Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers about pricing, scheduling, coverage, and how we work — the same answers you'd get on the phone.
Pricing & Quotes
Do you charge to come out and quote a job?
There's a flat $95 service and dispatch fee to come out, the same anywhere in our 50-mile area — no mileage surcharges and no zones. That fee is waived entirely when you approve the work or have us make the repair, so anyone who actually hires us never pays it.
Do you charge by the hour or by the job?
By the job, almost always — a flat price you approve before work starts. For long to-do lists, half-day and full-day 'List Day' blocks are usually the better value, and we'll tell you when that's the case.
Who buys the materials?
Entirely your choice, and both ways are easy. Provide your own materials if you've already bought them or have something specific in mind — or have us source everything for you. We'll pick up every part, fixture, and material before we arrive, so no time is wasted running to the store on your clock. Materials are billed at receipt as their own line, never buried inside the labor number.
How do I pay?
Card, check, or cash when the job's done and you've walked it with us. Bigger projects split into a materials deposit and a completion payment, spelled out in the written quote.
Scheduling
How fast can you get here?
Quotes usually go out within one business day. Small-job visits typically land within a week; active leaks and safety issues get priority. Seasonal work — decks, exterior painting, pressure washing — books out further in summer, so call early.
What are your hours?
Monday through Saturday, 7am–6pm. Property managers and light-commercial clients can ask about off-hours scheduling.
Do I need to be home?
For the first visit, yes please — walking the list together beats any written description. For return visits, many regulars just leave us a code or key arrangement; we photo-document everything we do.
Trust & Coverage
Are you licensed and insured?
We're insured for work in both Minnesota and Wisconsin and can provide a certificate of insurance on request. We take on handyman-scope work, pull permits where projects require them, and refer the work that legally belongs to licensed specialty contractors — electricians for panel work, plumbers for gas and mains — to pros we trust.
Who exactly shows up at my door?
A background-checked Duluth Handyman pro in a marked vehicle — never a stranger from a lead-selling app. You'll know who's coming before the doorbell rings.
What's the guarantee?
The Duluth Handyman Guarantee, in writing on every quote: if our workmanship fails, we come back and redo it at no charge. Done right, or done again.
The Work
Is any job too small?
No — small jobs are the business, not an inconvenience. If a single item is too small to be worth a trip on its own, we'll say so and help you bundle it into a visit that is.
What won't you do?
The short list: panel and circuit electrical work, gas lines, water heaters and main drains, roofing beyond minor repairs, and garage door torsion springs. Those belong to licensed specialists, and we'll point you to good ones instead of pretending.
Do you do commercial work?
Light commercial, yes — storefronts, offices, rentals, and property-management punch lists. Same upfront pricing, with off-hours scheduling available so you don't close to get fixed.
Do you clean up after the work?
Every time. Dust contained, debris hauled or staged for pickup as agreed, floors swept. The only evidence we were there should be the fixed thing.
Service Area
Where do you work?
Duluth, MN and Superior, WI, and everywhere within about 50 miles — Hermantown, Proctor, Cloquet, Esko, Two Harbors, Moose Lake, South Range, Solon Springs, Iron River, and dozens more. See the full service area page.
Both Minnesota and Wisconsin, really?
Really. We're insured in both states and cross the Blatnik and Bong bridges every working day. Wisconsin addresses get the same response times as Duluth.
Didn't find your question? Ask us directly or call (218) 555-0199 — a human answers.
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