Installing a tile backsplash is easy if you follow the right process, even if you’ve never tiled before.

However, most tutorials only show half of what you need to know, leaving out necessary steps.

In this tutorial, I provide a comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide for installing a tile backsplash, so you can achieve professional results as a beginner.

Contents

• Video tutorial – How to install a tile backsplash (above)
• Tools and materials needed
• What size trowel do you need?
• Step-by-step written tutorial
• Cost breakdown vs. hiring a contractor
• How long does it take to install a tile backsplash?

Essential Equipment – Tools and Materials

Tools

• Wax pencil
• Trowel (See “What size trowel do you need?”)
• Putty knife
• Grout float
• 5 Gallon buckets X2
• Wet tile saw (you can rent one)
• Angle grinder w/ diamond blade
• Manual tile cutter (optional)
• Miter saw (needed for cutting edging)
• Metal blade (for cutting aluminum edging)
• Cordless Drill (for installing drywall)
• Level
• Laser level (optional)
• Mixer (for mixing thinset)
• Measure tape
• Razor knife
• Caulking gun

Safety Equipment

• Gloves
• Eye protection
• Ear protection
• Respirator

Materials

• Tile (10-15% extra)
• Tile Edging Trim (Optional – to end tile on open wall)
• Drywall, drywall screws, tape, and mudd (if replacing old drywall)
• Grout (I like Laticrete Permacolor)
• Thinset or Mastic
• Colored caulking to match grout
• Sponge
• Microfiber cloth (optional)
• Tile spacers
• Tile wedges
• Masking paper
• Masking tape

Tile used for this project:

Festival White Picket Matte Square Porcelain Mosaic (purchased from Floor and Decor)

What size trowel do you need?

Choosing the right trowel size is essential. If you go too big, thinset will squeeze between the joints and make a mess. If you go too small, you won’t have enough thinset to adhere the tile properly.

For this project, I used a 3/16″ V-notch trowel since my tile was smaller

For small tiles up to 4″ x 4″, use a 3/16″ V-notch trowel.

For tiles up to 8″ x 8″, use a 1/4″ x 1/4″ U or square notch trowel.

Here are some rules of thumb when choosing the proper notch size for your trowel:

• Smaller tiles require a smaller notch size than larger tiles.
• Wall tiles require a smaller notch size than floor tiles.
• Irregularly shaped tiles require a deeper notch than smooth, consistent tiles.

Here’s a quick reference guide that I find helpful.

Installing a Tile Backsplash in 10 Easy Steps

Step 1: Measure and Shop for Materials

Start by measuring your backsplash area. You’ll need to know two things:

1. Square footage – Measure the total area and plan to buy 10–15% extra tile to allow for cuts and mistakes.
2. Edging requirements – Any place where tile ends on an open wall will need edging. You can use aluminum trim pieces (shown below) or tiles with a finished edge.

Once you have your measurements, print the materials list above, take it to the tile store, and select your tile. Keep in mind that your choice of tile affects difficulty. Smaller tiles, such as subway tile, are the easiest to install. Larger format tiles are slightly more challenging, and mosaic tiles are the most difficult.

Step 2: Prep the Walls

You want a flat, smooth, solid surface to mount the tile to. Drywall is ideal for a kitchen backsplash.

If your walls aren’t flat or smooth, then consider replacing the existing drywall or using drywall mud or thinset to level dips and bumps. If you are removing an existing tile backsplash, it’s much easier to remove the drywall along with the backsplash as I explain in the video above.

If you are installing new drywall, shim the studs behind the drywall so that they are all even with each other, creating as close to a perfectly flat wall as possible.

Pay special attention to the corners where two walls of tile will meet. Make sure both walls are plumb (perfectly vertical); otherwise, it will look terrible once you tile it.

If you are using mastic to attach the tile, you’ll also need to prime your walls. Any water-based primer is fine. If you are using thinset, you do NOT need to prime the walls.

Step 3: Plan Your Layout

This is one of the most crucial (and challenging) aspects of the project. A good layout prevents awkward slivers of tile in visible areas.

This step requires patience, and here are some tips to help you achieve a solid layout.

1. First, get an accurate measurement of the height and width of each tile (including grout thickness). You’ll get a much more precise measurement if you lay out several tiles with spacers in between and measure the total width. Then, divide the total width by the number of tiles you laid out.
2. Next, choose a starting point (usually the most visible end) on each wall. This is where you will start laying the tile.
3. Next, measure the horizontal distance from the starting point to each feature on the wall where you will need to cut tile to fit. Once you have those measurements, divide them by your tile width to determine if you will have any small slivers of tile around those features.
4. If you notice an area where you will have small slivers, consider shifting the tile over by cutting the first tiles you start with. Ideally, you will avoid having slivers or awkward transitions.
5. You’ll need to do the same vertically, and typically you’ll want to start with a partial tile on the bottom row. This allows you to contour the tile to the countertop while maintaining perfectly level grout lines.
6. Check how level your countertops are and note where the high and low spots are if it’s not perfect.

Then, take some time to think things through. Pay special attention to the corners where two tiles meet, and ensure that you consider the thickness of your edging.

Sometimes slivers are unavoidable, and you’ll need to make tradeoffs. Just prioritize the most visible areas and do your best.

Step 4: Cut Your Edging

If your backsplash ends on an open wall, you’ll need edging.

The easiest type of edging is either an aluminum or plastic extrusion. These come in different widths, styles, colors, and finishes. Floor & Decor carries a wide variety of options that you can view in person.

Choose an edging that is just thicker than your tile, so that once you add the thinset or mastic, it brings the tile flush with the edging.

To cut the edging, carefully measure where it will go, then use a miter saw with a metal blade. If you don’t want to purchase a special blade, then consider using plastic edging instead.

The only way to get a clean corner with the aluminum edging is to use a miter saw. Any other method will either take way too long or look terrible.

If you don’t like the extrusions, you can also use quarter round or pencil tile as edging.

Step 5: Pre-Cut Your Tile (The Secret to a Better Install)

My #1 tip if you want to end up with a pro-looking install is to cut as many tiles in advance (before you start gluing) as you can.

Here’s why…If you follow what the pros do, you’ll be cutting and gluing tile at the same time. If you are highly skilled or have two people, this works just fine.

However, trying to do this by yourself as a beginner is a recipe for a stressful install and low-quality work. That’s because you’ll be working frantically against the clock: applying the glue, measuring for your cuts, running outside to make those cuts, setting the tile, inserting spacers, cleaning up as you go, and doing it all before the thinset hardens on your walls.

Not fun!

So instead, I recommend a different process that might be slower for a pro but faster and easier for you.

And that is to go one section at a time. Choose a section that is approximately 3-5 feet wide or less, and carefully measure and cut as many tiles as possible. Cut any other tiles that you can cut without risking mistakes as well.

You’ll likely still need to make cuts while gluing the tile to the wall, but they will be minimized.

To achieve this, it’s helpful to create a diagram as I demonstrate in the video. Then use that diagram to lay out your tile, measure, and cut that entire section.

There are many ways to cut tile as I discuss here, but you’ll likely only need three tools:

• Wet tile saw: Cleanest cuts. Essential for slivers. Highly recommended.
• Manual tile cutter: Cheap and effective for quick, straight cuts with ceramic tile. Essential for glass tile.
• Angle grinder with diamond blade: Best for outlets or angled cuts, but dusty and more jagged cuts. I view this as essential.

For marking cuts, I recommend using a wax pencil (linked above) because it won’t wash off with a wet saw, but can be easily cleaned with a Magic Eraser.

Step 6: Prep the work area for Installation

You’re almost ready to go, but there are a few things you’ll want to do before you apply the tile.

1. Install a ledger board behind the stove – This will keep the tile from sliding down the wall before the thinset hardens. This can be a straight board that you remove later, or you can nail some extra edging to the wall if you have extra.
2. Cover countertops with paper to protect from thinset and grout (tiling is messy)
3. Shut off the breaker and move the outlets so you can install tile behind them.

Step 7: Apply the Tile Using Thinset or Mastic

You can use Thinset or Mastic for applying backsplash tile. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each.

• Thinset: Stronger and water-resistant. No primer is needed, but the product must be mixed before use. Here’s how to mix thinset.
• Mastic: Does NOT require mixing, which is a big bonus. However, it does require priming the walls first, which adds another step. It’s also not water resistant like thinset, but that’s not a problem for kitchens since you aren’ taking a shower in there (I hope).

You’ll use a trowel or putty knife to apply the thinset (or mastic) to the wall, then use a trowel with the appropriately sized notch to comb consistent lines in the thinset – no bare spots.

Only apply adhesive to a small section of the backsplash at a time, as you’ll only have about 20 minutes before it starts to harden, and applying the tile will take longer than you think.

Start applying the tile, working from one side of the wall to the other and working from the bottom tile to the top tile. Press each tile firmly into place with a slight wiggle. Use spacers to keep even gaps. For mosaics, press with a grout float to keep the surface flat. Don’t over-press, or thinset will ooze through the joints.

Clean up as you go with a sponge and a bucket of water. Maintaining a clean work area will make the job go faster and make subsequent steps easier.

Make sure to insert a 1/16″ spacer or tile wedge between the bottom tile and the countertop to maintain an expansion gap. Also, leave a small gap where two walls meet. These expansion gaps will be caulked later.

Wait for 30 minutes to a couple of hours and remove the spacers. They only need to be there long enough for the thinset to begin to harden, and should not be left in overnight.

When working with thinset, you’ll have approximately 1-2 hours after mixing each batch before it begins to harden if you keep it in the bucket and stir it occasionally. However, once it’s on the walls, you only have 20 minutes. This allows some time to make additional cuts.

Step 8: Grout the Tile

Let the thinset cure overnight. Then clean the tile and remove any adhesive that squeezed into the grout joints.

Then, mix a small batch of grout (about ¼ bag at a time) to a peanut-butter consistency. I recommend using a kitchen scale to accurately measure the mixing ratios.

Apply the grout with a float at a shallow angle and push it in from multiple directions. Once you have filled the joints completely, hold the float at a sharp angle and scrape the excess off of the surface of the tile before moving on to the next section.

Once you start applying the grout, set a timer for 25 minutes. After about 25 minutes, grab a sponge and a bucket of clean water. Wring the sponge out well and wipe in a circular motion to clean off excess grout and to form the grout joints.

Remove any grout between the countertop and the bottom later of tile and where two walls meet. You can use a putty knife or anything you fancy.

Your goal with the sponge isn’t to completely clean the tile, but to form the grout joints. You’ll notice a haze on the tile after you’ve used the sponge. That’s ok.

After a few hours, wipe the haze off with either a thoroughly wrung-out sponge or a microfiber cloth (or both).

Step 9: Caulk The Expansion Joints

Once grout has hardened, caulk the joints along countertops and inside corners.

