Frequently Asked questions

Reading Handyman Services - most commonly asked questions
How long have you been established?

Reading Handyman was established in 2009 under a different name as a property maintenance company. Back in 2012, we decided to create another property maintenance company which focuses only on larger jobs and allow Reading Handyman to provide first class handyman services.

Why have I not heard of you before?

Probably because we don’t spend any money on advertising. When you are in this business for so many years you get recommendations from satisfied customers. We also have a number of regular clients such as landlords and large estates throughout Berkshire and Oxfordshire. It also helps that people recommend us on social media websites.  It means we can spend more time focusing on delivering great property maintenance services, and less time and money on trying to work out how to use Google Adwords and other advertising platforms. Please pass on the word if you are happy with our service.

Why are you called Reading Handyman

Mainly because we are Reading based and provide handyman services. When we registered our domain name, that was the best name available. We tried to buy more exotic sounding names from domain squatters at that time but couldn’t agree on the price.

How much does your service cost?

£30.00 for the first half hour, £15.00 per half hour thereafter. Minimum charge per visit is £60.00. Our daily rate £200.00 Materials are charged separately. We add a markup to materials we supply because we have to use our time and money to source the parts for your job. Any parking charges we incur whilst visiting your home or office will be added to the final bill.

Do you come with all the right tools?

Yes! We have a full range of tools to tackle a huge number of different jobs. We also carry lots of small parts such as screws, nails, wall plugs, plumbing connections, brackets and more. That way we don’t need to “pop out” to get the parts and waste your and our time. If you book online and tell us what needs doing we might source the parts before we turn up.

Do you offer free estimates?

Normally we’ll give you a rough idea over the phone/email of how long your job might take. We are happy to come out and quote as long as you are aware of our hourly and daily rates. When you book a handyman whey they arrive they will confirm or revise the estimate based on what they find at the job. If it is going to take a lot longer than expected, and you decide not to go ahead, we won’t charge you anything. If you are happy to go ahead then our handyman will do the job there and then. For larger jobs, like painting and decoratingtiling or bathroom fitting, we would usually make a separate visit first to give you a free estimate.

Are you insured?

Yes, we hold a professional indemnity insurance policy ( £1.000.000 ) backed by Zurich Insurance which provides insurance coverage, subject to its terms and conditions, for certain liabilities in connection with the professional services provided by Reading Handyman.

How quickly can you come out?

Same day service might be possible. To check availability please text us, let us know what needs doing and when. We reply to texts within 30min. Emails might take a bit longer. Most of the work we do is booked in a couple of days in advance however, we can often squeeze jobs in on the same day especially if you need our services after 5 pm.

Do you work weekends?

Yes, we work on Saturdays and charge our standard hourly and daily rates. Sunday work is possible only if agreed in advance. For Sunday jobs we usually charge a 50% premium over our standard rates.

Do you offer a 24/7 service?

Our usual hours are 8 am to 8 pm Monday to Friday. We might be available for emergency work. The best way to check is to text our mobile number and we’ll see if anyone is available to come and help you.

Do you have any GasSafe registered engineers?

No. We don’t work with gas. Our skilled handymen can handle a wide range of repair jobs, but we are not GasSafe registered and we won’t touch your gas installations. Other plumbing work is welcome as long as it’s not gas related.

How can I pay for your handyman services?

We accept cash, credit cards or debit cards. Most major credit and debit cards are accepted and our handymen will have a mobile payment terminal with them when they visit your home/office. For larger jobs where a deposit might be needed to source materials and such, we’ll ask you to do a bank transfer.

What areas do you cover?

We currently operate across Reading, Wokingham, Basingstoke, Didcot, Henley-on-Thames and everywhere else in between those places. For larger jobs, our handymen are willing to travel even further.

Handyman services timeslots?

We give specific one-hour slots in which we aim to arrive. We are extremely reliable. In the unlikely event that we can’t make it for whatever reason, we will text/call you to let you know.

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