Regulations for handyman work, gardening, mowing, odd jobbing, etc.

[UKSBD]

Are there any regulations to consider for handyman, gardening, maintenance work, etc.?

Are things like this classed as construction industry with all the red tape that goes with that or can anyone just start a little handyman business and as long as insured start providing the service?

 

[Newchodge]

Just get on with it.

 

[UKSBD]

Just get on with it.

Thanks,

What about that contract that a member ( @prophet01 I think) refers to every now and then that automatically applies to building work?

Does that not apply to just general handyman/maintenance type work?

If I was to employ someone to do the actual work, would my business have to register with construction industry scheme or whatever it is?

 

[SillyBill]

I'd genuinely only worry about this after I was turning over £1M and employing a team of handymen and not a minute before. I agree with Newchodge, I am in a heavily regulated industry but I'd recommend to any budding odd job man or similarly low barrier to entry business to enjoy some blissful ignorance from the overreaches of the State and get on with earning a few pennies. If you want to join the rest of us filing out risk assessments all day (at that level of business) then I'd recommend Burger King as a likely more profitable career opportunity.

 

[simon field]

Good advice above. Public liability insurance at a push (pretty cheap), and just go for it.

 

[DWS]

If I was to employ someone to do the actual work, would my business have to register with construction industry scheme or whatever it is?

If you are going to employ someone then CIS would not be a problem anyway, it is only when you engage sub-contractors that it may fall under the scheme, but that also depends on what works are involved.

 

[Newchodge]

Thanks,

What about that contract that a member ( @prophet01 I think) refers to every now and then that automatically applies to building work?

Does that not apply to just general handyman/maintenance type work?

If I was to employ someone to do the actual work, would my business have to register with construction industry scheme or whatever it is?

It would depend on the exact nature of the work.

 

[Mark T Jones]

To echo the above, you or I can simply turn up this afternoon and start work as a Gardner or handyman.

For your own peace of mind and for professionalism you might want insurance and some specific training.

If you start employing people, you will probably need employer's liability insurance (I believe exceptions apply), and again it is almost certainly a good idea to ensure they have proper training to use machinery climb ladders and not eat plants.

You also need to be sure that the basis of employment is legal and equitable.

Work vehicles need to be properly insured.

 

[UKSBD]

, but that also depends on what works are involved

It would depend on the exact nature of the work.

Anyone have any ideas where I find this information?

Most the enquiries I get are for things like general gardening type work, mowing, clearing, hedging, fencing, slabbing, etc.

Also had a few for things like; preparing bases for sheds, putting up sheds, building garden walls, etc.

And also get internal stuff like, putting up curtain poles, shelves, flat packs, plastering patch ups, decorating, etc.

Previously I've just been passing on enquiries to others, they are getting so frequent now though I really ought to think about a better way of hadling them

I have a company which I could put all the work through, have lots of spare time and quite like the thought of doing something outside for the summer.

Am I overthinking this and should just worry about it if raised later?

 

[estwig]

Just get on with it, the worst that can happen is someone has a moan about something, then you give them money and try not to do it again!

 

[DWS]

If you are doing all the work yourself for homeowners then CIS does not even enter in to it, if you employ people then there is still no issues.
It is only when you sub-contract the work out you will need to register for the scheme.

 

[BenCaspian]

As an ex joiner/handyman I'd just make sure you had basic liability insurance in place. In 5 years I only ever needed it once, but it was well worth the small premiums I was paying each year.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Anyone have any ideas where I find this information?

Most the enquiries I get are for things like general gardening type work, mowing, clearing, hedging, fencing, slabbing, etc.

Also had a few for things like; preparing bases for sheds, putting up sheds, building garden walls, etc.

And also get internal stuff like, putting up curtain poles, shelves, flat packs, plastering patch ups, decorating, etc.

Previously I've just been passing on enquiries to others, they are getting so frequent now though I really ought to think about a better way of hadling them

I have a company which I could put all the work through, have lots of spare time and quite like the thought of doing something outside for the summer.

