Help with handyman
Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 0 votes
Help with handyman
Most Popular Reply
Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 616 posts · 356 votes
1moI don’t have anyone specific in Lowell to recommend, but I’d definitely ask other landlords in the area who they’re using. For the small tenant calls, I’d prioritize someone who actually answers and shows up when they say they will over finding the absolute lowest price. A reliable handyman makes owning that first rental a lot less stressful.
10 Replies
Hey Shiv,, if you are trying to avoid the costs of a property manager, your best bet is to establish relationships with 2-3 handymen surrounding each one of your investment properties for 'boost on the ground'. Consider these 3 contacts as your source of sanctuary as the can work as 'guns for hire', go to the subject property and address the concerns while communicating with you on facetime! --Nice and easy and the tenants will appreciate you. Find them in local facebook groups or feel free to connect with the local neighbors. This should all be a part of your due diligence when you buy!
- Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 0 votes2mo
Understood thank you for your reply and will definitely look to try this out. I appreciate your reply and advice thank you!
- Investor · Pacific Northwest · Member since 2026 · 538 posts · 314 votes2mo
Shiv, this one is actually solvable, so I went looking in your area instead of giving you generic landlord advice.
I’d call Pinnacle Handyman first. They’re based in Lone Tree, insured, and specifically focus on smaller repair and maintenance jobs — which is almost exactly what you described. Their number is .
I’d also call 303 Handyman Services at and keep them as either your second option or backup. They serve Lone Tree and have a background in both residential and commercial maintenance.
Don’t call and ask, “How much do you charge for handyman work?” Tell them exactly what you’re building:
“I own a rental in Lone Tree. I need someone for recurring small maintenance issues who can coordinate access with my tenant, communicate clearly, send me a picture when the work is done, and tell me before the bill gets outside an agreed range. I’m looking for someone I can keep using, not just a one-off repair.”
Then hire the one who communicates best — not necessarily the cheapest one — and keep the other number as backup.
After that, give your tenant one process: send you a description plus a photo/video. You decide whether it’s an emergency, a licensed-trade issue, or ordinary maintenance. Ordinary stuff goes to the handyman. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc. goes to the appropriate licensed trade when required.
Your problem isn’t really that you need a handyman. You need a tiny maintenance bench and a repeatable rule for what happens when something breaks.
Build that now with property #1 and property #2 gets a lot less stressful.
- Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 0 votes2mo
Hey ,
Michael thank you for the great advice I will definitely use the language prompt you provided me to cultivate a relationship with these companies. I am not sure if my location shows elsewhere but my property is in Lowell, MA I couldn't find the services you listed, did you find them just from a quick Google search? I also was told in another reply from someone Facebook is a great place to find someone but can you share your way.
Thanks,
Shiv
- 2moMike FisherBusiness MemberNew Lenox, IL · Member since 2024 · 141 posts · 72 votes
Shiv, congrats on the first one. That nervous feeling every time the tenant texts is normal, and it goes away once you build a small system instead of scrambling per issue. I have invested in rentals since 1991 and manage in the Chicago south and southwest suburbs, so here is the setup I would put in place in your first month.
How to actually find a good handyman (since the Google route sent an earlier reply to the wrong state): the best names come from people who have already paid them, not from an ad. Call two or three small local property managers and ask who they use for small jobs. Ask at the local landlord or REIA meetup. And ask the counter staff at the nearest plumbing or electrical supply house, because they know who buys quality and pays their bills. Local Facebook landlord groups and Nextdoor help too, but treat those as leads to vet, not as answers.
How to vet before you hand over a key: ask for proof of insurance, give a small test job first, and agree up front on how they bill. Get a not-to-exceed dollar figure so a small issue can never turn into a surprise invoice. That one step is what turns nervous into handled.
How to stop panicking at every text: set a simple triage rule. Anything that is a safety or habitability issue (no heat, a water leak, no working plumbing) gets dispatched right away. Everything else batches. Then give your handyman a standing okay to fix anything under a set dollar amount without calling you first, and tell your tenant one channel to send requests to plus when to expect a response. Now most texts resolve without you stuck in the middle.
One honest caveat: a handyman is not a full bench. Line up a licensed plumber, electrician, and HVAC tech before you need them, because a handyman should not touch gas or major electrical, and in Massachusetts some of that work legally requires a licensed trade. Verify what your local code requires.
I run this daily through M Property Group LLC out of New Lenox, IL, so glad to compare notes as you get your first vendor list built.
M Property Group LLC | MF Cashflow Property Management4.995 Reviews- Member since 2020 · 4 posts · 0 votes1mo
Hey ,
Mike. Thanks for your reply very informative and appreciate the advice I will definitely look to implement the systems you have provided and listed in your message to keep my stress levels low lol. I'm only 23 years old so something of this caliber is a bit nerve racking but I know once I have the system I can only grow from here if you have any advice on other things like mainting or growing or managing accounting I I would definitely appreciate it !
- Real Estate Agent · Memphis · Member since 2026 · 616 posts · 356 votes1mo
I don’t have anyone specific in Lowell to recommend, but I’d definitely ask other landlords in the area who they’re using. For the small tenant calls, I’d prioritize someone who actually answers and shows up when they say they will over finding the absolute lowest price. A reliable handyman makes owning that first rental a lot less stressful.
- Real Estate Consultant · Ft. Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2012 · 44 posts · 40 votes1mo
There are different levels of handymen. From the guy with no tools to the professionally qualified. One method to finding a handyman is to go where they go. Home Depot, Lowes, Electrical and Plumbing Supply stores. You can ask the employees for a referral or if they themselves do work on the side. You can even observe the other customers that seem to know what they're doing. You can tell the customers who are either handymen or contractors from the casual shoppers. Ask them do they do side work or if they could refer someone.
- Coral Springs, FL · Member since 2018 · 496 posts · 118 votes1mo
shiv, one thing nobody mentioned yet is that your first handyman probably won't be your forever handyman. that's completely normal. guys come and go, they get busy, they move on, whatever. the skill isn't finding the perfect one - it's getting comfortable with the cycle of finding a new one every 6-12 months.
what i'd do is always keep two names in your back pocket. not just one. when one flakes or gets too busy you immediately call the other without panic. and every time you're happy with a guy, ask him who else he knows that does similar work. handymen know other handymen.
also since you're 23 and this is property #1, don't overthink the pricing part right now. a slightly more expensive guy who actually shows up costs you way less than a cheap guy who makes your tenant miserable and you miss work to deal with it. once you have a few more doors the volume will get you better rates naturally.
you're doing fine. the fact that you're asking these questions now instead of after something goes wrong means you're already ahead of most first time landlords. - Member since 2026 · 276 posts · 42 votes4d
Congrats on the first place, and it's completely normal to feel your stomach drop every time a repair text comes in. Something that really calms the nerves is asking other landlords nearby who they use and then trying that person on one small job first, so you learn how they show up before anything big breaks.
Randy, Bunklow
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.