a bulb, a battery or a cover plate |
| Plumbing and gas | I won't doNew water lines, gas lines or water heaters | Call insteadA licensed plumber | I'll doTighten a loose fitting or swap a washer |
| Roofs and high ladders | I won't doRoof work, or a ladder taller than one story | Call insteadA roofer or a company with lifts | I'll doAnything I can reach from a ladder at the eave |
| Structure | I won't doCut or move a wall that carries weight | Call insteadA contractor and, if needed, an engineer | I'll doFix a squeaky tread or a sagging shelf |
| Old paint | I won't doSand or scrape past that limit in a house built before 1978 | Call insteadA firm trained under the EPA's lead rule | I'll doPatch small spots inside the EPA's limit |
| Water and mold | I won't doMold removal, or tracing where the water comes from | Call insteadA water-damage specialist | I'll doReplace trim once the leak is fixed |
| Permits | I won't doA new deck, a gutted bath or anything that needs a permit | Call insteadA licensed general contractor | I'll doSmall repairs that need no permit |
| Big jobs | I won't doMulti-week remodels or anything that needs a crew | Call insteadA remodeling firm | I'll doWork I can finish in a day or two |
What I take on
Six kinds of small job
Most days are a mix of these. If yours isn't here, text me and I'll say yes or point you to someone better suited.
Doors and hardware
Rubbing doors, loose hinges, latches that miss and locksets you bought.
Doors and hardwareTrim and carpentry
Rotted casing, loose baseboard, a new shelf cut to fit an odd wall.
Trim and carpentryMounting and hanging
TVs, mirrors, shelves and curtain rods, fastened into studs.
Mounting and hangingPorch and steps
Soft boards, loose rails and wobbly steps, repaired with treated lumber.
Porch and stepsAssembly and small fixes
Beds, wardrobes, cabinet brackets and the things that rattle.
Assembly and small fixes
How a job goes
From a text to an itemized invoice
No office, no dispatcher. The whole process is me, a phone and a truck.
You text a photo
Send the problem, the room and what year the house was built. If I can't tell from the photo, I stop by for a quick look.
I answer with hours
A range, like two to three hours, plus the materials I expect to buy. You decide before I book a day.
I work and clean up
Floor covers down, tools unpacked, one room dusty at most. If something surprising turns up behind a wall, I call you before I go on.
You get the invoice
Hours, materials with receipts, and nothing else. You pay when you've seen the work.
Who's coming
It's me, and only me
I spent my working life as a finish carpenter in the mountains, mostly in old houses where nothing is square. Now I take the jobs I like: ones I can finish in a day or two with my own tools.
I answer my own phone, I write my own invoices, and I'd rather turn down a job than do it badly. If a job needs a crew or a license I don't hold, I tell you that first and tell you who to call.
I do the work myself, start to finish
I answer my own phone and texts
I bring the tools and take away the scraps
Carroll Gibbs
Retired finish carpenter
Neighbors
What people say after a visit
“He rehung the pantry door that had rubbed its frame for years, then swept up the shavings. The invoice listed the hours, and it matched what he'd told me.”
Joni WhitmanWeaverville, a door rehung
“I texted a photo of a rotted porch step. He said two to three hours plus lumber, and that was the bill.”
Tracey RiddickWest Asheville, a porch step
“He mounted a heavy mirror on studs, then told me he wouldn't touch the dimmer switch that was acting up. He gave me an electrician's name instead.”
Alex CavazosBlack Mountain, a mirror hung
“I had six small things on a list. He did four in one visit and said the other two needed someone with a taller ladder.”
Kay SheridanArden, a list of small jobs
Sample reviews.
Questions
Before you text
The questions I hear most. The full list is on the FAQ page.
What do you charge?
By the hour, with a two-hour minimum visit, and I tell you the rate before I book. Materials are extra, at what I paid, with the receipt. The pricing page lists sample jobs and how long they usually take.
Do I get a price before you start?
I give you the hours I expect, as a range, from your photo or a short visit. I don't quote a fixed price on a job I haven't seen, and I call you before a job runs past the range.
My house was built before 1978. Does that change anything?
It can. The EPA's lead rule covers paid work that disturbs more than 6 square feet of paint inside, or 20 square feet outside, in a house built before 1978, and any window replacement or demolition. I keep my patch work under that limit. When a job would go past it, I stop and point you to a firm that holds the EPA's lead certification.
Do you work weekends?
Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday only for a job I've already started and need to close out.
Do you pull permits?
No. Small repairs rarely need one. If yours does, I say so up front and send you to a contractor who can pull it.
Where I work
Buncombe County and the valleys around it
Drive time inside this area is part of the minimum visit. If your town is just outside it, ask: I'll say yes or no before I book.
- Buncombe County: Asheville, Weaverville, Woodfin, Black Mountain, Swannanoa, Arden, Candler, Biltmore Forest
- Henderson County: Fletcher, Hendersonville, Mills River
- Madison County: Marshall
I don't go past Hendersonville to the south or Marshall to the north. Past about 25 miles the drive eats the hour, and I'd rather point you to someone closer.
ZIP codes: 28801, 28803, 28804, 28805, 28806, 28704, 28711, 28715, 28732, 28753, 28759, 28778, 28787, 28792
Get in touch
Tell me what needs doing
A line or two is enough. A photo is better: use the text link, and I'll answer with the hours I expect.
Phone(828) 555-0101
Text a photo to(828) 555-0101
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Saturday – SundayToday
- Closed