Am I overthinking this and should just worry about it if raised later?

If your company is currently doing stuff, you may need to be aware of VAT implications.


When I was mentoring, quite a lot of my 'clients' were handyman/odd-job/gardening types - with varying degrees of skill and integrity.

For the most part with minimal marketing they could build a decent client base (this was in affluent Surrey).

One, who did pretty well had an interesting USP, which was that he would clean up after himself. Not just duspan and brush where he was working, but would dust & vacuum the whole room - it earned him a lot of reccomendations.

The most common fall-over points we:

1. Planning & admin - getting busy being busy without any focus on running the business.

2. Time management - particularly a problem when running between multiple small jobs.

3. Pricing - it was very common to price low to build a client base, which can work. In one case a gardener had actually got himself labelled as the £10 per hour gardner, which is a difficult pit to dig out of!

 

[UKSBD]

If your company is currently doing stuff, you may need to be aware of VAT implications.

I would only do it part time when the weather is nice, my days of being out from 8 - 5 in all weathers are long gone, and I would keep it completely separate from my other business.

I would also be very picky, anyone who baulks at under £35 an hour I just wouldn't bother with.

My biggest problem is I just haven't got the tools or van anymore and going out spending loads on tools may not be worth it for the few hours I would work.

Ideally I would just pass on work to someone else, you just can't find them anymore though, hence why I am getting so many enquiries now.

 

[UKSBD]

As an ex joiner/handyman I'd just make sure you had basic liability insurance in place. In 5 years I only ever needed it once, but it was well worth the small premiums I was paying each year.

Yeah,
typical example, someone phoned this morning desperate for having some blinds put up, happy to pay £40 an hour, but I haven't got any cable detectors and haven't got any insurance set up yet.

That 2 hour job, earning £80 could be expensive if I hit a cable.

We've got loads of new houses being built in the town just a couple of miles up road from me, people are basically moving in to shells and wanting loads of little jobs doing

 

[estwig]

Yeah,
typical example, someone phoned this morning desperate for having some blinds put up, happy to pay £40 an hour, but I haven't got any cable detectors and haven't got any insurance set up yet.

That 2 hour job, earning £80 could be expensive if I hit a cable.

We've got loads of new houses being built in the town just a couple of miles up road from me, people are basically moving in to shells and wanting loads of little jobs doing

If you think you need a cable detector to put up blinds, you have no idea what you are doing!

Give it up...Now!

 

[UKSBD]

i was just using that as an example.

No idea what they mean by putting up blinds, but wouldn't want to go drilling in someone else's property without having insurance in place 1st

 

[intheTRADE]

So you've got no tools, no van, no insurance, are under the impression you need cable detectors to put blinds up and you're wanting to charge no less than £35 per hour

No wonder the trades industry has the reputation it does

Just don't even both starting this venture, leave it to the professionals

 

[UKSBD]

I worked on the building for 25 years, and renovated 3 of my own properties.

I've got no (few) tools because I got out of it 17 rears ago

 

[UKSBD]

When I say "I don't know what they mean by putting blinds up" I meant that judging what some people are like, when someone says I just want some blinds putting up it can mean virtually anything.

 

[Mark T Jones]

When I say "I don't know what they mean by putting blinds up" I meant that judging what some people are like, when someone says I just want some blinds putting up it can mean virtually anything.

I'd interpreted it that way.

I quite often respond with 'what do you mean?' when customers come up with broad requests.

 

[UKSBD]

I'd interpreted it that way.

I quite often respond with 'what do you mean?' when customers come up with broad requests.

And when you have finished the job which was nothing like they described you get the "While you're here"

 

[bodgitt&scarperLTD]

And when you have finished the job which was nothing like they described you get the "While you're here"

In my neck of the woods, it's 'can you just' To which I reply, "'Can you just' starts at £50 plus VAT"....