I highly recommend using a silicone caulking that matches the grout color you chose. Mapi and Laticrete both make high-quality silicone caulking that matches their grout colors.

To get perfect caulk lines without making a mess:

1. Tape the countertop and tile on both sides of the joints you will caulk. Lay it carefully because it will form the shape of the visible caulk.
2. Apply the caulking, ensuring the joint is completely filled with caulking.
3. Wipe with your finger to push the caulking into the joint (wear some gloves).
4. Then cut a shim with a squared edge to remove excess caulking as I demonstrate in the video.
5. Finally, remove the tape immediately for crisp lines.

Step 10: Clean Up and Enjoy!

Once the caulk cures (12 hours or so), your backsplash is ready! Stand back and admire your work—you just transformed your kitchen!

Costs to install a tile backsplash:

The project shown in the video was completed in August of 2025, and the total cost was $353. However, I used a budget-friendly tile and had all the necessary tools except for a trowel. Here’s the breakdown:

• Tile: $212.67
• Tile edging: $51.98
• Drywall: $19.92
• Grout: $19.99
• Caulking: $15.99
• New Outlet: $14.99
• Trowel: $5.49
• Paper, tape, gloves: $9
• Wax pencil: $2.28

You will need to spend more if you don’t have all of the tools. Here are some additional costs you can expect:

• Wet Tile Saw: $350, or you can rent one for $100-$200.
• Angle Grinder: $75
• Cheap manual tile cutter: $25
• Thinset: $35
• Spacers, wedges, buckets, etc.: $25

Most DIYers can expect to spend between $400 and $600, depending on the number of tools needed and the type of tile chosen. The tile can vary significantly in price.

How long does it take to install a tile backsplash?

Pros can install a tile backsplash in 2-3 days. However, they are at least twice as fast as most DIYers.

So, expect to spend six full days to complete your project. That includes removing the old backsplash, installing drywall, laying the tile, grouting, and caulking.

Of course, your project will likely take longer than six days because you may not be working full-time. That’s OK. You can easily tackle this project in stages, with just a couple of hours here or there.

The post How to Install a Tile Backsplash The EASY Way appeared first on Handyman Startup.

In this DIY tutorial, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of building paver steps.

This is a perfect project to transform your backyard patio or to offer to your customers for a solid profit. This easy-to-build design utilizes concrete blocks with pavers on top to complete the look.

That means it’s low-cost and looks great.

I’ve put together the most thorough and clear guide I could, so let’s jump right in.

Contents

• Video tutorial – How to build paver steps (above)
• Diagram of basic construction
• Tools and materials needed
• Written tutorial
• Cost breakdown vs. hiring a contractor
• How long does it take to build paver steps?

Paver Steps Construction Diagram

The diagram above shows a side cross-section view of paver steps built on top of concrete blocks. This system will work for stairs up to 18″ tall, since that is the limit for the paver base panels.

First, you have the geotextile fabric (yellow) laid on top of compacted soil that is graded at a 1-2% grade away from the house. Then a half-inch layer of sand and the Paver Base Panels on top of that. The retaining wall blocks and pavers are set directly on the panels, which is convenient because the base is the same for both the stairs and the patio.

Another benefit of this system is that drainage is built in. By grading the soil and building on top of that, the entire stair system is sloped between 1/8 and 1/4 of an inch per foot. That means no special drainage is needed.

You’ll also notice a packed gravel base between the concrete blocks that form the stairs. This is much cheaper than the concrete blocks, so using it wherever possible is a good idea.

You’ll also notice the 1/2″ gap between the house and the stairs. This is achieved by building a relief wall away from the house so the stairs are not supported by the wood of the house and do not cuase moisture damage.

The stairs are locked together with concrete adhesive. All materials are listed and linked below.

Essential Equipment – Tools and Materials

Tools

• Landscaping rake
• Spade shovel
• Flat nose shovel
• Digging bar (only needed for hard-packed rocky soil)
• Pickaxe (optional)
• Wheelbarrow
• 4′ Level
• Line Level (optional)
• Mason line (optional)
• Measuring tape
• Rubber mallet
• Masons Chisel
• Hand tamper or plate compactor
• 6′ screed board (a straight 2×4 works just fine)
• Wet tile saw (optional but nice to have – you can rent one)
• Cuttoff saw with water feed (essential for curved cuts – you can rent one)
• Angle grinder (helpful for smaller, more detailed cuts)

Safety Equipment

• Gloves
• Eye protection
• Earplugs
• Knee pads
• Respirator

Materials

• Concrete paver (See below for what I used)
• Retaining wall blocks (see below for what I used)
• Flashing Tape
• Aluminum Flashing
• Concrete Adhesive
• Paver Base panels
• High-quality geotextile fabric (rated for at least 30 years)
• Garden staples (for fabric)
• Leveling sand (1 50lb bag per 12 sq feet of area)
• Fine jointing sand (or polymeric sand)
• 1/2″ rebar
• Edge restraint
• 10″ landscaping spikes

Pavers used for this project:

• Brand: Belgard
• Color: Riviera
• Style: Cataline Grana – A mix of 6×12, 9×12, and 12×12 inch pavers.

Concrete blocks used for this project:

• Brand: Belgard
• Color: Riviera
• Style: Melville Wall (4″ x 20″ x 10″)

Building paver steps (step-by-step)

Step 1 – Planning and designing your stairs

You’ll want to determine the following:

• Total rise of your stairs measured in inches (from the ground to your patio door threshold)
• Number of stairs needed (Divide the total rise by 7)
• The rise of each stair
• Landing size (if you are including a landing)
• Footprint dimensions of your stairs
• If you need a railing (only if you have more than three steps or 30″ total height)
• Which pavers and blocks you plan to use – The thickness of the retaining wall blocks you use will determine the rise, or height, of each stair, so select a block that will give you a rise between 6″ and 7.75″.

This part of the project requires some time and careful consideration. I recommend sketching your stairs on paper with all dimensions so you can reference that drawing during the build.

Step 2 – Choose a base material

There are two methods you can use for your base. You can either use a 6″ packed gravel base to install the blocks on top of, or paver base panels.

If you are also building a patio, then the paver base panels will save you a LOT of digging, and it’s well worth the additional expense.

If you are only building stairs, then a packed gravel base may be easier because it’s fewer steps. You need to dig deep enough to install a 6″ layer of gravel below the bottom layer of retaining wall blocks and stack your blocks directly on that packed gravel base (as shown in the above image). I demonstrate how to do this in my tutorial on building a retaining wall.

Step 3 – Grading and Preparing Your Base

Grading is essential. If you build your stairs perfectly flat, water will not drain properly and could cause serious issues. So, you’ll want a 1-2% grade on your stairs so the water drains away from your house. That means for each 1′ of distance from your house, your stairs will slope down between 1/8″ and 1/4.”

Example: Let’s say your stairs are 4 feet deep, meaning they stick out away from your house by 4 feet. The ground will be between 1/2″ and 1″ lower on the side furthest from your house.

This slope will be built into the base that you make. So, if using paver base panels, the slope will be built into the ground, so each layer you lay on top of it will also be sloped. If you are using a packed gravel base, the top of the gravel base will be sloped, so when you build on top of it, the stairs have a slope automatically built in.

To build the base using paver base panels, follow the instructions from my tutorial on building a paver patio. Here’s a brief overview…

1. Dig to the appropriate depth and pack the soil well
2. Lay a high-quality geotextile fabric
3. Install a 1/2″ layer of sand
4. Install the paver base panels on top of the sand

Step 4 – Installing the First Row of Blocks

Snap a chalk line parallel to your foundation to use as a guide for laying your first row. I recommend designing this strategically to avoid any unnecessary cuts. For example, you may decide to make your stairs a couple of inches wider to avoid cutting some blocks. Well worth the effort since cutting these bad boys is not fun.

Then, you can start placing the blocks for your stairs. Pay attention to ensure the blocks are level side to side and even with each other as you go.

Having a rubber mallet on hand is helpful for making small adjustments and setting the blocks in place.

Step 5 – Installing an Edge Restraint

If you are using a gravel base, the edge restraint isn’t required. Instead, the bottom block needs to be buried by at least 4-6.” So instead of an edge restraint, you’ll just pack some gravel or dirt around the blocks to secure them in place.

If you are using paver base panels with a patio, then the patio will lock the concrete stair blocks in place. However, if there are any sides of the stairs without a patio, you’ll need an edge restraint.

Secure the edge restraint using 10″ landscape spikes.

Step 6 – Packing Gravel Between Blocks

Now, pack some gravel base material between the blocks on our stairs. You’ll be building a relief wall that is spaced 1/2″ away from the foundation of your house. So, you’ll want the packed gravel to be between the bottom block and your foundation as well, to prevent it from migrating toward your home during the rest of the installation.

Add the gravel in 2″ layers and pack thoroughly as you go. Once the gravel is close to the top of the first row of blocks, you can move on to the next step.

Step 7 – Prepare and Cut the Siding (optional)

You don’t have to cut the siding, and if you have brick or stucco, you probably won’t want to. However, if you have wood siding, the stairs will look cleaner if you cut the siding, as it will allow the stairs to be closer to the house without a noticeable gap.

To do this, stack your blocks to mimic the finished stairs, then mark the siding where to cut so that it creates a perfect outline of the stairs with a 1/8″ to 1/4″ space all around.

Then, cut the siding. You can use whatever you like here, but an oscillating multi-tool is very easy.

Then, add flashing behind the house. You’ll need two layers: one is a flashing tape, and on top of that, a metal flashing, such as galvanized steel or aluminum. Ensure the flashing above it overlaps the new flashing so that water moves away from the house if it happens to get behind the siding. Shoot for a 6″ overlap.

Step 8 – Installing the Next Layers of Blocks

Get a high-quality concrete adhesive (link above) and apply it generously to the bottom layer. Then, place each stone carefully so that the joints between the blocks are staggered. Staggering the joints between layers is essential for stability.

Clean the blocks before gluing; otherwise, the adhesive will be ineffective. Also, pay attention to their placement to make sure they remain straight. Until the glue dries, they can move and shift easily.

Once the second layer of blocks is glued, pack some more gravel base between any gaps (except the gap between the house and the relief wall).

Continue gluing the blocks in place and packing the gravel in between until the stairs are complete and ready for the pavers to be placed on top.

Step 9 – Installing the Pavers

And finally, install the pavers on top of the concrete blocks to finish the stairs. You can also use other materials here. Bluestone is a common option. A stair cap with a finished edge is another good option.

Either way, the process is the same. Dry fit all the pieces, make any necessary cuts, and then clean the surface thoroughly before gluing with a high-quality concrete adhesive.

However, there is one more step you’ll want to complete. Since pavers have spacers on the side, you’ll want to cut those off wherever the edge of the paver is showing (along the nose of the stairs). You can easily shave off those spacers with a wet tile saw before gluing the pavers in place.

