National trade hub

Handymen — verified pros and buyer's guide

Hiring hub for homeowners looking for a handyman. ProFix is still building verified national coverage for this trade, so the depth below is shown for Ohio — our launch state — as a worked example. Use the when-to-call and how-to-choose guidance everywhere, and confirm local licensing and permits for your own state.

Updated what's new
24 Ohio handymans ranked12 Ohio metros coveredTrust details shown

Permit counts on this page are Ohio-scoped: they come only from real matched public-record permits — 5,004 permits joined to 554 contractors across 22 county jurisdictions (in Ohio: Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton). No synthetic data is used; coverage of additional counties and states is in progress, and ProFix is honest about that limitation on every leaderboard page. The Ohio TL;DR, pricing, and FAQ below are written for Ohio homeowners as a worked example — confirm your own state's licensing and permit rules before you hire.

National directory

Handymen — National Directory (0 verified pros across 0 states)

What they do

Small-job handyman service — minor repairs, drywall patches, mounting, fixture swaps.

When to call

  • Drywall patch, paint touch-up, or trim repair.
  • TV, shelf, mirror, or mount install.
  • Door, window, or hardware adjustment and repair.
  • Faucet, toilet, garbage-disposal swap (non-rough-in plumbing).
  • Fixture swaps (light fixture, ceiling fan, switch, outlet — straight replacement).

Typical cost range (national)

Cost-guide coverage for handymen is still being aggregated; check the per-state pages for local pricing once your state launches.

License expectations

This trade is rarely state-licensed; rely on insurance, manufacturer authorization, and written warranty as the trust signals.

Top states by pro count

No states with verified handymen yet. Coverage expands as more license rosters are ingested.

Emergency / 24-hour availability

Emergency-availability data is still being aggregated for handymen. Call the state board or the pro directly to confirm 24-hour service before relying on it.

Deepest coverage example

Ohio worked example: Handymen in Ohio

Ohio is our launch state, so it's the one place where we can show the full depth — a ranked Ohio pro list, a public-permit leaderboard, state-licensing detail, and real Ohio cost guides. Treat everything in this section as an Ohio example of how ProFix verifies a trade, not as a national claim. We're building this same depth out state by state.

Hiring checks for Ohio handymen

  • Ohio does not license handyman services; trust signals are general liability insurance, a written hourly rate, and an honest scope.
  • An honest handyman will tell you when work requires an OCILB-licensed trade (electrical, HVAC, plumbing past the fixture cutoff, hydronics, refrigeration).
  • Bundle multiple small items into one visit to spread the dispatch minimum across the punch-list and capture the full hour.
  • Right call for: drywall patches, mounting, door/window hardware, gutter repair, fixture swaps that don't change rough-in, minor carpentry, post-storm cleanup.

Top 10 verified handyman contractors in Ohio

Our Ohio launch-state pros, sorted by ProFix Trust Score, which weighs verification tier, license evidence, permit-pull signals, and recency. Trust Score is not paid placement — read the methodology before hiring. For another state, use “Browse handymen by state” above.

  1. 1. APELLES, L.L.C.Columbus, OH5
  2. 2. Cintas Corporation No. 2Mason, OH5
  3. 3. Collections Acquisition Company, Inc.Columbus, OH5
  4. 4. DISTRESSED ASSET PORTFOLIO I, LLCBlue Ash, OH5
  5. 5. DISTRESSED ASSET PORTFOLIO III, LLCBlue Ash, OH5
  6. 6. DISTRESSED ASSET PORTFOLIO IV, LLCBlue Ash, OH5
  7. 7. FAIRWAY CAPITAL RECOVERY, LLCCincinnati, OH5
  8. 8. FIRST RESOLUTION INVESTMENT CORPORATION, LLCBlue Ash, OH5
  9. 9. FIRSTCREDIT INCFairlawn, OH5
  10. 10. GENERAL REVENUE CORPORATIONMason, OH5

Permit-pull leaderboard

ProFix ranks Ohio handymen by the number of public building permits pulled in the last 365 days. This is a proof-of-work trust signal that no other directory exposes. Sourced from Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton County permit data — real public-record permits only, with coverage of additional counties in progress.

The statewide leaderboard aggregates Lucas, Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton county permit pulls into one ranked board. Per-county leaderboards live at /permits-leaderboard.

Buyer's guide

The ProFix Editorial Team published a long-form Ohio buyer's guide for this trade. It covers the full hiring process — license check, written scope, permit responsibility, payment schedule, change-order rules, warranty terms, and red flags.

How to choose a locksmith in OhioHow to vet a locksmith in Ohio and avoid the FTC-documented fake-locksmith scam: ALOA credentials, a local address and licensed business, a written quote before work, ID checks, and red flags — sort it out before you're locked out.

What's licensed in Ohio for this trade

Not state-licensed in OhioTrust details shown

Ohio does not license handyman services. The trust signals are general liability insurance, a clear written hourly rate plus minimum, and an honest scope that defers to OCILB-licensed trades for electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics, and refrigeration work. A handyman is the right call for punch-list, mounting, drywall patches, fixture swaps, and minor carpentry.

Pricing in Ohio

ProFix has not yet published cost guides for handymen. Job pricing for this trade varies widely by scope; collect three written quotes and compare line-by-line rather than by bottom total. The full ProFix cost-guide library covers the related trades that share scope.

AI-agent endpoints

ProFix exposes machine-readable endpoints for AI agents, journalists, and partner integrations. These three feeds are scoped to this trade and are CC-BY-4.0 with 1-hour cache.

Frequently asked: Ohio handymen

Are handymen licensed in Ohio?

No. Ohio does not have a handyman license. The trust signals are general liability insurance, a clear written hourly rate, and honesty about which work needs an OCILB-licensed trade.

What can a handyman legally do?

Cosmetic and small-scope work: drywall, paint, trim, mounting, fixture swaps that don't change the rough-in, door and window hardware, gutter repair, minor carpentry. Anything requiring electrical, HVAC, plumbing past the fixture cutoff, hydronics, or refrigeration belongs with an OCILB-licensed trade.

How do handymen typically charge?

Hourly with a minimum and a written rate. Most Ohio handymen charge $75-$125 per hour after a $95-$175 first-hour minimum. Bundle multiple small items into one visit to capture the full hour and spread the minimum.

Ask your AI about this

Hand the question to your preferred assistant — it will use ProFix Directory's open MCP server and llms.txt as context.

Related

Primary metro

Compare ProFix-verified handymen mapped to the strongest metro for this trade.

/metro/columbus

Statewide coverage

Coverage map and county-level pro counts across all 88 Ohio counties.

/coverage

Trust Score explainer

Long-form, homeowner-friendly walkthrough of the 0-100 ProFix Trust Score.

/trust-score
Emergency