Why would a handyman offer to work at my price?
Handymen sell their time and know if they aren’t working they’ll never get that time back. While all handymen have a standard rate, many are willing to take a lower rate to fill time that may not get filled at the standard rate. Instead of haggling on the phone or email (handymen are technically skilled, not negotiators), they like the idea of a bidding process for their time.

Will I get a good deal?
Generally, yes. It all depends on how busy the handymen are at the time.

How do I improve the chances of my bid being accepted?
Three words: availability, flexibility and price.

• Availability: If you want the handyman for today, and one is available, a reasonable bid has a good chance of being accepted. However, if you want to bid on your job but don’t want the work done for two weeks then the handyman may not accept your bid figuring he will be able to book himself at his regular rate.
• Flexibility: If you are flexible and offer multiple time slots that you are available you also increase the chances of your bid being accepted.
• Price: The closer you bid to the typical handyman price, the better the chances of your bid being accepted. In general, a professional handyman will charge around $50 for the trip and $85 per hour.

Do I bid on a specific project I have or for a block of time?
Either. If you have a specific project you are asked to describe it in your bid with as much detail as possible. Once submitted, BOAH will estimate the amount of time the project will take and accept or reject your bid based on that estimate. If your bid is accepted it will be stated the amount of time the project is estimated to take. If you have a number of small handyman projects you may just want to bid on an amount of time, such as four hours, and bid on that time as you would like.

What if I estimate the project will take 3 hours and the handyman shows up and it’s an 8 hour job?
The handymans first objective is to do the job in the time estimated. If the project will take significantly longer than estimated then the handyman will give you a firm estimate with the time and cost provided prior to commencing work. At that point you and the handyman will discuss how to move forward. The $20 you paid will go toward the cost of the trip and estimate preparation.

What if I estimate the project will take 8 hours and the handyman shows up and it’s a 3 hour job?
Find more projects for him.

Should I include material cost in my bid?
No. You are bidding for time only. Material costs can be handled in different ways and have many variables. The handyman may purchase the materials for you or you may supply your own materials. Any materials the handyman provides will be billed separately from the bid price. In general, if the handyman goes shopping for your material, the time spent shopping is applied to the time in the bid.

Do I need to submit pictures?
You aren’t required to send pictures. However, the more information the handyman has the more able he will be to make an accurate assessment to accept or turn down the bid.

How do I know that the technician who shows up is qualified to do the job?
All technicians have been thoroughly screened. They all pass criminal background checks, motor vehicle records, and drug tests. They are professionals that are licensed in the state of Minnesota, bonded, and insured to protect you if there is an incident at your home and carry proof of this with them and will show you a copy of the documents. If you submit a bid for a job in which a handyman is not qualified to perform, the bid will not be accepted and you’ll be told to find a service provider for that specific category.

What if he shows up and he’s creepy?
We don’t allow creepy handymen. BOAH has interviewed every handyman that may come to your home. One of our interviewers is a woman who is always on the look out for the creep factor.

Can you come give me a free estimate?
No. BOAH is not a handyman service, it brings together customers and handymen. We will not submit jobs to our clients that are free. However, if you’d like a qualified person to come give you an estimate you may bid to have that done, just not for free.

Do I pay BOAH or the handyman that shows up?
You pay the handyman that shows up. Once your bid is accepted you will be contacted within 2 hours by the handyman service that accepted your bid. At that point, all contact is between you and that handyman service provider.

How can I pay?
Handymen preferred to be paid at the time of service. We require that all of our service providers accept cash, check, visa, and mastercard.

Once my bid is accepted can I change the appointment time?
Your bid will include not just the price you want to pay but a time you want to reserve. Once it’s accepted you will be contacted by the service that accepts your bid. If you must change your appointment you will need to work it out with them. They are under no obligation to change the appointment, but are also interested in having you as a satisfied customer and will generally work with you to a satisfying conclusion.

What will the handyman be driving and wearing?
We require all handyman that we send to your home be driving a vehicle clearly marked with the company name and the handyman to be in a uniform with the company name.

What if I’m not satisfied with their work?
Once your bid is accepted, it is between you and the accepting handyman provider to work out any job performance issues. However, BOAH is constantly reviewing the performance of our providers to insure you get the best in the business. We ask that you email us with any issues and we will certainly work with the provider to make you a satisfied customer.

Will I know what company accepts the bid?
Yes, once the bid is accepted you will be contacted by the provider.

Will the handyman work at commercial sites?
Yes, this service will submit bids to commercial and residential customers.

Is the handyman LEAD certified?
Yes, any jobs that would require LEAD certified work will be performed by LEAD certified contractor.