Step 10 – Adding Jointing Sand

The final step is to add jointing sand in the joints of the pavers. This is the same process as described in my paver patio tutorial. Simply follow the directions on the bag and you’re paver steps are ready to go!

Costs to install these paver stairs:

I installed these stairs in 2023, and the total cost was approximately $1,600. Here’s the breakdown:

• Concrete Blocks: $1,268.10
• Pavers (27 sq. ft): $134.49
• Paver Base Panels: $70.21
• Aluminum flashing: $38.56
• Concrete adhesive: $32.41
• Gravel: $24.25
• Sand: $15.09
• Flashing tape: $5.50
• Geotextile fabric: $9.74
• Edge restraint: $6.29

The majority of that was the cost of the concrete blocks. These are significantly more expensive than the pavers.

I researched what a contractor would typically charge for this project, and the estimates I found were approximately $5,500, which seems reasonable. I’m sure many will charge triple that price, and some handymen with terrible pricing strategies will only charge $2,500, but I think those would be hard to find.

That means I saved a total of $3,900 on these stairs alone.

Considering that I saved at least $10,000 on my paver patio, that is a substantial savings, especially since most DIYers could handle this project.

Also, this would be an excellent service to offer to customers as a professional handyman or contractor. Just show them this video, and your sales are done for you!

How long does it take to build paver steps?

If you worked efficiently, you could tackle this project in about 20 hours. You’d need approximately five hours to plan your design and shop for materials, followed by about 15 hours of labor to complete the work.

However, for most people, I would expect it to take longer than that. It’s probably safe to allow yourself about 30 hours to complete the project, and be prepared to take longer if necessary. Never rush these projects, as it ruins the fun, stresses you out, and often leads to a painful back.

But if you take your time, you can enjoy it.

The post How to Build Paver Steps (Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide) appeared first on Handyman Startup.

In this DIY tutorial, I’ll demonstrate how to build a paver patio in your backyard 100% by yourself using basic tools.

I did this project recently, and I’ve created the most thorough guide that is packed full of time-saving tips that you won’t find anywhere else.

Contents

• A list of tools and materials
• Essential features of a paver patio that lasts a lifetime
• How to build a paver patio step-by-step
• Three methods for cutting pavers
• Cost of a paver patio (and how much you can save)
• How long it takes to build a paver patio

Essential Equipment – Tools and Materials

Tools

• Landscaping rake
• Spade shovel
• Flat nose shovel
• Digging bar (only needed for hard-packed rocky soil)
• Pickaxe (optional)
• Wheelbarrow
• Standard level (24″ is fine, but longer is better)
• Line Level
• Mason line
• Measuring tape
• 6 – 24″ steel stakes (buy local)
• Rubber mallet
• Masons Chisel
• Hand tamper or plate compactor
• 6′ screed board (a straight 2×4 works just fine)
• Wet tile saw (optional but nice to have – you can rent one)
• Cuttoff saw with water feed (essential for curved cuts – you can rent one)
• Angle grinder (helpful for smaller, more detailed cuts)

Safety Equipment

• Gloves
• Eye protection
• Earplugs
• Knee pads
• Respirator

Materials

• Concrete paver (See below for what I used)
• Retaining wall blocks (see below for what I used)
• Paver Base panels
• High-quality geotextile fabric (rated for at least 30 years)
• Garden staples (for fabric)
• Leveling sand (1 50lb bag per 12 sq feet of patio)
• Fine jointing sand (or polymeric sand)
• 1/2″ rebar
• Edge restraint
• 10″ landscaping spikes

Pavers used for this project:

• Brand: Belgard
• Color: Riviera
• Style: Cataline Grana – A mix of 6×12, 9×12, and 12×12 inch pavers.

Paver Patio Construction Essentials

There are two primary methods for building a paver patio, and both integrate the essential components of a patio that lasts.

Here’s a diagram showing the typical construction of a paver patio.

You’ll notice a few key features.

First, you have the base. This can be either a packed gravel base that is 4-6” thick. This is what stabilizes your pavers. If you skip the base and put pavers directly on the ground, your patio will quickly become uneven, pavers will crack, and your patio won’t last.

Another critical component is leveling sand. This is necessary to create a near-perfectly flat surface to place your pavers on. Without this layer, it’s very difficult to build a flat patio.

Then you have the edge restraints. These hold the pavers together and keep them from migrating away from each other. Even if you pack dirt around the pavers, you still need an edge restraint if you want your patio to look great for years to come.

Jointing sand. The last component is sand to fill the small gaps between the pavers. This is different than the leveling sand (it’s finer). This only fills the gaps; it locks the pavers together and completes the install.

Finally, your patio must be graded (i.e., sloped) so that water can drain without pooling. You always want water to drain away from your house and to work with the existing grading on your property.

The second way to build a paver patio has all of the same components, just arranged slightly differently and with the gravel base being replaced with something called a paverbase panel.

Here, again, it has all of the same components, but it requires a LOT less digging.

These concepts are explained in more detail in the accompanying video, which I highly recommend watching (see below).

How to build a paver patio (Step by step)

Step 1 – Planning your paver patio

The first step is to plan your patio design. Figure out where you want it, the pavers you want to use, how big it will be, and whether it needs to align with any existing surfaces.

For example, in the patio I used in the video above, I had a flagstone patio that I wanted the pavers to be level with. So I planned based on that.

Invest some time to think about how the patio will be used. Do you need room for a fire pit, or will you just place patio furniture on it? Do you want enough space for your kids to play?

Once you know which pavers you will be using (and their thickness), you can figure out how deep you need to dig.

The depth you dig will depend on which method you will use. Most pavers are 2 3/8” thick. If you plan to use paver base panels and standard pavers, you’ll need to dig down about 3 5/8”. If you are going to use a packed gravel base, you’ll need to dig down at least 7 3/8” so you can get the minimum 4” gravel base, 1” layer of sand, and then the thickness of the pavers.

Step 2 – Prepping to dig

Start by clearing the area to make room to work. Then hammer 24” steel stakes along the outside edges of your patio (at the corners and where it meets up with other surfaces, and string a line between them.

Your goal is to string the lines so they represent where the finished patio will be when you are done. That way you can use the lines to guide you as you dig and prepare to lay pavers. You may need to dig a bit to get the lines at the right height; that’s normal.

The lines will also need to represent the grading (slope) of your patio as well. To figure out the grade, measure the distance between the stakes at the high and low sides of your patio in feet, then multiply that number by 1/4 of an inch to calculate the amount of drop for a 2% grade.

Once you have that number, use a line level to string a line that is perfectly level between those stakes. Then, either drop the low side or raise the high side by the amount you calculated so that, again, your line represents where you want the finished surface of your patio to be at the appropriate grade.

Let’s say your patio is 10’ long, then the low side of the patio will be about two and a half inches lower than the high side (10 x .25” = 2.5”).

So you’d want to drop the line on the lower side of the patio by 2.5”. Of course, you could move the high side up 2.5” instead or even split the difference, but the point is, you’re trying to get the lines you’ve strung to represent the finished patio with the appropriate grade.

If a 2% grade is too much slope for some reason, you can go as low as a 1% grade, which is 1/8 of an inch of drop per foot. Please note that the less grade you have, the flatter you need to make the patio to avoid water puddling.

Taking your time here can save you loads of time and lead to a better build.

Step 3 – Digging

Now it’s time for the hardest part of this whole process: digging.

And before you dig, do two things.

First, call 811—it’s a free nationwide service. Always call before you dig because they’ll tell you if there are any underground pipes or things you need to avoid.

Secondly, figure out what you’ll do with the dirt because you’ll only want to move it once. I simply used a wheel barrow to dump it on my street, and then paid $200 for someone to haul it away when I was ready.

Start by digging along the lines and use them as your guide to dig to the appropriate depth. Then, you can dig out the area in between the lines to create a flattish surface.

This is a lot of work, especially if you have hard packed rocky soil. You may need a pickaxe to break it up. Spraying the dirt down with a hose the day before you dig makes it a lot easier and reduces dust. For softer soil, you can use a tiller to help break up the dirt. And if you happen to have an excavator laying around, you can use that.

You’ll be using the lines you installed constantly throughout this digging and grading process. That’s why I prefer to use 24” steel stakes, hammer them deep into the ground, and then mark where I want the line to sit with a Sharpie. That way, when I accidentally move the line while digging, I can quickly get it back in place without wasting time with the line level again.

Continue digging until it’s relatively flat and close to the depth you want it to be.

Also, dig about 6 inches past where the finished edge of the patio will be so you have some room to install the edging and make adjustments.

Step 4 – Install sprinkler lines and other features

Before spending time flattening the dirt, now is a perfect time to install any other features you need on your patio. If you are installing a permanent shade structure, you want to install the concrete footings before laying the patio.

If you need to run sprinkler lines under the patio, do that now. Just make sure to use rigid PVC pipe for any sprinkler or irrigation lines. Never run black drip line under a patio because it will get smashed.

Step 5 – Final grading & flattening

Flatten and pack the dirt down so it’s flat within 1/4”. That means you don’t want any high spots that stick up more than a quarter of an inch or any low spots that are more than 1/4” below the surface.

I find it helpful to move another line along the existing lines to gauge the depth as I go.

Use a straight edge to even the dirt out before tamping it down. A straight 2×4 works perfectly fine here.

This is a time-consuming process. You’ll probably need to make several passes of flattening and tamping the ground before it’s flat enough to proceed to the next step.

But it’s well worth it because when you’re done you’ll have a nice flat patio where water drains right off when it rains instead of an uneven patio where water pools on the surface like I show in the video.

Step 6 – Landscaping fabric

Lay a high-quality Geotextile landscaping fabric. Find the best stuff you can, ideally something rated for 30 years. Overlap the edges about 6” anywhere there is a seam and hammer in with landscaping staples to hold it down.

Leave at least six extra inches around on the edges because you’ll need it later.

I recommend waiting to lay the landscaping fabric until you are ready to put the sand down. Otherwise, the wind will tear it to shreds. And I recommend waiting to put the sand down until you have your pavers on hand or ready to be delivered in the next day or two.

Step 7 – Leveling sand

Next, you’ll lay a 1/2” layer of sand evenly over the landscaping fabric. The easiest way to do this is to buy some 1/2” thick rebar from your local supply store. It’s cheap and available in different lengths. And don’t tell anyone I told you this, but you can return it to the store when you’re done.

Lay the bars about 5’ apart and then add the sand, being careful not to get sand underneath the seams of the fabric.

Even the sand out with a rake, then screed it flat with a 6’ flat edge, using the rebar as a guide. You can use a 2×4 for this step if you can find a straight one. The rebar provides a guide for the screed board to produce a perfectly flat edge.

You can tamp the sand down before adding more sand and screeding a second time to create an even flatter patio.

Once a section is complete, you can remove the rebar and move on to the next section, moving from one side of the patio to the next until the entire thing is covered in a nice flat layer of sand.

