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How Much Should You Tip a Handyman?

handyman smiling

handyman smiling

Tipping, regardless of the industry, can be extremely stressful. You don’t want to insult the worker by tipping too much or too little. As a result, everyone wonders who they should tip, how much, and why? Speaking theoretically and in reference to the social norms of the United States, you should tip any worker who provides excellent service. Some situations demand tipping, such as when you eat at a restaurant, while other situations find tipping ludicrous, such as when you go to a doctor.

As a result, there’s no one correct answer for how to tip, making the process of tipping even more complex and stressful. Tipping a handyman can be difficult since many of them are self-employed, which drastically changes the protocol. To help you determine how to tip your handyman, we have created this helpful guide. In this guide, we offer vital tips, ideas, and traditions for tipping your handyman.

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Guide to Tipping Your Handyman

Tipping your handyman can be tricky because there is no one go-to rule, such as when you tip at a restaurant. Tipping your handyman depends on multiple factors, such as who is doing the repairs.

We have broken up how to tip your handyman based on two situations: when the handyman is the business owner and when the handyman is an employee of a repair business. Each situation will warrant different tipping protocols.

Tipping Your Handyman Is Never Expected or Necessary

Before elaborating on the protocols for each situation, it is important to note that tipping your handyman is never necessary or expected, such as when you eat at a restaurant. At the same time, it is not unheard of to tip your handyman. For this reason, you can tip your handyman if you want to, but it is not expected.

You should tip your handyman if they exceed your expectations, save you money, or find a potentially costly break, allowing you to fix the problem before it becomes a money-drainer. Outside of being surprised or happy with the repair results and experience, you do not need to tip your handyman. With that out of the way, let’s look at the two scenarios when tipping your handyman.

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How To Tip Your Handyman

1. When Your Handyman Is the Owner Of The Business

local handyman

Many repair companies are local, family-run operations. As a result, there’s a high chance that your handyman is the owner of the business. In most industries, including the repair industry, tipping the owner is often frowned upon since the owner is viewed as your equal. The thought process is that they do not need to be tipped since they own their own business.

However, you may be pleased by the business owner’s performance and want to tip them, even though they are the owner. If that is the case, there are some alternatives to tipping that will mean much more to the owner than extra cash.

Here are some ways to show your gratitude to a business owner without using money:

  • Write an outstanding review online
  • Offer to act as a reference for future clients
  • Refer the business to a friend

If you have a more personal relationship with the business owner, you could give them a more personal gift. You may want to consider a bottle of wine, a batch of cookies around the holidays, or tickets to a sporting event. However, try to avoid giving a gift card because that is too similar to cash.

If you want gift ideas, read our guide to 25 Gifts for the Handyman in Your Life.

Quick Tips for Tipping the Business Owner

  • Tipping with cash is typically frowned upon
  • Don’t tip with a gift card
  • Leave a glowing review
  • Offer to act as a reference
  • Refer the business to a friend

2. When Your Handyman Is an Employee

Handyman If your handyman is an employee of a company, it is much more common to tip, but it is not expected, nonetheless. If you think your handyman did a phenomenal job, tip them. Unlike tipping at a restaurant, you are not expected to tip based on a percentage since the cost can be too high depending on the job.

If your handyman has done something remarkable, such as making an early catch on a potentially hazardous wire or allowing your child to “help” fix the problem, you might feel tipping as much as $50 is justified. However, $10 to $20 is a more accurate range for most handyman tipping purposes.

Do not tip below $10, though, because it is a little insulting. So, always try to tip $10 or more if you plan on tipping. Additionally, leaving a review is always a great idea, even if your handyman is an employee. Not only will this benefit the business in general, but it will also tell the business owner that their employee is customer-oriented.

Quick Tips for Tipping an Employee

  • Don’t tip more than $50
  • Don’t tip less than $10
  • Leave a glowing review

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Conclusion

Tipping your handyman is an excellent idea if they exceeded your expectations and offered great customer service. Although tipping your handyman is not expected, it will undoubtedly be appreciated and leave you and the handyman satisfied with the experience. To recap, it is a great idea to tip your handyman if they exceeded your expectations and you were overly satisfied with their service.

Tradition typically advises against tipping a business owner, but there is no reason not to offer a gift, leave a glowing review, or refer the business to a friend if you are highly pleased by the repair. However, if your handyman is an employee, you can tip them but don’t tip below $10.

Try to follow your intuition when deciding how much you want to tip your handyman. Your emotions will guide you on the pesky terrain of navigating tipping your handyman. In addition to tipping, always leave a glowing review. Though tipping is appreciated, a great review will help the business get more clients, which will mean more to the business, business owner, and employees in the long run.


Featured Image Credit: Freepik

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