Get Quotes from Top Handymen in San Jose, CA

Are You Licensed To Practice as a Handyman in San Jose?

Handymen in San Jose and other regions of California are not required to get an occupational license if they are working on a project that costs less than $500, including materials and labor. However, to execute a project that costs more than $500, the individual will first have to obtain the appropriate contractor license from the California Contractor State License (CSLB) for such work. Any handyman who performs a project worth more than $500 without first obtaining the required contractor license is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by six months imprisonment, $ 5,000 in fines, or both. 

Furthermore, if the offense committed includes working outside the handyman's license exemption scope, the CSLB may also impose an administrative fee ranging from $200 to $15,000 on the handyman. To avoid the aforementioned statutory penalties, handymen in San Jose are advised to check the total cost of completing a project before starting the work. This will help the individual confirm whether or not a contractor license will be required for the project.

Handymen can also call the CSLB at (800) 321-2751 to learn more about the criteria for certain contractor licenses required to execute specific projects. While handymen are expected to obtain a contractor license where required, San Jose residents should double-check whether the handyman they wish to hire for their job has obtained the required contractor license before beginning the project. Residents can do this by asking the handyman to provide proof of licensure and verifying the information using the State of California's Check a Contractor License tool.

In addition to obtaining a contractor license for specific types of projects, handymen in San Jose are also required to meet applicable business regulations in the city. Per city regulation, every person or company conducting business in San Jose is required to register for a Business Tax Certificate and pay business tax within the first 15 days of operation.

Failure to pay business tax within the first 15 days of operation will result in a 25% increase in the initial tax value, and failure to pay the tax after one month will result in a further 25% increase in the tax value. As such, San Jose handymen should research the city's specific business regulations before offering their services, as this will help them avoid unnecessary fines. For more information concerning business regulations, call (408) 535-7055 and click option 2.

Finally, as a resident of San Jose, it is your responsibility to find out whether the handyman you wish to hire for your project has met the applicable business regulations before signing an agreement with them. You can confirm whether the handyman has met the applicable business regulations by requesting their business tax certificate and looking up the business tax certificate using the city's business tax lookup tool. 

Note that hiring a handyman who has met the city's business regulations means that you are hiring a law-abiding citizen and an individual who is eligible to provide the type of services you need in the city.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Handymen in San Jose?

Before hiring a handyman for any type of project in San Jose, it is essential to note that the cost of retaining a handyman's services is influenced by a variety of factors. The nature of the job, the amount of labor required to complete the job, the type and cost of materials, and the number of hands needed to complete the job are all factors that can influence the cost of a handyman's service.

Since the cost of retaining the services of a handyman will vary depending on the aforementioned factors, residents are advised to always get and compare quotes from multiple handymen before choosing the best hand for the job. Residents will not only have a clear understanding of how much their project will cost by comparing estimates from multiple handymen, but they will also avoid spending more than the average market price for the service.

San Jose handymen earn an average wage of $59,870 annually. Listed below is the cost comparison of average hourly wages of handymen and other general maintenance and repair workers in San Jose with those of workers in this industry across the State of California and major American cities:

Do You Require a Permit To Complete This Work in San Jose?

Not every home improvement project requires a permit in San Jose. However, as a homeowner, it is your responsibility to ensure that your handyman finds out whether a permit is required for your home improvement work and obtains the appropriate permit before starting the work.

Per the city requirements, any home improvement work that changes the structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical configuration of a home and the design of walls, roofs, and major appliances in a home requires at least one type of building permit. To obtain a permit for home improvement work, the authorized agent or handyman must first select the appropriate permit service option. Home improvement work permit applications can be submitted online or in person by homeowners, licensed contractors, or an authorized agent in San Jose.

Note that online permit applications are for small projects that do not require plan review. Authorized agents or handymen can check the home improvement work permits that are issued online on the city's Development Services permit page. Once it has been confirmed that the type of permit required for your project is available online, the handyman will now proceed to create a user profile. After creating a user profile, the handyman must fill out the relevant information and pay the appropriate permit fee before the permit is provided.

To obtain a permit in person, on the other hand, applicants must download, complete, and submit a building permit application form with the necessary plans for the project at:

For more information concerning the requirements and procedures for obtaining a home improvement work permit in San Jose, call (408) 535-3555. Note that all home improvement work for which a permit is obtained in San Jose will also require inspection. Homeowners should always ensure that their handyman schedules an inspection with the city's Building Division before completing the work.

What Works Can You Do Legally as a Handyman in San Jose?

Handymen are different from general building and construction contractors in San Jose because there is no monetary limit on the service they offer. While general building and construction contractors are required to obtain a CSLB-issued license before they can execute home improvement projects worth $500 or more, handymen in San Jose are authorized to do any type of work, provided the job costs less than $500.

Cabinet repair, snow removal, repairing or replacing broken electrical and plumbing fixtures, patching holes in walls, and painting patios and decks are all common jobs that can be executed by handymen in the city. Although there is no mandatory requirement for handymen to have an occupational license in San Jose, residents should keep in mind that picking a handyman who is skilled and competent in the type of service they seek is critical.

Hiring an experienced handyman not only ensures that you get someone with the right skill set for the work but also that you get someone who knows exactly what the project requires.

Outlined below are cost estimates for some of the services that handymen in San Jose offer:

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Handymen in San Jose?

San Jose handymen are not required by law to carry insurance. However, honest handymen in the city understand the need to carry insurance coverage because it is the only way to protect clients from potential financial and legal responsibilities that may arise due to accidents or mistakes that occur during work. As a homeowner, you must understand that hiring a handyman who is not insured exposes you to financial risks resulting from accidents or mistakes that often lead to property damage or bodily injury during your work.

Furthermore, homeowners must also understand that work accidents or mistakes may occur multiple times before the work is completed, considerably increasing their exposure to financial risks significantly. This is possible when one considers the number of work injuries recorded amongst general maintenance and repair workers in several locations nationwide.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, general maintenance and repair employees suffered 70 fatal work-related injuries and 23,400 nonfatal work-related injuries in 2020 alone. As such, you must ensure that the handyman you intend to hire is carrying general liability insurance before signing off any agreement with them. You can find out whether an individual has general liability insurance by asking for their insurance certificate and contacting the insurance company that issued the certificate.

In addition to holding active general liability insurance, handymen with employees in San Jose are expected to maintain workers' compensation insurance. Accordingly, if your handyman will not be working on the project alone, requesting proof of Workers' Compensation Insurance is also necessary. For more information concerning workers' compensation insurance, contact the Division of Workers' Compensation of the state's Department of Industrial Relations at: