Many Lower Mainland handymen are trustworthy. The risky ones usually show themselves in the quote before any work happens. This guide walks through the red flags that mean you should keep shopping, and how my own written quote process handles each one.
What are the red flags in a handyman quote?
There are seven I would watch for. The price is verbal only. Cash is demanded before any work. There is no business licence or insurance proof. The price is far below every other bid. The handyman cannot explain the steps. GST is on the bill with no GST number. And nobody will give you a straight answer about WorkSafeBC. Each one is covered below.
1. The quote is verbal only
If you cannot get the price in writing, you do not really have a price. A verbal quote can turn into "the job was bigger than I thought" once the work starts. A serious handyman should be willing to put the estimate in an email or a written form before the job begins.
2. Cash only with a discount for paying up front
A small cash discount is fine. A demand for cash up front before any work is done is not. Real handymen carry liability insurance, run a real business, and accept e-transfer or cheque. If someone insists on cash and pushes for a deposit before the job, walk away.
3. Missing business licence or insurance proof
BC has no general handyman trade licence, so there is no trade licence number to ask for. Ask for two other things instead. The first is a business licence from the city. Cities license the businesses that work inside them, and the Fraser Valley has a shared licence for trades contractors. The second is proof of liability insurance. If a handyman hesitates on either one, that tells you something.
Electrical, plumbing and gas work are a separate matter. They belong to certified trades. My guide on what a handyman can legally do in BC shows where that line sits and how business licences work across the Fraser Valley.
4. The price is way under the others
If three handymen quote in a similar range and one number is far below the rest, ask what is missing. It may be prep, materials, cleanup, or the part of the job that gets added later as a change order. My guide on what a handyman costs in BC explains what should be inside a real price.
5. They can't explain what they'd actually do
Ask the handyman to describe the steps. A prepared one can walk you through prep, materials, the actual work, and cleanup. "I will take care of it" is not enough detail for a repair you are paying for.
6. GST on the bill with no GST number
A handyman does not always have to charge GST. The CRA treats a business as a small supplier until its taxable sales pass $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive calendar quarters. A small supplier that has not registered does not charge GST at all. So a small operator with no GST number can be completely above board.
The red flag is GST added to the bill with no number beside it. The CRA's invoice rules list the supplier's GST registration number as required information on any bill of $100 or more. You can check a number yourself on the CRA's free GST/HST Registry with the number, the business name and the date on the invoice.
7. No straight answer about WorkSafeBC
Ask whether the business is registered with WorkSafeBC. The answer depends on who does the work. WorkSafeBC's page for homeowners says coverage is optional for an owner who works alone and hires no workers. Once a crew is involved, WorkSafeBC says you as the customer could be held responsible for unpaid premiums if the business is not in good standing. How to pull the letter yourself, step by step, is in my guide to getting a WorkSafeBC clearance letter.
The check is a WorkSafeBC clearance letter. You can request one online with the business's account number or its exact legal or trade name, before the work starts and again after it ends. A handyman who will not give you the details to look them up has told you what you need to know.
Every job I take gets a written scope before I start, so the price is agreed in advance and the list stays the list.
Want me to take this one on? My page on home repairs covers what the visit includes, what I hand off, and how I price it.
What I give you up front
Every quote I send gets the same treatment, whether it is for handyman repairs in Langley or home repairs in Cloverdale.
- Free written estimate by email after photos and details are reviewed
- Business # 79853 7957 and GST # 79853 7957 RT0001 on every invoice
- I am insured and do every job myself
- $200 minimum per job with no hourly meter
- Itemized invoice with materials and labour broken out
- Come-back-free workmanship promise attached to the repair
