Our normal business hours are 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday. Now is a great time to get a jump start on your minor home repairs & home improvement projects or odd jobs. We are performing almost all estimates online when possible with photos and information you provide us. We screen most calls, so if you call, please be sure to leave a detailed voice message (including your location) as we regularly check our voice mail. Please support local businesses like us! Contact us today!
The short answer is no; the smaller the job, the better. While we don’t do the really big jobs, we do many little jobs. We can help fill in the details that are often overlooked in large renovations. Read on to learn more about the small jobs we do!
In general, no. Contact a mobile home specialist. We do make exceptions, but in general the construction of a mobile home/trailer is different from a stick-built home and often requires different materials, tools, and techniques.
If you need new drywall installed or a large area of drywall repaired, call a drywall installer/contractor. They have the tools and techniques to make your walls look perfect.
If you just need small holes (1/2” or less) repaired/patched, call us! We can fill holes prior to your painting.
Need a hole cut in your drywall? We can do that, too.
At this time, we do not offer painting. We will be happy to refer you to a painting pro!
Yes, we do that! See Hardware below.
No. Call a licensed roofer. Our insurance prohibits us from doing roof work.
No. Call a flooring expert. Also, if you have extensive water damage to your flooring/sub-floor, call a flooring contractor or restoration expert.
We can, however, replace a few vinyl squares if they are damaged.
No. Call a vinyl siding installer.
If however, you have small damaged areas, we may be able to replace pieces of siding or reconnect siding that has come loose. Keep in mind that new siding may not be a perfect match to the old siding, as old siding ages and fades.
(By the way, we don’t do any brick work; leave that for a mason/brick layer.)
No. Call a licensed plumber.
Yes! If you need a faucet replaced, a running toilet, or a small leak from the sink repaired, as long as it doesn’t require a licensed plumber, call us.
Yes! We can do that.
No. Call a licensed electrician.
Yes! As long as it doesn’t require a licensed electrician, call us. If you have a broken switch, damaged outlet, or need a replacement light fixture or fan (up to 11′ 6″ high), call us. We can change old outlets to new child-safe (tamper resistant) ones or GFCI outlets. We also can replace your burned-out light bulbs (12’ ceilings max.) or upgrade your outdoor floodlights (15′ max height.)
Yes! If you need a new appliance where an existing one was and/or there is existing wiring and plumbing, we can install it in most cases (i.e. fridge, microwave, range hood, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer.)
No gas appliances.
No. Call a fencing company.
Yes! If you have one or more broken pickets or a gate or gate latch that no longer works properly, call us.
We can also assemble small pet fences.
Yes! We specialize in small jobs like hardware removal or installation. Painters often want hardware removed prior to painting; we can take it down and put it back up after your painting is done.
While we are not licensed to install security systems, we can install many wireless devices such as cameras, lights, and doorbells. (Note that some wireless devices actually do require wiring, in that case we do through-wall only.)
We can also install door locks and latches as well as beefing up the structural security/integrity of your exterior doors.
Yes! Phil has many years’ experience assembling furniture since he grew up working in his parents’ furniture store. We do office furniture assembly as well.
Yes! Phil also has a lot of experience in moving furniture. Phil is just one person, so if the job requires more than one, you will need to provide a helper.
(Note: We are not insured for transportation of any furniture.)
At this time, we don’t offer lawn mowing, weed-eating or landscaping.
At this time, we do not offer trash removal. Many municipalities offer free trash pick up at your curb with your regular pick up. We are available to help move items to the curb for you.
Payment is due upon completion of the job. This means that you are expected to pay before we leave your home or office unless other arrangements have been agreed upon.
Any work estimated to be over $500 will require a 50% down payment before work begins, at our discretion. Materials in excess of $200 will require prepayment in full. All special order items or non-returnable materials require prepayment in full before work begins.
We try to keep our costs low and we prefer cash or check, but do accept credit & debit cards. Please let us know ahead of time if you plan to pay via credit or debit card as we will need to set up an invoice for you online. A convenience fee may apply. Payment is always due at completion of job.
Every job is different; we have set prices for many services, but not all. It is best if we can see photos and a good description of your project before scheduling it. Keep in mind that there are often unforeseen things that can come up during work on a home project. Most pricing is done by the specific job and location rather than by the hour.
Yes! Most projects are priced by the job and location rather than by the hour.
Most competitors like to supply and mark up parts, but we prefer that the customer provide parts/materials whenever possible. Some items (especially fixtures) are a personal preference best left to the end user. If we don’t have to shop for the materials, this keeps our turn-around time shorter and our cost lower. If we buy the parts/materials, you will be charged for the actual cost (we don’t get wholesale or discounted materials typically) including sales tax and time spent shopping (in most cases). We also keep our prices and overhead lower by not keeping a large supply of inventory on hand, although we might have some. We are happy to consult with you about what might and might not work for your application beforehand and even suggest materials. And if buying the materials is not something you are comfortable with, just let us know when contacting us.
We do. The more information you provide, the better we can estimate your job. Please send us photos (via email or text) and a detailed description of the work to be performed.
We provide free online estimates via phone, text, Facebook Messenger, and email based on the information you provide us. If an on-site estimate is warranted (or requested by you) before scheduling work, in most cases we charge a $75 to $99 minimum fee for this service.
