The Handyman SF

Requesting an East Bay handyman on your phone, hills to valleys

You can request a handyman in the East Bay on your phone, free, with the HandymanNow app. Show the cracked plaster or sun-split fence in photos, explain winding hill streets in the messages, and watch the status move to done.

  • Free for East Bay homeowners
  • Map view while they drive over
  • Message the handyman in the app
Create my free account What the app does

How the app works

  1. Create your account

    Confirm your email, add your phone and home address. The same login opens the app.

  2. Describe the job

    A sentence and a few photos tell a handyman what they are walking into.

  3. Follow your handyman

    See when they accept, message them, and watch them on the map on the way.

  4. Confirm and rate

    Mark the work done when you are happy, and leave a rating for the next neighbor.

What the app changes for you

Status you don't have to chase

The job moves through accepted, on the way, arrived, working and done in the app, so there is no calling around to find out whether someone is coming.

Reviewed before they work

Handyman profiles are reviewed before they can take jobs in HandymanNow. You can look at the profile and read what other homeowners wrote in their reviews.

Free, with the deal made directly

The app costs homeowners nothing and has no payment screen. You settle the price with the handyman yourself, in person or in the app's messages.

Using the app with East Bay houses

Winding hill roads, century-old shingle houses and hot valley subdivisions are all simpler to handle when the handyman can see and read the details before the visit.

Directions for the hills

Many hill homes above Oakland and Berkeley were rebuilt after the 1991 firestorm along steep streets that twist up the ridge. Message which driveway is yours, where a truck can pull over and whether there are steps to the door, then follow the handyman on the map once they are on the way.

Photos of fault cracks

Along the Hayward Fault, slow creep can crack walls and set doors sticking. Photograph the cracks with something for scale and say whether they come back after patching. Cosmetic cracks are handyman work; ones that return or reach the foundation call for a licensed contractor or engineer.

Matching old materials

Brown-shingle houses from the 1880s to the early 1920s fill much of the flats. A close photo of the shingle pattern, the trim profile or the old door hardware lets the handyman know what needs matching, so the repair blends with the rest of the house.

Valley heat and association rules

Past the Caldecott Tunnel, Tri-Valley summers can pass 100 degrees and dry out fences, decks and paint. If an association governs your subdivision, send its rules on fences and exterior colors in the chat before you and the handyman settle the work.

Questions homeowners ask

Does the app work for hill addresses that are hard to find?

The app takes your location when you send a request and uses it to match handymen near you. For the last part of the trip, write directions in the messages: the driveway, a landmark, any steps. Once the handyman is on the way, you can see them on the map.

Can I use it for fire-season prep on a hill lot?

Yes, for the smaller tasks: scooping leaves out of gutters, patching torn vent screens, closing the gap under a door and shifting a wood fence so it no longer touches the walls. A new roof or a deck rebuilt in fire-resistant materials is a contractor's job. A photo of each spot shows the scale.

What if I have an iPhone?

The iPhone app is coming soon, and Android is rolling out to everyone soon. Sign up on this page now and the same email and password will open the app later. Meanwhile, send the request from an East Bay city page's form, or call or text (415) 449-8213.

How do I finish a job in the app?

When the handyman's status reaches done, confirm in the app that the work is complete. You can then rate the handyman. If anything is left over, raise it in the messages first, while the details of the visit are still fresh for both of you.

Is any payment taken for a job in Berkeley or Walnut Creek?

No payment goes through HandymanNow, and it is free for homeowners anywhere in the East Bay. The handyman and you agree the price directly, whether the job is plaster in a Berkeley brown shingle or a fence in a valley subdivision.

HandymanNow, in your pocket

One place for the request, the conversation and the visit, from the first photo to the rating.

Opening soon onGoogle PlayComing soon to theApp Store
  • Describe the job and add photos
  • See the handyman's profile and reviews
  • Message in the app, no numbers to swap
  • Follow them on the map while they drive over

Guides for homes in The East Bay

Call Create my account