You can purchase this sand in 50 lb. bags at most hardware stores, and each bag will cover about 12 square feet of patio. However, you can save a lot of money and plastic by purchasing a half yard from your local landscaping supplier. A half yard can easily fit in your truck bed, will cover about 330 square feet at 1/2” depth, and is the equivalent of 28 50 lb. bags of sand.

Step 8 – Paverbase panels

This next step is very easy. Lay the paverbase panels in a brick-like pattern, staggering the seams. These are easily cut with a razor knife and the extra pieces can be recycled.

Since the panels only weigh one pound each, this can be challenging on windy days. I had to place pavers on each corner as I laid them just to keep them in place.

You can purchase these individually and in cases of 20. Each panel weighs one pound and covers about 5 sq. feet of area, so a case will cover 100 sq. feet. Buying by the case will save you about 20%, so buy a combo of individual panels and cases to get the exact amount you need.

Step 9 – Lay the pavers

It’s finally time to start laying the pavers. However, before you just start slapping them in, it’s best to snap a chalk line to guide your first row. Don’t attempt to use the panels to guide you, or even your foundation, as they are unlikely to be perfectly straight.

You can butt the pavers right up against the foundation as long as you can maintain a straight line. You may want to snap several chalk lines while installing the first few rows to make sure the pavers stay straight as you go.

Use a rubber mallet to tap the pavers or make slight adjustments. This helps keep the seams between the pavers tight, which is important, because if they don’t stay tight, you’ll likely have large gaps further down the patio.

You’ll want to start near any buildings or structures and work your way down from one side to the next so you don’t have to make any cuts to fit the pavers next to your house. You’ll want to limit cuts as much as possible. You’ll likely have at least a few, and I’ll show you the easiest way in a minute here, but try to avoid excess cutting with a bit of planning.

The paver I used in this project are made by Belgard. The color is Riviera, and there are three sizes of pavers. 12” x 12”, 9” x 12”, and 6” x 12”. The variation in size looks great, but maintaining the pattern took a lot longer than it would have if I just had a single size of paver.

Step 10 – Edge Restraint

Once the pavers are cut and in place, the next step is to install the edge restraint.

Start by first trimming the extra paverbase panels so there is just enough for the edge restraint to sit on. You can use the edge restraint as a guide for cutting it if you like. Then, fold the landscaping fabric over the edge so it captures the sand, put down the edge restraint, and hammer in the landscape spikes.

This last step is essential to locking everything in place; otherwise, your pavers will slowly shift and migrate away from each other, creating gaps and weaknesses.

Now you can see why you want to dig a little wider than the finished patio and why you need a bit of extra landscaping fabric on the edges.

I recommend using an aluminum edge restraint to minimize the use of plastic. Plus, there are a great option and can easily be bent to fit any curves.

Step 11 – Jointing Sand

Chances are, a few of your pavers still wobble when you walk on them at this point, but don’t worry—the next step is to install sand, and it will fix this.

You’ll poor the sand onto the patio directly from the bag. Then sweep it with broom until the joints fill up. Sweep in multiple directions back and forth until you don’t see any unfilled gaps.

Then, tamp down the patio with a hand tamper to vibrate the sand deep into the cracks. I taped cardboard to the bottom of my tamper to dampen the impact and protect my pavers.

Repeat this step until all joints are filled. It will take two or three passes and it’s gonna take longer than you think.

For most pavers, you’ll need a special type of sand for this process. And there are two options. You can buy fine jointing sand or polymeric sand.

Polymeric sand is nice because it reduces weed growth. However, it’s more expensive, more difficult to install, and it’s made with plastic adhesives that break down over time, releasing microplastics into the environment.

Fine jointing sand, which is just a fine sand, is easier to apply, has no risk of staining your pavers, and is not filled with hormone-disrupting plastics.

I used polymeric sand on this project, but if I could go back, I would use fine jointing sand.

If using polymeric sand, follow the instructions on the bag to spray and wet the sand to set it in place permanently.

Step 12 – Enjoy!

At this point, you’re pretty much done. All that is left to do is fill in the gaps on the sides of the patio so it’s level with the ground, and you have a beautiful, functional addition to your landscape that will last a lifetime.

Installing a paver patio can transform your yard. They look great and add functional space as you can see here.

My favorite part is that they are low-maintenance and don’t require frequent staining like my old deck.

Three ways to cut concrete pavers

You’ll probably need to make a few cuts, so here’s how to do it.

#1 – Wet tile saw (best method for straight cuts)

The easiest way is to use a wet tile saw. I highly recommend renting one if you have a lot of straight cuts to make. It’s the easiest tool to use and it almost completely eliminates the dust. The only downside is you can’t do curved cuts.

#2 – Cutoff saw with hose attachment

The second-best option is a concrete cutoff saw with a diamond blade. If you’re cutting any curves on your patio, this is essential. This is the tool that most pros use. If you rent one, get one with a hose attachment to feed water as you cut because cutting pavers is extremely dusty and is guaranteed to piss off the neighbors and mess up your lungs.

#3 – Angle grinder

The third and least ideal option is an angle grinder; This can work just fine if you only have a few pavers to cut, but it’s super slow and dusty.

But how about cutting curves?

Some pros recommend cutting the curves while the pavers are in place, but when you’re using paver base panels, the risk of cutting through them is too high, so I opted to move each one and cut them individually.

To draw my curve, I placed a kettlebell where I wanted the center of the curve to be and tied a string to a pencil so I could draw the curve. Then, I made a template out of an old piece of plywood to speed things up for the other curves.

Once you are happy with your curves marked in pencil, use a Sharpie to draw the final cut line. Otherwise, the pencil will wash away instantly while trying to cut if using a wet saw.

Regardless of how you cut pavers. This is a time-consuming process, which is why contractors charge extra for patios with a lot of cutting. So be prepared for this to take a bit longer than you expect.

How much does a DIY paver patio cost?

The cost will depend on several factors, like which pavers you choose, if you decide to rent tools, and where you live.

However, to give you an idea, my patio was 330 square feet, and the total cost was approximately $3,500, including everything from the rental cost of the concrete saw to the expense of hauling away the excess dirt. This does NOT, however, include the blocks I used for the stairs since I’m assuming most people won’t be building steps.

How much does a professionally installed paver patio cost?

For a basic 330-square-foot paver patio, most contractors will charge between $7,500 and $10,000, including materials. That may seem expensive, but it’s a lot of work even when using heavy machinery.

And take note that this is for a basic paver patio. If you have a complex design with curved cuts or need to install sprinkler lines below it, the cost will increase. And, if you need to demo a deck or fix the grading on your property, the cost can be significantly higher.

How much can you save by building your paver patio?

You can expect to save, at a minimum, between $4,000 and $6,000 if you build your patio yourself, and you are building a very basic patio.

On my project, I estimate that I saved at least $15,000 overall. That’s because there was a lot more work than just installing pavers. I had curved cuts, sprinkler lines to install, a large deck to demo, pergola footings to install, steps up to my patio door, siding repair, and I built a planter box.

Well worth it since I enjoyed most of the work, ended up with a better install than if I hired someone, and I only worked a couple of hours here and there while taking my time on the project. Actually, it was a great way to break up my work day of sitting in the office.

How long does it take to build a paver patio by yourself?

If you worked really hard and knew what you were doing, you could knock out a 300 sq foot patio in about a week. However, I wouldn’t recommend that for most people.

I did this project over the course of the summer and fall, working a couple of hours here and there. I was 40 years old at the time. If I had to do this on a tight timeline, I would definitely hire some help. My aging body would get crushed if I tried to rush it.

Of course, if you rent heavy machinery like a plate compactor and excavator, you can do it a lot faster, but for most people, that doesn’t make sense.

So, unless you are super fit or have help, give yourself at least a few weeks to allow your body to recover in between work days.

Are Brock paver base panels worth it?

Let’s break it down.

The paver base panels cost $757, which isn’t cheap. However, they saved me a lot of labor and reduced some expenses, including:

• Digging down an additional 4 inches, which would have taken me several days of hard labor.
• They saved me from disposing of an extra 4 yards of dirt, which would have cost $300.
• They saved me from buying 4 yards of gravel base material, which would cost $250.
• And they saved me from having to move and pack the gravel base, which would have taken me about a day of hard labor.

So, they only cost me an extra $200 when you factor in these savings, but they probably saved me five days of very hard labor. I’ll make that trade any day.

Are the paver panels as good as a gravel base? I guess time will tell, but so far, I don’t see a clear benefit of a gravel base over this installation. I’ve now had this patio for two years, and I’m very happy with it.

Conclusion

Building a paver patio is a labor-intensive project, but it can completely transform your backyard, making it far more enjoyable to spend time outdoors.

Also, it’s nice to work outside, sweat a bit, and then step back and marvel at your handiwork.

If you decide to build a paver patio, please come back here and share your experience. I, and other readers, would love to hear your story.

The post How to build a paver patio by yourself with basic tools appeared first on Handyman Startup.

In this episode, I had the opportunity to interview a handyman from across the pond – Will Lingard.

Will is a great guy who shares helpful tips and insights based on his nine years in business as a professional handyman.

Here’s a sample of what we discuss in this interview:

• What’s important to affluent customers
• How focusing on sustainability helps his business
• What he enjoys about his business
• How he deals with customers who say he’s too expensive
• How he runs multiple businesses by subcontracting jobs
• How he hired his first helper
• Why business isn’t always a straight line
• Why being a good person is more important than your home repair skills
• And more.

HS054 – Pro handyman from the UK shares his story – Interview with Will Lingard

About Will Lingard

Will lives in the United Kingdom and owns and operates Surrey Hills Handyman.

Will used to work with a company that set up outdoor PA systems. Although he loved the work, it involved a lot of travel. He wanted to be closer to his family. When his father-in-law recommended becoming an electrician, it sparked the idea of starting a handyman business.

He quickly jumped online, found Handyman Startup, devoured all the content, invested in my courses, and launched his business while providing services from a small sedan.

That was over nine years ago. Today, he enjoys a profitable business that gives him freedom, flexibility, and a sense of agency.

The post Interview with Will Lingard – Pro Handyman from the UK appeared first on Handyman Startup.

Owning a business has many benefits. It gives you more control over your time. It gives you certain freedoms that employees will never have. It gives you the potential to make a LOT more money. And you get to make all the decisions.

The possibilities are limitless.

However, those benefits have a cost, which is often higher than what you’re led to believe on social media.

Am I saying it’s not worth it to grow a business?

Hell no! It’s worth it. Even if you don’t achieve your ideal lifestyle, building a business challenges you, forces you to learn valuable skills, and builds character like nothing else.

However, if your expectations are too high, you’ll either burn out or give up trying to reach them.

As I’ve said many times before, business is a mental game. If you can win that game, you can win at business. If you lose that game, it doesn’t matter how much money you make; you will lose.

