The Handyman SF

From your phone: booking a handyman for a San Francisco home

You can book a handyman in San Francisco from your phone with the free HandymanNow app. Photograph the stuck sash or cracked plaster, send the request, and keep every message and status update about the job together.

  • No cost to homeowners
  • Stair and parking notes in chat
  • Status from accepted to done
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.

Why a phone helps with city repairs

Here the building complicates a repair before it starts: shared walls, garages under flats, stairs, parking and management rules. The app gives you one place to lay all of that out for the handyman.

Show the old woodwork

Houses built in the city before 1915 often have doors and sash under many coats of paint, and a plain stucco front added decades later can hide original windows. Photograph the window, the hinge side of the door or the crack in the plaster, and the handyman sees the age of what they will be working on.

Explain the way in

On the western avenues, many houses sit wall to wall on 25-foot lots, so every ladder and board arrives by the front steps or the garage. Say which one in the messages, mention how many steps lead up to the entry, and note whether there is a driveway to use.

Pass along building rules

In a Mission Bay condo or any managed building, work can depend on a booked elevator, loading hours and limits on drilling into concrete walls. Send a photo of the posted rules or type them into the chat, so none of it surprises the handyman at the lobby.

Time the parking spot

Once the handyman is on the way, the app shows them on the map. On blocks where curb space is scarce, that tells you when to move your car out of the driveway or head downstairs to open a street door.

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

What the app gives you

Profiles you can read

Every handyman profile is reviewed before that person can take jobs in the app. Open it to see their trades and experience, and read reviews left by other homeowners.

Price agreed between you

HandymanNow is free for homeowners and never asks you to pay inside the app. Whatever the job costs is settled directly with the handyman, and the app never shows you a bill.

A record of the whole job

Photos, messages and each status change sit together in one place for the job. When the work is finished, you confirm it is done and rate the handyman.

Questions homeowners ask

Can I request help before the app is on my phone?

Yes. Create your account here now; the same login will open HandymanNow once it reaches you. Android is rolling out to everyone soon and iPhone is coming soon. Meanwhile, the form on any San Francisco neighborhood page works, or you can call or text (415) 449-8213.

Can I use the app for a soft-story retrofit?

Not for the bracing work: new steel frames or ground-floor shear walls need a licensed contractor and permits. The cleanup afterward is different. Patching and painting around the fresh framing, putting garage shelves back up and easing doors that now stick can all be requested with a photo of each spot.

How do I tell the handyman about my building's elevator or loading rules?

Message them in the app and attach a photo of any posted rules. Include the booking window, where a vehicle can load, and whether drilling into concrete or steel needs approval from management, so the building's rules shape the visit instead of stopping it.

Will I see the handyman on the map the whole time?

The map shows the handyman while they are on the way to you. After that, the status tells you they have arrived, are working and are done, so you can follow the visit without the map once they are at your door.

Do I pay through the app for work on my Victorian?

No. There is no payment in HandymanNow. You and the handyman agree a price directly and settle it between you. The app is free for homeowners whether the repair is a sash cord in a Victorian or a faucet in a condo.

Guides for homes in San Francisco

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