Home repair and handyman service

About the business

Going to people's homes for small repairs - fitting fans, fixing wiring, checking switches and circuits, mending taps and pipes, repairing doors, windows and furniture. The capital needed is almost nothing: the skill and the toolbox are the whole investment. The real decision is where the work comes from - your own neighbourhood, or an app. On Sheba.xyz's electric and plumbing section on 16 September 2026 the rates were: ceiling fan install or uninstall Tk 400, electrical check-up Tk 625, fan servicing from Tk 300, light installation Tk 300, main circuit breaker servicing from Tk 400, distribution board servicing from Tk 800, and furniture assembly and fitting from Tk 805, with Tk 500 added for work between 10pm and 8am. The tradesman does not keep all of that. The platform's own page data states a maximum commission rate of 30 percent by service category (15 on renovation work) and a VAT rate of 15 percent, so on a Tk 400 job up to Tk 120 can go to the platform. In return the platform brings the customer and makes sure the money arrives after the job. Working directly in your own area keeps the whole fee, but you have to find the customers yourself and some of them pay late. Choosing between those two is what this trade really comes down to.

Unit economics

What you need to start

• A tester, screwdriver set, pliers and cutters, a drill with bits, a pipe wrench and Teflon tape, hammer, saw, tape measure, a ladder and a carry box. Insulated-handle tools are essential for electrical work.Equipment
• Keep a few fast-moving parts in hand - switches, sockets, holders, wire, tape, tap washers, Teflon tape, screws and wall plugs - so that one job does not need two visits.Starting stock
• Trade licence from the city corporation or municipality: form Tk 10, licence book Tk 50, standard tax Tk 30, stamp Tk 150-300, licence fee Tk 100-60,000 by trade type, plus VAT and a signboard fee. Usually issued in 3-5 working days.Licence
• Understanding wiring, earthing and circuit breakers; fixing water lines and tap leaks; dismantling, assembling and fitting furniture. The biggest skill is finding the fault fast, because customers pay for the repair, not for the time spent looking.Skill
• Local hardware and electrical shops, both for parts and as a source of customers; and registration on a service platform if you want work online.Supplier
• No separate shop is needed - the work happens at the customer's home. A place at home to keep tools and a few common parts is enough.Workspace

How the work is done

1. 1Decide what you can actually do - electrical, plumbing, carpentry, or a little of all three. Electrical mistakes kill people, so do not take on what you do not know.
2. 2Put together your own toolbox: tester, screwdrivers, pliers, drill, pipe wrench, hammer, saw and tape. Borrowed tools do not make a professional.
3. 3Fix your prices in advance and write them down - by job, not by hour. In the market light installation is Tk 300, fan fitting Tk 400 and an electrical check-up Tk 625; set yours against those.
4. 4Keep the cost of parts separate and say so up front. Switches, wire, taps and bearings are not yours to absorb - if you do not say it first, there is an argument at the end.
5. 5Take a trade licence from the city corporation or municipality. Offices, shops and landlords will want it for regular work, and a platform may ask for papers too.
6. 6Get to know the hardware and electrical shops in your area. Customers come to the shopkeeper first and he passes the name on - most of the work comes from that one place.
7. 7Give your number to the caretakers and landlords of flat buildings nearby. One job in a building brings repeat calls, and it saves travel time.
8. 8Do the arithmetic before joining a platform. Sheba's data shows a maximum commission rate of 30 percent, so up to Tk 120 can come off a Tk 400 job. In return you get customers and certainty of payment, which helps at the start; once your book is full your own customers pay better.
9. 9Keep a separate night rate. The market adds Tk 500 for work between 10pm and 8am; people pay it in an emergency, so do not undercharge.
10. 10Offer a few days' warranty after the job and say so. The market standard is a seven-day service warranty, with parts covered as the manufacturer allows. Saying it builds trust.
11. 11Write down the customer's name, address, date and fee for every job. Six months on, that notebook is your customer list, and repeat work comes out of it.

Sources

• সিটি কর্পোরেশন থেকে ট্রেড লাইসেন্স প্রাপ্তির ধাপ সমূহ

  Collected: 16 Sept 2026

  Supports: Starting capital, Time to first revenue · বাংলাদেশ

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