In this episode, I discuss a critical part of winning that game—managing your expectations. In the last episode, I discussed why high expectations are a recipe for constant stress and dissatisfaction and why intentionally lowering your expectations will reduce stress and help you be more effective and joyful.

In this episode, I talk about how.

Listen right here or on your favorite podcast app!

HS053 – The power of low expectations part 2 – Simple tips for less stress and more fun

Podcast Transcript

I’d hate to lower your expectations, but that is the episode’s goal. Welcome to another episode of the Handyman Startup podcast. My name is Dan Perry, and today, I’m going to talk about managing your expectations. In the last podcast, we talked about why and the power of low expectations. Today, I want to talk a little bit about how to do that.

So back in 2010, way back in 2010, this is 14, almost 15 years ago, after another boring day at work, my friend recommended a book called The 4-Hour Work Week. At the time, I was living in a three-bedroom home that I had purchased a year or two earlier. I lived about two blocks from my office, and I hated my job. I was so disappointed with what a 9:00 to 5:00 turned out to be. I mostly sat at a desk all day in a big open room with five other desks and five other engineers working, and then my boss was right across the room from me. And there were some good things about my job. I mean, I got to do some cool stuff with engineering, and it leveraged my skills.

I was pretty good at it, but I just felt stifled. So, I read that book my friend recommended to me, and I remember being unable to put it down. Right after that first chapter, it hit a nerve. I sat on the couch and read it until my eyes turned red. Once I couldn’t read anymore, I put it down, picked it up again the next day, and I think it took me about two days to read that entire book. And this was a pretty big turning point in my life. I didn’t know that at the time, but it was because ever since that moment, I couldn’t be satisfied living an ordinary, boring nine-to-five lifestyle. I knew something else was possible. I had a clear definition of success, and I wanted it now. I didn’t quit my job right away because I needed the money and didn’t know what to do, but that book amplified my distaste for my job. It was like sticking a salty knife into an already festering wound. It made the experience of working my job worse. And as a result, I eventually quit my job.

After a while, I started getting worked up and depressed and had some health issues. I started a handyman business a few months after I quit my job. Since then, I’ve grown that handyman business and done well there. I created a YouTube channel, this podcast, my blog, online courses, and all these wonderful things that bring me income and give me more freedom than most people have. I’ve also helped many people in the process, which is awesome. I regularly get emails from people thanking me, which is awesome.

And on the one hand, I’m thankful for that. On the other hand, I think that content, specifically the four-hour workweek and a lot of the content you find on YouTube or Facebook about growing a business, I think it can be toxic. The reason is that it anchors your expectations so high, as I discussed in the last episode. If you haven’t listened to that, I recommend listening to that first before listening to this episode. Now, for some people like me, I couldn’t sleep at night living a mediocre life after realizing what was possible because I fell for the arrival fallacy that once I got that, then I would be happy.

The need it created to reach a certain level quickly caused me a lot of stress and disappointment. I beat myself up when I didn’t achieve amazing things. I lost sleep over silly things that don’t matter. I was imprisoned by the idea that it was impossible to be happy without passive income, and I sacrificed a lot of time to get there. I eventually succeeded. I’ve done some cool stuff, made great money, helped a lot of people, as I mentioned. If I had to do it all again, I might not change what I did, but I would definitely like to adjust my expectations in the process. And my perspective and my mindset. I could have enjoyed the journey much more, had less stress, and who knows, I maybe would have done even better.

So with this episode, I want to share a few ways that you can manage your own expectations. So hopefully, you can enjoy the process of growing your business more and not get so caught up beating yourself up if you’re not making progress as fast as you’d like or if things aren’t happening as quickly as you’d like.

Before we do that, let’s just briefly cover what I covered in the last episode. I talked about the power of low expectations. I talked about why high expectations are the perfect recipe for disappointment, stress, giving up, and really failing to enjoy the wins along the journey.

I talked about two major factors that amplify this, which are social media plus human desire. We always want more, no matter how good we have it. And then social media anchors our expectations even higher than they would already at an unrealistic level. We see amazing results without the work. It creates unrealistic expectations. But low expectations are actually more effective in many ways in many areas of life. Because if you have low expectations and you exceed them, you get to delight in small wins. It makes it a little more fun. It makes it easier to accept failures and hard work. It makes setbacks not as devastating and less stressful because you’re expecting them. It makes you willing to put in effort for less, which usually leads to better outcomes. In some cases, I wouldn’t say always putting in more effort for less makes sense, especially when it comes to pricing. I want to be very clear about that. You guys know my mindset on pricing your services high enough to make a profit.

Anyway, low expectations keep you in the game for long enough for small wins to compound. A good example of this is Warren Buffett. Interesting fact: he made 99% of his wealth after the age of 65. He’s like 92 now, I think. But that’s because of compounding. Small wins compounding year after year after year. He hasn’t outperformed everybody every single year. He’s just been playing so damn long that he has amassed so much wealth that he is the sixth wealthiest person in the world. So, ultimately, low expectations can be very helpful. And it’s all about being realistic in the short term and optimistic for the long term. Working hard consistently. It’s not about throwing your hands up and giving up. It’s about embracing that work as part of life, no matter how well-off you are. So do the work and don’t expect the world. Don’t expect it to be easy. Don’t expect to get to some point where you’ll be endlessly happy all the time. As much as it is hard to do that because it’s so ingrained in human nature, let’s talk about some tips to help with that a little bit.

In this episode, I’m going to explore some ideas for managing your expectations. This is probably more of an art than a science. This probably isn’t going to apply to everybody. Some people probably need to increase their expectations. I think this podcast is more created for those who are wired similar to me, where you want it all now. You tend to be impatient. You tend to stress yourself out trying to strive for these unattainable ideal outcomes. So, hopefully, in this process, you can start appreciating more of what you have right now. You can embrace the struggle along the way. And maybe even go further than you would have otherwise.

And the way that I see this, there are two parts to this equation. First is being optimistic about the long term and realistic about your short term results. So first, you have to have a tasty enough carrot to pursue to keep you motivated enough to continue to put in the work because it’s difficult to invest effort into something if you’re not optimistic about the outcome.

Now, Warren Buffett, for example, again, I talked about him building 99 % of his wealth after the age of 65. He was still very wealthy even when he was 30. I believe that when adjusted for inflation, he had $10 million when he was 30.

However, I want to bring up Warren Buffet again because he had a plan. He didn’t just take super high-risk bets consistently and keep winning. He took very low-risk bets. He practiced value investing, which he learned from Benjamin Graham. So he would find companies that were underpriced, buy them, and then hold them for a long period of time. And then, he leveraged the psychology of the market and how it acts irrationally, how people buy when they should be selling, and how people sell when they should buy. And he stuck to that process, mostly for the last 60 or, yeah, over 60 years now. And that’s how he amassed his wealth. But He had that vision. He had that carrot that he was going after, which was very clear, and he was playing the long game. And I’m not really saying that Warren Buffet is somebody that we should really model our lives after. I don’t know how happy he was. I don’t know how balanced his life was.

I don’t know any of the details of his relationships. I’ve heard that his relationship with his wife wasn’t great for many years, but I really don’t know. But the point is that we want to have a goal that’s clear and compelling to us, so it gets us moving every day and taking those actions, something that we want and we’re willing to wait for. Even if we have to wait 5, 10, 25 years to get there, we’re willing to work consistently to do it.

When you start thinking like this, it’s usually a change in mindset when you acknowledge that getting to the goals that you want, whether it’s a really successful business or better relationships, or just a certain type of lifestyle that you’re going after, recognizing that it’s probably not going to happen overnight. It might not even happen next year. It might take 5 or 10 years to get there. When you realize that, and you acknowledge it, and you accept it, but yet you’re still willing to pursue that goal, that’s a really good sign that that’s something that you want. So just going through this exercise by itself is a really good way to filter your goals and decide how important really is this specific thing to me.

And then, how does knowing that it will take a lot longer than I expect change how I’m going to pursue it day to day and my priorities right now? And for me, it makes me immediately sit back and say, Okay, well, I might as well try to have some fun. I might as well enjoy the process as much as I can and appreciate where I’m at now because I don’t really want to white-knuckle it all the way to the goal, especially if it’s going to take a while.

Another helpful thing to consider when setting these long-term goals is to ask yourself, are the odds stacked in your favor? Because if you don’t think that you have a high chance of getting there with patience and consistency, it’s going to kill your motivation. It’s going to be hard to show up continuously to do the work to get there. So you can ask yourself questions like, Am I leveraging my strengths? Even if I don’t quite reach my ideal outcome, will I be in a better situation than I am now? That I’ll be satisfied?

And the truth is, you don’t always know for sure, you don’t always know the ideal path to take in life. It’s impossible to. You’re always dealing with some level of uncertainty. But the last thing you want that uncertainty to do is stop you from taking some action and just keep you in paralysis by analysis.

So another helpful question here, if you’re not certain, is to ask yourself, Will I gain valuable assets in the process, even if I fail? So are you going to gain knowledge? Are you going to gain skills? Are you going to gain relationships that you can then lean on to move your life forward if whatever you try doesn’t work out over time and you realize that you need to change your strategy, which you often will.

So the first part is you have to have that tasty enough carrot to pursue and to be able to have that long-term vision to put in the effort and put in the work without expecting anything right away. Because we tend to prioritize fast results, so that’s the first part. Have a tasty enough carrot. Set your sights on a vision that is compelling to you, that you’re willing to work a long time toward, and that even if you fail, you’re going to gain something of value in the process.

Now, fortunately, if your goal is to start a profitable handyman business, that is a very low-risk goal. It’s one of those things that if you do apply consistent effort and focus on, it’s really hard to fail, and you can continue to grow it as big as you’d like over time.

And that leads to the second part of this equation, which is lowering your expectations. Now, really, what I’m after here isn’t for you to have low expectations or for me to have to have low expectations, but to have realistic expectations.

Unfortunately, in the environment we live in and the information that we’re exposed to because of social media and because of all the content we have access to and all these super successful people that we see all the time, lowering your expectations is usually something that requires conscious effort if you’re going to get to the point of having realistic expectations.

So how do we do that?

Okay, let’s talk about some quick methods. I’ll go through these relatively quickly.

The first one is to celebrate effort and process versus results in the short term. So, a lot of people get too focused on results immediately. How much money am I making? Oh, am I making any money? I just started this, but I’m not making any money. When am I going to make money? Really, at the beginning of anything, whether you’re starting to build muscle, or if you’re starting to lose weight, or if you’re starting to grow a business, you’re probably going to put in a significant amount of work before you notice any results at all. Or you might notice some results really quickly, and then that quickly plateaus, and now it’s like, Okay, it’s really going to take a long time before you get to the real result that you want. So that’s why it’s important to celebrate and measure effort and process versus results. So one example of this for effort. Okay, let’s say you’re focused on effort. You might measure how many focused hours you worked each week. Actually write it down every Every time you work an hour a week, celebrate that. That’s great. Maybe your goal is 10 hours a week. Awesome. If you can hit 10 hours a week toward that goal, great. And then focusing on process.

