Handy: Not-so-Handy Site for Cleaners & Contractors

What is Handy?

Handy promises to connect clients with people looking for work as cleaners and contractors. However, the site has an obtuse pay structure that rarely pays the amount promised. Worse, workers are subject to fines, often for problems the app created.

How it works

If you want to sign up to work for Handy, you  fill out a form choosing the type of work you do from a drop-down menu. You’ll then need to agree to a lengthy “terms of service” and “professional agreement.”

After that, you’ll need to submit to a background check, which requires that you provide your Social Security number and date of birth. Next, you’ll need to verify your identity generally with either a driver’s license or passport and photo. And download the app, which is where you’ll see jobs and communicate with the platform.

If you’re approved, you’ll get notified whenever there is a job available.

Handy Review:

Handy is a good example of what happens when a bad company gets acquired by another bad company, that previously merged with a third bad company. You get a toxic stew of bad ideas that serve no one — not customers nor contractors.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

From the beginning

Handy was one of the early entrants into the so-called “gig” economy. Formed in 2012, the site enlisted freelance cleaners and contractors to provide both regular and on-demand services for homeowners. With the help of millions of dollars in venture capital, the site expanded and now operates in most of the U.S.

In 2018, the company was purchased by Angi Inc., which had purchased HomeAdvisor the year before. All three companies operated somewhat differently, but none admirably.

Angi had originally started as a lauded contractor referral service. The pitch was that the company vetted contractors, seeking past customers for recommendations and publishing legitimate reviews. And because good contractors were hard to find, people bought monthly memberships to get these recommendations. But, in an apparent bid to raise revenue, the site began to highlight contractors who paid advertising fees, rather than those who were most qualified. Not surprisingly, that alienated contractors and consumers alike.

HomeAdvisor, meanwhile, enlisted contractors to sign up to get business leads that resulted from consumers inquiring about a service, such as a plumbing or painting job. Contractors had to pay for each lead. But the leads were given to multiple contractors. And many contractors maintain that the leads are bogus anyway. Indeed, in 2023, HomeAdvisor settled a government lawsuit by agreeing to pay roughly $7 million in fees back to contractors.

Back to Handy…

Handy’s claim to fame was that it would book cleaners or contractors to come to your home either on a regular or intermittent basis. Particularly for cleaning, the service aimed to be essentially an agency that a consumer could contact to arrange both weekly house cleanings, or special deep cleanings on demand.

However, contractors working for this company complained that the company charged nearly twice as much for the jobs as it paid the workers. As a result, regardless of whether you provided house cleaning or electrical services, the rates earned by the people doing the work were poor.

For instance, even though the site requires workers to have paid experience in whatever work category applied to, nearly everyone started at a low wage — from $15 to about $40, depending on the job. Notably, the $40 promised hourly rates were for skilled contractors, such as electricians and plumbers, who typically charge more than $60 an hour on Taskrabbit.

Penalty fees

And not only did Handy pay poorly, it imposed a laundry list of penalty fees on contractors. These fees hit when you were late for a job or left early. However, as the company has been folded into Angi, it now only imposes cancellation and no-show fees. Notably, you’re nicked with these fees even if you cancelled because the job had been misrepresented.

Contractors even get fined when they can’t complete a job because the client messed up and didn’t provide a key, for instance. And the fees are not insignificant, running from $10 to $50, depending on the infraction. Given that housekeepers earn about $15 per hour here, the fees can wipe out your pay completely.

Worker reviews

Workers say jobs are often misrepresented and require far more work than what they’re paid for. They also complain about the pay and the penalty fees. Not surprisingly, Handy gets our lowest Husl$core, reflecting the miserable prospects this site presents for workers.

Affiliation with HomeAdvisor

If you provide a service outside of cleaning, you may be referred over to Handy’s affiliate, HomeAdvisor. HomeAdvisor is an equally unattractive site for contractors. It asks contractors to pay for job leads, which contractors maintain are often bogus. You can read our HomeAdvisor review here.

Pay

The site is cagey about how much contractors are paid, saying only that jobs are set by a flat fee that you’ll see when the job is presented in the app. However, Indeed estimates that cleaners earn about $14 – $16 per hour here. And handymen/women generally earn about $18 to $20, but can earn as much as $40. It also says that contractors are generally dissatisfied with their pay.

After completing a job, you’ll get paid within 7 days by direct deposit.

Recommendations:

Both workers and clients should avoid Handy, HomeAdvisor and Angi Services, which are all part of the same corporate umbrella. If you want to sign up anyway, you can find Handy here. But don’t say we didn’t warn you.

You have a much better chance of finding good work through TaskRabbit or neighborhood social media sites, such as Nextdoor. And Nextdoor charges nothing for the referral and won’t penalize you if you get hung up in traffic.

Other good sites for contractors and landscapers include ToolBelt and JiffyOnDemand.

What their workers say: (from Indeed)

Over 50% of the income from jobs go to Angi’s. No support, app is laggy and buggy. You pay all fees and I mean everything comes out your pocket

This company does not care about its customers just as much as they don’t care about the professionals that handled the jobs …. Working with Handy is the most aggravating job I’ve ever had because their system is broken

Stressful, wondering if you should waste more money quoting another job. The more expensive the quote the more you have to pay to quote it, then handy gets all the money from everyone who quotes even if customer changes mind and doesn’t hire anyone. (Contractor)

Work w/no pay

They let you work and will not pay you, if there are any issues. (Cleaning technician)

Handy took 75% of my earnings. I would not recommend it as a service place or job site to no one. (contractor)

They will charge the customer four times the amount they want to pay you. They want you to drive your own personal vehicle use your on tools and your own fuel. And then they say you’re self-employed but don’t get the benefit of being so as they control everything you do. (Handyman)

Unfair fines

Constantly trying to fine your pay with out investigations, no way to handle personal or health emergencies. No employee protection or hr.

I run my own security camera system company from home. I take on little jobs from handy and it’s a complete waste of time. This company is completely ripping us hard working people off. A big sign is paying to cash out your own money that’s ridiculous. I do a job once I complete it I would like to get paid for it. And if I’m installing a TV I shouldn’t have to provide the customer with no materials that should be at the customer’s cost not mine. This company needs to change the way it does things and it could be a great place to work.

From Glassdoor

Rescheduling charges

“My van broke down and I was one of the top cleaners at the company I had a 10 rating across the board. Well when my van broke down, I couldn’t work. The company charged me $50 per job and I was working 5 jobs a day 7 days a week. Even though all my clients had no problem rescheduling with me, Handy still charged me so you do the math. ”

“The late fees and cancellation fees are outrageous”

No one to contact

In case of any emergency there is no number to call. I once had to leave a job site because a client left open drugs in the house and I had to email them and wait 15 mins for a response, then fight for myself not to be charged for the job being incomplete.

Customers can cancel the day before with no repercussions. If you do that, $10 charge. Do it on the day of it can be as high as $50 whether you have an emergency or not. Need to speak to a live person? Good luck with that. You have no idea exactly where you are going until the night before and have no idea what the client expects from you until you are literally walking in their home! They want to charge you for access to a listing to more jobs. Really?!?? Then will cancel at last minute. Try it out and then come back to this post and see if everything said isn’t the truth.”

Updated 7/20/2024