If you require a quote (written estimate), we may need to schedule a visit to your home beforehand and can email the quote/written estimate after the home visit (service call fee may apply). Quotes and written estimates are more detailed in scope and the time they take to produce and come with a non-refundable charge/deposit that can be applied directly to the project.
Consultations are also available and will get you one-on-one time with me and professional advice. This is ideal even when you are not sure of the scope of work or do not have a clear vision of your project. Consultations come at a premium rate which is dependent on the project and is also non-refundable and will get you on our schedule.
We cover Athens, Cullman, Decatur, Hartselle, Huntsville, Madison, and Priceville, AL. We are based in Hartselle, AL, and try to keep about a 40-mile radius to best serve our clients by keeping our costs lower and turn-around time faster. We may make exceptions at times and drive farther. Contact us with a detailed description of the work to be done and your location.
Occasionally we can schedule you the same day. Typically we can schedule you within a few days or a week. It all depends on our workload. We like to focus on jobs that we can get done in a few hours or a day or two at most.
We are officially listed as an LLC (Limited Liability Company) in the state of Alabama and registered as such with the Secretary of State. The type of work we do (small jobs under $50,000) does not require us to have a general contractor’s license in Alabama or to be bonded. A Home Builders License is not required for residential jobs under $10,000. Most of the work we do has a low potential for liability. We do have commercial general liability insurance and errors & omissions policy. If you would like to see a copy of our insurance policy, just ask. Regarding business licenses, we are currently licensed to do work in the cities of Hartselle, Decatur, Priceville, Cullman, Athens, Huntsville, & Madison, AL. Also note: we are not a general contractor. Any permits required are left up to the homeowner. We typically avoid work that would require a permit as our insurance may not cover it. The homeowner should check with their local municipality before hiring us to find out if a permit is required.
Phil does not smoke, drink, or use any tobacco or drugs. He has no tattoos or earrings. Phil is a family man who can easily pass any background check. You can rest assured that you and your belongings will not be compromised with Phil on the job. Phil had to pass extensive background checks in order to work with minors in his former volunteer work in youth ministry for many years. As a professional, he has also been trusted with financial resources and sensitive private data. Personal references are available upon request. Check out our numerous reviews and recommendations from our many satisfied clients on Google, Home Depot Pro-Referral, Nextdoor, Facebook, and other online platforms.
While we may not be the cheapest labor you can find, you will find that our work is very high quality. Phil takes pride in doing quality work with great attention to detail. This is not often found in home construction, as contractors often have to bang out homes quickly and quality is not often the most important aspect. The little details that can make a good home great are often missed. We are here to help with that.
We can. We ask that you have your dog(s) in another room or on a leash as it helps with our efficiency. We often have to go in and out of a home several times to get tools, materials, & supplies out of the work van and wouldn’t want your pet to get loose and run away.
While we do not work directly with insurance companies in most cases, we can help provide information that they need. Please note that we do not do direct billing to insurance companies and you as the homeowner will be responsible for all payments directly to Phil’s Handy Service LLC at the time of our visit. If you require our research for your claim, upfront payment for that time will be required (min. $75 to $99 for site visits).
At this time, we are not taking on any new work for property managers/property management companies.
At this time, we are not taking on any new rental properties.
At this time, we are not taking on any new commercial work.
Yes! We specialize in residential work and enjoy working directly with homeowners.
Move items away (if possible) from the work area and/or clean the area. Some jobs will require making sawdust or wood or metal shavings. We do our best to clean up after our work, but keeping things out of the way will make our job easier, quicker, and much less likely to damage anything that is important in your home. Also, be sure you have payment on hand as payment is due at completion of the job since we don’t do billing.
For liability and safety reasons, except in the case of a vacant home, under no circumstances will we enter a home when there is not an adult 18 or older present. If we arrive for a scheduled appointment and find no one (or no one 18 or older) home, we will not do the scheduled work at that time. Once the work is complete (or, in the event that the customer decides not to have the scheduled work done, at that point), there will be a $50.00 trip fee billed to cover the time and expense involved in the missed appointment.
Being a “Mom & Pop” operation, we intend to keep daytime hours of 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Saturday. We are closed on Sundays and evenings to spend as much time as possible with our family. We do occasionally work on Saturdays.
The LLC was formed in October of 2019; however Phil has been doing handyman work for many, many years on his own homes and for family and friends. Phil has used hand and power tools since he was a little boy. He started by building clubhouses around age 10 and increased his skills from there. Phil spent more than 15 years in the automotive industry on the technical side, so he had a lot of experience in being mechanical and using tools. He’s also worked in electronics & manufacturing, so he has a techie side as well. Phil’s favorite show to watch is “Ask This Old House.”
By focusing on small odd jobs and minor home improvements or repairs, we can keep our prices lower and our turn-around time quicker than others. You typically won’t have to wait weeks or months to schedule us to come out like many licensed contractors or home builders. We also can do a variety of little items at a time instead of your having to call multiple specialists. Phil typically works alone, so that means you won’t have a crew of many different guys in your home–many customers appreciate this! Phil is very detail oriented. In a home it really is the small details that can make a huge difference. Phil spent 12 years in automotive upholstery as a technician. He learned that you have to be very detail oriented in this industry. He also learned to be very efficient as it is a fast-paced work environment. Phil brings his being very detail oriented and his efficiency with him to the work in your home. He always strives to do it right the first time and make it the best he can with what he has to work with.