So were you doing things that move the needle? Are you avoiding something? Is there something you know you should do, but you’re not doing for some reason, and you’re not doing it because it will slow you down in the short term, but you know that if you do it, it will speed you up in the long term? Do you have any of those things?

I know it’s a complicated question there, but are you avoiding something is the bottom line. A third question you can ask yourself to make sure you’re measuring the process and following a good process that’s going to Work is asking, “if I continue this recipe for 1-10 years, will I see the progress that I want? Will I end up at the outcome that I want? Or are there shifts to how I’m doing things that I need to make in order to get there?”

And again, even with this process, don’t expect too much. Don’t expect too much of yourself. Don’t expect your process to be perfect. Don’t expect to work consistently. They have a consistent output of time every single week. That’s not realistic, either. But it’s still good to celebrate the effort, measure the effort, celebrate the process, and measure the process versus focusing on the results you’re ultimately trying to get, especially in the beginning.

Now, of course, at some point, you do need to measure your results, judge your results, and make sure that you’re doing the right things and you’re not wasting your time. You need to do things long enough to truly know if it’s the right thing before you pivot. A lot of times, people give up on something. They try it one time, and then they give up. Oh, that didn’t work. It’s like, Okay, did you truly give it enough time to get the results? And then another thing is, don’t keep doing something that isn’t working and will never work. So there’s the balance there, and it’s a little more challenging. It’s a very big challenge for a lot of people, which is why it’s good to have a mentor who can help you decide if your efforts are paying off and if they’re going to get you to your goal. And they can say, “Hey, this is normal. Yeah, just keep going.”

You’re actually seeing really good results when you might think that they’re bad. So, a good mentor is extremely valuable for that process. So again, focus on measuring effort and process versus the results, especially in the short term.

All right, moving on to the second tip for lowering your expectations, which is treating social media like medicine or potentially even like a toxic substance. Because social media can either be poison or therapeutic, depending on the dose, your mindset, and what you combine it with. If you take too much of it, it’s going to be toxic. If you don’t take enough of it, you might miss too many opportunities and fall behind. So there’s this balance that you might have to strike. I don’t think you need social media, although it can be great for inspiration, getting ideas, finding information, things like that. But it’s terrible for inflating your expectations, stoking desire and dissatisfaction with your life because you’ve seen all these other people who are killing it and doing way better than you. So you get FOMO, and you have to go do something else. It takes you off of your path and onto some other path, even though that other path isn’t necessarily going to make you any happier. It just looks more compelling because of the person selling it.

So here’s how I use social media currently.

I mostly avoid it. I try to avoid it as much as possible. Every once in a while, I’ll use it for inspiration, but in small doses and on rare occasions. I’ll be very specific about my goal and about the information I’m looking for. And usually, I try to be prepared to process what I see. So I try to think of it like, Okay, that looks really compelling. This is probably only part of the story. So I think of that. Or I think of that having what they have won’t necessarily make me any happier. Or I think, Sure, I want that thing that they have, but do I want all the things that came with it? Do I want all the things that it took to get there? And a lot of times, the answer to that question is no.

So again, treat social media like either a toxic substance or like medicine, where you need to hit it in the right dose at the right frequency, otherwise it’s going to be toxic. The third tip I have for lowering your expectations is to embrace FOMO, or the fear of missing out. And how do you do this?

First, you accept that you will miss out. You will make mistakes, and you will lose money as a result, and you’ll lose time as a result. You will miss out on potentially life-changing experiences almost every day. Today, there are infinite things you will miss out on regardless of how much you try not to. But you’ll miss out on even more if you let FOMO distract you and pull you in 20 directions. Because not only are you going to miss out on things because there are simply too many things to do, but you’re also going to miss out on making progress toward any meaningful goal in your life. So by trying not to miss out, you miss out on even more. And it’s really good to acknowledge that the perfect strategy is impossible. You are guaranteed to choose a suboptimal path. There are probably a thousand different businesses that you could start that would get faster, easier, and better results than the one you will choose, even if you spend 10 years trying to find the perfect business. And then, along your journey, you’re going to see others succeeding faster than you. So the best thing you can do is try to be okay with that.

Expect it. Expect a little bit of that disappointment along the way. Expect to feel that sense of missing out or that you’re doing something wrong. Everything sucks part of the time, whether it’s working in a job or trying to go after a business. So embrace FOMO. It will always be there. It’s never going away. However, you can limit it by avoiding certain influences that I already spoke about. But do your best to accept it and just move on.

The next thing to lower expectations is when you are trying something new. As soon as you’re trying something new, what if you assume something won’t work the first few times you try it? How would you approach it differently? If you knew it wouldn’t work out the first few times you tried it, maybe that was a new pricing strategy. Maybe it was a new marketing strategy, and maybe it was just something completely different. You knew it probably wouldn’t work. You probably wouldn’t get it right the first few times you did it, but eventually, you could figure it out. How would you approach it differently if that was the case? What if you took your current timeline for accomplishing something and then doubled it? Is it still worth doing, or is there a better alternative?

Because the reality is that most things take at least twice as long as you expect them to take. That’s why one of my rules for pricing and quoting jobs is I estimate how long I think it’s going to take, and then I double it, and then I price it based on that, because that’s usually the reality. So when trying something new, assume that it’s going to take longer, assume that it’s not going to work right away, and assume that it might be more difficult than you expected. And if you can, based on those assumptions, assumptions still proceed forward, then that’s great. That means that what you’re trying to do is worth it. If it doesn’t? Okay, if that’s the case, then I shouldn’t do this, then that might be the right decision to not do something. When I look back at starting my handyman business, I had pretty low expectations. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure it could work because I was only 28. I looked like a teenager. Nobody wanted to hire me. My friends didn’t even want to hire me at first.

But I really wanted to make it work, and I just kept trying because I didn’t have a better option. But my expectations were pretty low in terms of how much money I could make and what the situation was going to be like. But because of that, I worked extra hard on my marketing. I worked extra hard to try to provide great service and went above and beyond even what I needed to. But as a result, I started making progress, and then that progress was surprising. I was like, Oh, man, this is great! I’m making pretty good money. Now, had I been exposed to people who started a handyman business and five years later had a million-dollar business, I probably would have killed myself trying to accomplish that goal, thinking that it was just as possible for me to do when maybe it was. But the reality is the person who started that million-dollar business has 20 years of management experience, hiring experience, and business admin experience before they even started their business. So you can see how high and low expectations can totally change your perspective and your results.

Let’s move on to the next thing.

So let’s say when you’re looking at past wins, you look at the past wins that you had in life. One of the worst things that you can have for your mindset is to succeed on your first try with ease. That’ll just wreck you. I always feel so bad for these celebrities who were super famous when they were kids. So they reach this pinnacle of attention and admiration, and they can’t do anything wrong. Everybody loves them. And then later on in their life, nobody cares. And how sad.

Their expectations have been anchored so high based on their past experiences. And now they have to deal with this life of just being a regular person. And it probably went through a lot of emotional distress to accept that fact. So I think one of the worst things that can happen is if you succeed on the first try with ease because you’re not going to appreciate it as much. You’ll think it’s going to be easy to replicate. If it’s in business, you’re probably going to spend all your money, and then you’re going to have to do it again, and it’s not going to be as easy the second time, and it’s going to be harder.

So when you look at past wins – past things that went really well – ask yourself, how did you get lucky? How could things have gone differently or not as good? What things can you identify that if they didn’t exist or you didn’t find them, you wouldn’t have succeeded? Because usually there’s one or two of those elements that if that thing didn’t happen, if you didn’t meet that one person, or if you didn’t see this one piece of content at this right time, then you may not have succeeded, and you wouldn’t have been as lucky as you were. You might not have timed it the right way or something like that. When you look at your past wins, try to look at why maybe you got lucky and why it might have been easier than it should have been for you because of luck so that you’re not anchored to that consistent level of success.

Then, lower your expectations about lowering your expectations. Doing this is not going to make your life easy. I don’t think life is easy for anyone all the time, regardless of how they make it look on social media or how much wealth they have.

Everybody goes through challenges and struggles at times, and no amount of mental tools or anything are going to completely solve those problems, although they can help. Additionally, it’s going to take time and consistency for any of this stuff to actually work and pay off, and you won’t always remember to do it, so be okay with that. And then, even if you accomplish your goals, don’t expect to be endlessly happy or content.

Right now, I’m reminded of an email I recently read from Alex Hormozy, which, at the beginning of the email, says, “When I was 20, I wanted to be a millionaire. Now that I’m a millionaire, I want to be 20.” So, just let that sink in for a minute.

That’s such an interesting mindset. It’s like, what do you have right now that you should probably be appreciating more than you are? And why not just appreciate that now while working toward these other goals that you want?

Now, much of this stuff might sound negative or pessimistic. However, I have a different experience with it, and also my intention with it is not to be negative. Because for me, thinking of this, it gives me permission to enjoy right now instead of delaying my happiness until I achieve some goal that if I’m completely honest with myself, is non-essential.

It helps me enjoy time with my kids right now. It helps me enjoy whatever project I’m working on. It takes the pressure off for certain deadlines that I may have set for myself. And I’m sharing it on this podcast for those of you who have a pretty good situation. Of course, your life is always going to have problems. But, like me, you’re often sucked into the vortex of wanting more right now. And one of your biggest barriers to joy is thinking that you need more to get it.

And again, this isn’t for everybody. I’m not trying to tell people how to live their lives or anything like that. In some cases, if you’re going through real hardship or struggle, I definitely believe that you can improve your life in a long-lasting, meaningful way. And in some cases, making small changes right now can immediately improve your life in the short term and set you on a positive trajectory.

So, to wrap this up, let’s briefly summarize these tips.

• First, go after something you want and in a way where you can win.
• Measure and celebrate effort and process (vs outcomes).
• Treat social media like medicine or, in some cases, a toxic substance.
• Embrace the fear of missing out because it will always be there.
• And then, lower your expectations about the results you’ll get from any of this.

The post The power of low expectations part 2: Simple tips for less stress and more fun appeared first on Handyman Startup.

In “Same as Ever,” Morgan Housel shares how, for the last 150 years, on any given day, the stock market went up only 50% of the time. Yet, over any given year, it rose 68% of the time. And even better, over any 20-year span, growth was seen 100% of the time.

With this, he illustrates that you often experience failure or loss in the short term. But, if you stay in the game long enough, you’ll almost certainly see a gain.

It’s like playing poker when you’ve stacked the deck in your favor. You’ll lose a few hands but eventually come out on top.

Which is also true for growing a business.

As I’ve said before, growing a business is hard. And it’s not for the reasons many people think. It’s not so much about coming up with some brilliant revolutionary idea or having the IQ of Einstein.

99% of the tasks you perform when growing a business are easy – at least, no more difficult than a typical job.

