Handyman questions and answers for Pennsylvania homeowners
Updated · KeystoneProGuide editorial team
Does a handyman need a license in Pennsylvania?
Not from the state. The Department of Labor and Industry says Pennsylvania has no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors. A handyman business may still need to register with the Attorney General, and some towns license electricians and plumbers. The Pennsylvania rules guide has the details.
When does a handyman have to register?
When their home improvement work reaches $5,000 in a year. Below that, the Attorney General's questions and answers say a person doing a few jobs a year is exempt. Above it, sole proprietors and subcontractors register too.
How do I check a registration?
Ask for the number, which starts with "PA", and look it up in the Attorney General's contractor search or call 1-888-520-6680. Registration is not an endorsement of skill or honesty.
Is a written contract required?
For any home improvement job priced over $500, yes. It must be signed by both of you and include the work, approximate dates, the total price and your right to cancel within three business days.
Can I pay by the hour?
Yes. Under Pennsylvania law, the contractor must first give you a written estimate, and the bill may not exceed it by more than 10% without a signed change order.
How much does a handyman cost?
National surveys put the hourly rate between $50 and $150 and a typical job at a few hundred dollars. The cost guide compares four surveys and the extra charges to ask about.
How big a deposit is normal?
The law limits deposits on jobs over $5,000, and the Attorney General says one-third of the price, or one-third plus special-order materials, is generally appropriate. Never pay the full amount up front, the Federal Trade Commission advises, and hold the final payment until the work is done.
Does handyman work need a permit?
Ordinary repairs do not, under the state's building code regulation. Adding or moving wiring or pipes, or cutting a load-bearing wall or beam, is not an ordinary repair. Your township or borough can require permits beyond the state minimum, so ask its code office.
Can a handyman replace a light fixture or a faucet?
It depends where you live. Philadelphia lists replacing lighting fixtures to existing conditions, and switches and receptacles, among electrical work that may need no permit, but it also says you need a city license to do electrical work in Philadelphia, low-voltage wiring included. Its plumbing permit page exempts replacing faucets and valves with the same material, while the same page says a licensed master plumber must oversee plumbing work. Elsewhere, ask the municipality.
Can a handyman do gas work?
Treat it as no. Adding to or relocating gas piping is not an ordinary repair under the state regulation, so it needs a permit before anyone starts. Ask your code office who may do it.
Does a handyman need lead certification?
In a home built before 1978, anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces must be certified under the EPA's rule, unless the job stays within six square feet of paint per room indoors or 20 square feet outside. Window replacement is always covered.
What if I find something that might be asbestos?
Leave it alone. The EPA says you usually cannot tell by looking, and that if in doubt you should treat the material as asbestos and not disturb it. Repair or removal belongs to trained, accredited professionals.
Can I do the job myself instead?
Often. The EPA's lead rule generally does not apply to homeowners working on their own home, though the EPA still recommends lead-safe practices. Local permit rules apply to you as much as to a contractor.
Should a handyman mount my TV or anchor a dresser?
Either of you can, and it is worth doing. The Consumer Product Safety Commission tells households to anchor TVs and furniture such as bookcases and dressers securely to the wall. It counted 217 tip-over deaths reported from 2013 to mid-2023, and 71 percent of those killed were children aged one to three.
Can a handyman install a smoke alarm?
A battery alarm, yes. The U.S. Fire Administration says only qualified electricians should install hardwired smoke alarms, and that alarms should be replaced 10 years from the date they were made.
Is ladder work safe to hand to a handyman?
It is safer than doing it alone. The CPSC's advice for gutter cleaning, painting and repairs from a ladder is to set its feet on solid, level ground, have another adult nearby as a spotter and keep away from power lines.
What if my house was built before 1978 and the job is small?
Small can still count. The EPA's exemption is measured per room over any 30 days, so several small jobs in the same room add up, and making a hole with a hammer counts as demolition whatever its size.
Does the law cover a job under $500?
The contract rules start above $500, so a smaller job has no required written contract. The consumer-protection advice still applies: get the price in writing, do not pay everything up front, and keep receipts.
Who do I complain to?
The Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection (1-800-441-2555). Businesses are listed on the handyman services page.
Sources
- 34 Pa. Code § 403.62. Permit requirements and exemptions., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Code)
- Get an Electrical Permit, City of Philadelphia
- Get an Electrical Contractor License, City of Philadelphia
- Get a Plumbing Permit, City of Philadelphia
- Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, Federal Trade Commission
- AG Sunday Warns Consumers of Potential Scams Following Storms and Flooding, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- CPSC Urges Fans: Anchor TVs and Furniture Before Super Bowl LX, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Smoke Alarms, U.S. Fire Administration
- Consumers Should Spring into Safety with the "New Normal", U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
- Frequent Questions About Renovations Covered by the RRP Rule, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Contractor Licensing, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
- Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
- Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General