Get Quotes from Top Handymen in Boston, MA

Are You Licensed to Practice as a Handyman in Boston?

Handymen who wish to operate in Boston do not require city-issued occupational licenses to provide their services to interested parties. However, these individuals must register as Home Improvement Contractors with the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) before they can perform any type of home improvement work on existing one to four-unit residential properties in the city. Nonetheless, registration exemptions are made for specific individuals, which include:

• Contractors and subcontractors that are working on projects with a total cost that is less than $500
• Part-time contractors and subcontractors with a gross revenue that is less than $5,000 in the past 12 months
• Properly licensed tradesmen such as electricians and plumbers that are working within the scope of their licenses

For this purpose, the home improvement contractor registration process can be completed online via a registration portal provided by and maintained by the OCABR. Registration can also be done by completing and submitting an Application for Registration as a Home Improvement Contractor or Sub-Contractor Form in person at:

The completed form can also be submitted, along with the applicable registration fees, in the form of a money order or bank check made payable to the 'Commonwealth of Massachusetts', via mail-in to:

Inquiries concerning the OCABR's home improvement contractor registration process can be directed to (617) 973-8787 or toll-free number (888) 283-3757. In addition to registering at the state level, handymen in Boston also have to register their business locally with the city before operating. This local business registration can be completed by filling out a New Business Certificate Application Form, notarizing the completed form, and then submitting it in person or via mail-in to:

In-person submissions can be made between the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Mondays to Fridays. Parties that choose the in-person submission option can also notarize their application forms at City Hall. Likewise, parties wishing to submit their applications via mail-in will be required to include the stipulated application fees and a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the words "ATTN: Business Certificates" included on the mail-in envelope. Queries concerning Boston's local business registration requirements can be directed to the Office of the City Clerk at (617) 635-4601.

You should always confirm that your intended handyman has fulfilled all necessary local and state-level registration requirements before finalizing any arrangements with them. You can confirm local business registrations by contacting the Boston Office of the City Clerk at (617) 635-4601. Likewise, you can verify that your intended handyman has been duly registered at the state level with the OCABR by utilizing this office's Home Improvement Contractor Registration Lookup portal.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Handymen in Boston?

While Boston handymen typically charge hourly rates for their services, some professionals may utilize a fixed fee structure for relatively straightforward tasks, such as hanging artwork or replacing faulty fixtures. Regardless of the billing structure used for the service, the total cost of home repair and maintenance jobs is generally influenced by the following factors:

• The nature and scope of the job
• The cost of materials and supplies that will be required to perform the job
• The complexity and labor intensity of the job

To ensure you are charged a fair rate for your home repair and improvement job, you should always get and compare cost estimates from multiple handymen in the city before hiring. Doing this helps you spot fraudulent handymen who grossly overcharge for their services and those who deliberately submit low bids to get you to hire them and then abscond after receiving payment.

Boston handymen earn an average wage of $53,300 annually. The table below compares and contrasts the average hourly wages of handymen and other general maintenance and repair workers in Boston with those of workers in this industry across the State of Massachusetts and other major American cities:

Do You Require a Permit to Complete This Work in Boston?

Permits issued by the Boston Inspectional Services Department are generally required for home improvement, repair, and other construction-related activities in the city. This department issues two types of permits, namely:

• Short-form Permits: these are required for minor work that does not involve any changes to a building's use or exits, fire protection, or living area
• Long-form permits: these are required for work that involves structural repairs and renovations, new constructions and additions, and changes to the use or occupancy of a building

Parties that wish to obtain short-form permits may do so online via the Boston Inspectional Services Department's Inspectional Services Portal. First-time permit applicants should note that they will be required to register a user account on this portal before they can properly access it. On the other hand, long-form permit applications can also be initiated online via the Inspectional Services Portal. However, they must be completed in person at the Boston Inspectional Services Department's office located at:

The submission of plans and additional supporting documents may be required for review before these permits are issued. It should be noted that certain types of ordinary work, such as door replacements, fence construction and repair, kitchen cabinet and shelving installation and repair, painting, carpeting, and tiling, may not require any permits at all. Also, in situations where a permit is issued, the permitted work is generally subject to inspections by authorized city officials to ensure compliance with the provisions of the permit and other relevant city laws.

As such, it is advisable to contact the Boston Inspectional Services Department at (617) 635-5300 or (617) 635-5360 before commencing your project to find out whether you will require a permit for it or to get additional information on the city's permitting process.

What Works Can You Do Legally as a Handyman in Boston?

Handymen in Boston are required to complete a state-level home improvement contractor registration process with the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) before performing any work on residential property. However, in situations where the work in question is less than $500, handymen in the city are exempt from this registration requirement.

Regardless of this, it is always in your best interest to hire a handyman who has been duly registered with the state, as these handymen are typically held to higher regulatory standards than their unregistered counterparts. This, in turn, gives you confidence that your home improvement or repair work will be done satisfactorily. You can confirm the registration status of your handyman via an online platform provided by the OCABR. It is also a good idea to find out how much your preferred handyman charges for the specific type of work you need to do before it commences to avoid misunderstandings at the end of the day.

The list below provides cost estimates for home improvement and repair services that are commonly requested by Boston homeowners:

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Handymen in Boston?

Approximately 23,400 work-related nonfatal injuries were recorded by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics amongst general maintenance and repair workers in 2020. As such, even though there are no mandatory liability insurance requirements for handymen who operate in Boston, you should always make sure that your handyman has an active general liability insurance plan. Hiring a handyman with general liability insurance ensures that you do not have to bear any financial or legal liabilities if a work-related accident resulting in bodily injury or property damage occurs during your home improvement or repair job.

To this end, before hiring any handyman in Boston, request a copy of their insurance certificate and contact the handyman's insurance provider to validate this document. Also, find out if the handyman's coverage limit is enough to cover the scope of your intended project. It should be noted that in situations where your handyman has any assistants, apprentices, or other employees, the handyman is statutorily required to carry workers' compensation insurance for these individuals. Inquiries concerning state-mandated workers' compensation insurance requirements can be directed to the Boston Regional Office of the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents at (617) 727-4900 and (800) 323-3249.