The real challenge is winning the mental game: Dealing with the pressure of making decisions amidst constant uncertainty, staying motivated without a boss breathing down your neck, maintaining focus, and pushing through when things get hard.

If you can win that mental game, chances of success are high.

So, let’s talk about one critical aspect of doing just that, which is managing your expectations.

With this article (and podcast), I aim to convince you that keeping your expectations low is one secret to winning the mental game.

I’m excited about this concept because I believe if you take it seriously, it can…

• Improve your chances of success
• Improve your experience of growing a business
• Improve your results
• Lower your stress levels
• and even make you happier.

Listen to the podcast version of this article here, which includes extra content. Listen right here or on your favorite podcast app!

HS052 – The power of low expectations

First, let’s talk about…

How to ruin your day even when you’re winning.

Many of us start our businesses for more freedom and control so that we can enjoy our lives. However, entrepreneurs often end up with a business that consumes their minds, even in their free time.

They want freedom, and what they end up with is constant stress.

I don’t think that’s the case for everyone, but it’s more common than ever.

Its cause is a combination of several factors. For the sake of this article, I’ll focus on two of them that I see as most relevant.

#1 – Good old human desire

We always want more.

No matter how much we have, we want more. The funny thing is how we fool ourselves.

We think that once we achieve our next goal or acquire a certain amount of money, we will finally be happy and content. Yet, most billionaires are still out hustling for more.

That’s because of a well-known feature of our psychology, the arrival fallacy.

No matter how much we have, the goalpost keeps moving further into the distance.

You may think you’ll be content once your business generates consistent income. Then, when you get there, you realize you’d like to make a little more money and work fewer hours.

Once you accomplish that, you realize you want to take it even further. If this goes on for long enough, and you work hard enough, you may eventually build a multi-million dollar business. And when you get there, you’ll probably want more.

Is this bad?

Not necessarily. It’s just human nature.

That’s when you get hit with constant disappointment, even when you’re doing well.

And that’s where the second factor comes into play…

#2 Social media

Social media is amazingly effective at stoking desire. We see all of these people doing amazing things, and it anchors the expectations for our own lives.

Social Media distorts our perception of reality. Since everyone shares the best of their lives, we constantly see people doing better than us, and we rarely see the struggle that got them there.

This is especially true for entrepreneurs. Hundreds of successful entrepreneurs online make millions per year and live amazing lives (at least, that’s what they show). Then, they tell you that you can do the same. They stoke your desire and anchor your expectations at a super high level.

For example, you may see someone running a multi-million dollar business offering to teach you how to do the same.

They usually make it look easier than it is and imply that you can get results fast, essentially anchoring your expectations much higher than reality.

Sure, with their help, you may get there faster and easier. However, getting there will still take years of struggle, hard work, and failure. In reality, following in their footsteps is ten times harder than it seems, and success is nowhere near guaranteed. Those super successful people have been at this for at least a decade and often started in a better situation than you.

Yet, our minds don’t think through all of this. We see the big houses, fancy cars, nice tans, pretty women, and lots of fun, and we think, “I gotta get some of that.”

Then, since we see so much of it, we feel that NOT having it means we are a failure or that getting it is much easier than it is. Again, this anchors our expectations higher than reality.

It’s the ultimate first-world problem.

Then, these high expectations lead us to think results should and will come faster than is possible for most people. So, we try to do too much too fast, fail to meet these expectations, and still feel terrible even when we are making progress.

High expectations are a mental parasite.

They slowly eat away at your confidence, joy, and willpower.

Results usually take longer than you’d like, whether you are trying to lose weight, build muscle, or grow a business.

The problem is that if your expectations are unrealistic, you’ll think you’re doing something wrong. You’ll be tempted to give up and try a faster and easier way. In your search for gold, you’ll dig 100 shallow holes with nothing to show.

In your search for physical health, you’ll jump from one gimmick to the next as your confidence dwindles.

And it gets worse. Even if you are killing it compared to most people, you won’t feel successful if you don’t meet those high expectations. You’ll burn yourself out striving for an unattainable ideal outcome.

Often, this leads to people giving up before they break through.

Why low expectations are better

Charlie Munger (Warren Buffet’s right-hand man) once said the secret to happiness is lowering your expectations. After doing some deep thinking on the subject, I have to agree.

If you have low expectations, you’ll be willing to work harder for less. As a result, you’ll experience more progress and the positive emotions it generates.

You’ll be delighted with small wins instead of relieved you didn’t fail.

Setbacks (which are inevitable) will be less devastating because you’re expecting them to happen.

Meeting or exceeding your expectations consistently will boost your confidence, fill you with positive emotions, and keep you in the game long enough to win.

The result will be less stress, higher satisfaction, and even more success as your hard work compounds over time.

Be optimistic about the future and realistic about the present.

Let me be clear: I’m not saying that you should be pessimistic. I’m hoping to convince you to be more realistic about your short-term results.

For example, you can build a business that gives you a high income, purpose, and control over your schedule.

You can build muscle, lose weight, and get closer to your ideal body.

You can build stronger and more fulfilling relationships.

Just not immediately (and nowhere fast as you’d hope for).

If you can maintain a realistic perspective in the short term and keep expectations low, you will improve your chances of success.

If anything, this is an argument for being more optimistic because low expectations can be a tool for increasing effectiveness.

Will low expectations limit your success?

One benefit of high expectations is they get you moving. The idea that you can have it all now with little effort is seductive. It can wrap you in its spell and have you do things you wouldn’t otherwise do.

But that is only a short-term win. Getting started doesn’t matter if you don’t see it through long enough to see results. In fact, constantly trying new things and failing can be detrimental to confidence.

So, will low expectations limit success?

Maybe, but only if you are complacent. I’m not saying to be complacent. You can shoot for big goals and have low expectations for the short term.

Work hard, consistently.

Lowering expectations isn’t about throwing up your hands and saying, “screw it.”

It’s about being realistic in the short term and understanding that there is no free lunch. There is no reliable, fast, and easy way to riches. If you want a better life, you have to work for it.

Lowering expectations is about embracing that work is part of life, no matter how well-off you are.

So you gotta work hard.

Here’s how I define hard work. It’s not killing yourself with long hours or doing hard manual labor until your feet and hands ache.

It’s doing the work that moves you toward your goals, even when you don’t want to.

Difficult things include pushing through fear, learning new skills, taking calculated risks, and trying new things. Sometimes hard work is taking a much needed vacation. Sometimes hard work is having a tough conversation with someone. Sometimes hard work is looking at the way you are doing things and realizing you need to make a change.

Working hard consistently allows you to make progress. According to the progress principle, a sense of progress can significantly contribute to your happiness, productivity, and creativity.

Plus, it helps you move toward the things you want (even if you don’t expect them).

Conclusion

Lowering your expectations may sound like pessimism in disguise, but it’s quite the opposite.

It’s about accepting that there is no fast, easy, and risk-free way of solving many problems or achieving big goals, freeing you from worrying about finding one.

It’s also about accepting that life is not easy, regardless of circumstances or your success, so you can appreciate your situation and problems.

It’s about acknowledging that getting ahead in life is hard, otherwise everybody would do it.

So, you might as well settle in, enjoy the process as much as possible, and just get to work.

When you do, you can accomplish amazing things, just not by tomorrow.

The post The power of low expectations appeared first on Handyman Startup.

Pricing mistakes are common for handymen. Too common.

In fact, pricing mistakes cost me over $50,000 in my first year in business. That’s a lot of cheddar.

By simply avoiding many pricing mistakes, you can make a LOT more money. This is especially true if you are within your first few years in this business.

So sit back, grab a cup of joe, and enjoy a bunch of stories about my epic pricing failures.

HS051 – My top 5 LEAST profitable handyman jobs (and the mistakes that cost me big)

Resources Mentioned:

• Free Handyman Business Startup Kit
• Video course about pricing your handyman services – $100K Handyman Pricing

Transcript:

The post My top five least profitable handyman jobs appeared first on Handyman Startup.

How would you like to know an easy way to grow a business where…

• You don’t have to make sacrifices
• You don’t have to spend much time or make any big commitments.
• You don’t have to spend lots of money.
• You don’t have to make any tough decisions.
• You don’t have to do anything you don’t like, and you can have other people do it for you.

You get to do the work you enjoy most daily, plus the freedom and fulfillment of a profitable business.

Sound compelling?

Of course, it does. But it’s ridiculous.

If starting a profitable business was that easy, everyone would do it, competition would quickly outpace demand, and it would be hard again very quickly.

Starting a business will always be challenging, as it should be. You want it to be challenging, so the rewards are worth it.

But, there are easier ways to start a business than others, and that’s what I discuss in this episode.

Listen to the podcast version of this article, which includes extra content. Listen right here or on your favorite podcast app!

HS050 – Starting a business the easy way

Don’t wait for things to be easy because they never will be

I was talking to a handyman last week. He was in a tough situation. He had a full-time job. He was offering handyman services on the side. He was commuting to a different city for his jobs and wanted to build his handyman business full-time in the city where he lived.

But he felt there was too much competition and wasn’t sure he could make it work. He also knew that if he were going to make it work, he would need to establish an online presence to generate enough customers to keep his schedule full.

So, he started building his website. He got through the first couple of steps but quickly ran into a snag. It was more challenging than he expected, and he wasn’t sure how to proceed.

Riddled in uncertainty and frustration, he gave up to find an easier way.

As a result, he was no closer to escaping that situation and having that full-time business in the city where he lives.

There’s no judgment here. I’ve done the same thing many times. I also admire him for continuing to seek a solution, which is why we were speaking in the first place.

But here’s what often happens when trying to grow a business.

A task you are doing is harder than you expected. Maybe that’s naming your business, filing for an LLC, building your website, or attracting your first customers. It takes longer than you expected. It’s more confusing. It costs more money than you thought it would.

So you start to doubt yourself. You start to lose motivation. You wonder if it’s worth it. You wonder if you’re cut out for this. You wonder if there’s some easier way out there. And you want to give up. Then you start to think, maybe there’s some secret others know I don’t.

And so, often, that leads you to give up. Over the years, I’ve consulted with many who run into this roadblock. They want a more profitable business. I tell them a solution, and immediately, I see it on their faces.

Their reaction says, “Well, that sounds hard. I don’t want to do that. I don’t know how to do that. I can’t do that. Isn’t there an easier way?”

Again, this often leads to giving up or waiting for things to be easy (which rarely happens). So, they consume more information, do more research, and try to gain certainty when the reality is that certainty does not exist.

You will never be 100% certain.

And yes, maybe there is an easier way to move forward, and you should look for it. But most of the time, there isn’t an easier way, and waiting for an easier way keeps you stuck.

If you keep waiting for things to be easy, nothing will change.

Business growth happens when you face challenges head-on

Almost every time I’ve created significant growth within my business, it’s because I faced a challenging situation head-on. It’s not because I found an easy way or had some advantage.

