Handyman

Before you choose: reading handyman reviews

Home-service reviews are most useful when they describe the process: did the handyman business show up when promised, explain the work, match the estimate, and clean up. Read the verified-only score first, then the two most recent negative reviews and how the business answered them.

Worth checking

• License in the right trade, checked on your state licensing board's site, and a certificate of insurance on request.
• Written estimate before work starts, with what could change it.
• Who pulls permits and whether the permit fee is included.
• A labor warranty in writing.
• Reviews that mention the same business name, service area and crew you are being quoted by.

Questions people ask

Should I pick the handyman business with the highest score?

Pick from the top few with enough recent reviews, then read them. A 4.6 with sixty recent verified reviews is a stronger signal than a 5.0 with four. Scores here start at 3.5 and move with evidence, so a high score on a few reviews is still provisional.

What does a provisional score mean?

The business has fewer than three counted reviews. It is listed without a rank. Read the reviews it does have and lean on license, insurance and references.

Can a handyman business pay to rank higher here?

No. Lists are ordered by score, then review count, then name. Nothing a business pays for enters the calculation, and an automated test checks that on every deploy.