For example, when deciding which business to start, I read several books on career options and how to find my purpose. I desperately wanted somebody to tell me, “Here’s what you should do, man. This is what you’re good at. You should do that.”

But nobody could. I had no other option than to stick with the problem until it was solved, which took me months. It was uncomfortable, but I had no choice but to push through until I felt good about a decision.

Eventually, I decided to start a handyman business. When I started my business, nobody wanted to hire me because I looked like a teenager. People would disregard me because I looked so young. They assumed I didn’t have enough skills or experience. To be fair, they were probably right.

But I still wanted to start my business, and I’d already quit my engineering job. So, instead of giving up, I dove into digital marketing. I studied it. It was hard. I was uncertain if it would work, but it was my best chance. So, I focused on it. I did things that other handymen wouldn’t do, and I thrived as a result.

Another time, I didn’t know how to price my services, and I felt like I was wasting my time making way less money than I could be with my handyman services.

At the time, I was podcasting, blogging, and running my handyman business. I didn’t have kids then, so I had more time to do these things. But while doing my handyman services, I knew I wasn’t making as much money as I could be. I knew I was underpricing jobs. I spent way too much time figuring out how to quote a job. I had too many gaps in my schedule between jobs.

I was leaving a ton of money on the table, but I didn’t know the solution.

I searched for advice and couldn’t find a good solution. Eventually, I got to the point where I was like, “Man, I’m not getting anywhere. I’m just spinning my wheels.” So, I had to do something challenging.

I stopped podcasting. I cut back on my handyman services and made less money while focusing on figuring out how to price my services more profitably.

It took me about nine months, but I ended up writing the first book on handyman pricing.

That book sold well over a thousand copies, and I eventually learned even better pricing strategies, which I used to build my pricing course “$100K Handyman Pricing.”

As a result of facing the challenge instead of waiting for an easy way, I started making more money as a handyman. I started scheduling my services more efficiently, making more money and less time. I was able to sell these programs to help other handymen make more money in less time.

That was a huge breakthrough. But it wouldn’t have happened if I had just kept trying to do the same things I was doing (which was easier).

Again, every time I’ve seen growth in my business, it’s because I went through one of those challenges, which was always difficult.

Any time I’ve waited for something to be easy, I’ve made little or no progress. And trust me, there have been many of those times.

You WANT it to be difficult to grow a business; you just may not realize it yet.

Everyone is always looking for an easy way to grow a business. But here’s why you want it to be difficult to start a business…

Easy leads to competition.

The best example of this is crowded ski slopes. If you’ve been skiing over the last decade, I guarantee your favorite mountain is way busier than it was ten years ago.

Many argue that convenience, low-priced season passes, and corporate greed have ruined skiing.

Ease is what ruined skiing (at least on Friday-Sunday at major ski resorts).

But, when skiing is not easy, it’s far less crowded and, in my opinion, more fun.

Just going during bad weather will cut the crowds in half. Or, even better, if you’re willing to get a backcountry setup, you can access fresh powder more consistently. It’s just not nearly as easy.

Any challenge weeds out a tremendous portion of the population.

With business, you want challenges and obstacles to weed out competition.

If starting a business was easy, everybody would do it, and supply would rapidly outpace demand.

But that’s actually impossible because there’s a natural balance. As supply increases faster than demand, competition increases, making it more challenging for businesses to stay in business. The people who aren’t willing to make the sacrifices and do the hard things give up, which balances things out.

And that’s why it continues to work; it’s not easy.

Many businesses work hard to create artificial obstacles to keep people out of their market. They want it to be hard for you. One example of this is contractor licensing regulations.

Who do you think is the biggest fan of contractor licensing regulations that limit you from being able to do plumbing, HVAC, or electrical without a specialty license?

It’s the people who have a license!

They want as few people to have those licenses as possible so they can charge higher rates and make more money.

Challenges = Opportunities

So, when you hit one of these challenges along your business journey, look at it as an opportunity. It means that a certain percentage of the people trying to start that business will automatically be weeded out, and all you have to do is keep going to gain an advantage.

When trying to get customers, you have many options. Most people opt for the easy path and pay for leads. Welcome to the crowds! Enjoy paying too much for leads and fighting for scraps.

But if you’re willing to do some things that other people aren’t willing to do, like the things that I teach in Handiman Marketing Machine, you’ll be cruising down a much less crowded and more profitable road.

Don’t seek easy. Seek advantages.

There’s a counterintuitive truth if you want to make growing a business easy. The easy way to grow a business is to stop looking for the easy way and start looking for advantages.

If I were to change that slightly, I would say, “Stop looking for the easy way and start working for advantages.”

Looking for advantages is important. You need to find those advantages. But ultimately, you’ll spend more of your time working to obtain those advantages because they won’t be something you stumble into. They’ll require time, effort, and sacrifice.

Conclusion

Starting a handyman or home service business is far easier than most businesses.

But starting or growing a business will never be easy, and you don’t want it to be. You want it to be challenging to weed out competition.

And next time you run into an obstacle and think, “This is too hard. There must be an easier way.” Go ahead and look for an easier way because there’s no reason to make it harder than it needs to be. But if you don’t find one, lean into the challenge. It’s your ticket to gaining an advantage.

If you’re ready to start your handyman business or take your business to the next level, grab your unfair advantage right here.

The post Growing a business the easy way appeared first on Handyman Startup.

Mounting TVs can be a lucrative service for any handyman.

• It has a high perceived value relative to install time, so you can easily make $100-$200 per hour.
• It’s a great, low-risk way for a new customer to test your services, allowing you to quickly build your client base.
• And it’s just a low-stress, enjoyable job.

That’s why I’ve invested time to promote and specialize in this service. And in this article and podcast episode, I’m going to share five business lessons I’ve learned after mounting well over 100 TVs.

And by the way, these lessons apply to any home service.

Listen to the podcast version of this article, which includes extra content. Listen right here or on your favorite podcast app!

HS049 – 5 Indispensable Business Lessons From Mounting 100 TVs

How I Started Mounting TVs

I mounted my first TV in 2012 for a middle-aged woman who found me on Craigslist.

I was surprised by the request when she called since I’d never mounted a TV before. So when she asked how much it would cost, I blurted out the first number that came to my head.

“Seventy-five dollars,” I said with fake confidence.

To my surprise, she agreed, and I scheduled the job for later that day.

When I knocked at her door, I was anxious (and probably awkward) because I wasn’t sure what to expect.

To make it even worse, she sat on the couch, watching my every move as I fumbled with the instructions.

It took me well over an hour (about twice as long as it should have), but I completed the project, and she paid me with a smile.

At first, I figured this was a fluke job because it was so easy, and I didn’t think many people would pay for this service.

I was wrong.

A couple of weeks later, I signed up for Service Magic (now called HomeAdvisor) and started paying for leads. I received my first lead to hang a TV shortly after signing up. I quickly jumped on the lead and told the customer it would cost $100 (again, just a number I pulled out of thin air on the spot).

The customer said yes, and I put it on my schedule. Later that day (my schedule was wide open), I arrived at this wealthy attorney’s estate and immediately realized the job was over my head.

The TV was a gigantic 80″ monster. I couldn’t put this thing on the wall by myself.

But I was already there, so I went to work anyway. Once the bracket was attached to the wall, I asked the customer to help me lift the TV to place it on the wall.

I felt very unprofessional, but she didn’t seem bothered. Again, she paid me with a smile and hired me for many more projects over the coming years.

Again, I felt like this service wasn’t something I could consistently offer. First, I didn’t think many people would need it, and second, I figured that few customers would tolerate helping lift the TV they paid to have installed.

Wrong again.

Over the next decade, I’d mount over a hundred TVs for hundreds of customers. During that process, I learned several valuable business lessons that can be applied to any home service.

Here are some of those lessons.

Lesson #1 – Some things can only be learned by DOING.

Despite doing thorough research before starting my handyman business, I’d never heard anyone discussing mounting TVs (again, this was back in 2011).

This service wouldn’t have crossed my path if I didn’t start my business. Only by immersing myself in the handyman business did I make this discovery.

This is true for countless insights I’ve gained by going deep with the handyman business.

Another example is marketing. My #1 most effective marketing strategy, responsible for 90% of all leads I’ve received in the last decade, was something I discovered after testing a strategy I’d learned from an online marketing course I took a year earlier.

But by immersing myself in marketing and doing it myself, I uncovered gold.

That marketing strategy now keeps me as busy as I want to be for my most profitable jobs with virtually no time or money.

I would never have discovered this strategy if I had just stayed at surface-level education, such as watching or listening to other people talk about marketing. I had to go deep, immerse myself in it, and do it myself.

But many people don’t take action. Instead, they watch YouTube videos, estimate the results they might get, and decide the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.

So they do nothing and, consequently, don’t learn anything.

When you actually DO something yourself, that’s when you learn. That’s when your perception of the world shifts. That’s when new possibilities open up.

When you engage in the world and try things (instead of living vicariously through others), you make discoveries that no one is talking about online, propelling your business and freedom forward.

I’ve learned a lot from mentors, and I continue to read books, invest in my education, and learn from others. But, most of my most profitable decisions and discoveries resulted from taking action.

So, lesson #1 – Do things. Stop thinking about starting a business and try it. And then stick with it long enough to go beyond having just a surface-level understanding.

Stop thinking about raising your prices and try it. See what happens and what insights you gain.

Stop thinking about building a website and get to work.

Lesson #2 – View competition as a signal, not a stop sign.

It’s easy to look at a business idea and get discouraged by all the competition, but when you do that, you’re already beaten.

The truth is that there is always competition, but there is also always opportunity.

The competition for mounting TVs seems pretty steep. First, Best Buy’s Geek Squad seems to have a monopoly on the service. Then you have Costco, HelloTech, Walmart, Home Depot, and other big players offering the service.

It seems impossible for a one-person handyman with a small marketing budget to make any meaningful money from this service.

Yet, I continue to generate new leads every month WITHOUT paying a dime to advertise. I could easily get more if I wanted to invest in some advertising.

If I were an outsider, I’d assume trying to get customers for this service would be a waste of time. The only reason I know it’s not a waste of time is I’ve seen the reality myself by immersing myself in it (back to lesson #1).

When you see competition, view it as a signal that a given service is in demand. Competition indicates that people actively pay for the thing you want to sell.

That’s a good thing.

Also, you don’t need a 100% market share to make money. You just need a small chunk of the pie.

Lesson #3 – Execute the basics first

As a new handyman, it’s easy to get caught worrying about small stuff like having the optimal tool bucket, driving the ideal vehicle, or looking stupid in front of a customer because the project takes longer than expected.

And sure, those things probably do have an impact.

But the majority of your time and effort should be on two things:

1. Doing high-quality work.
2. Offering great service.

If you provide excellent customer service and do immaculate work, your customers won’t care if you drive a Honda Accord or if your cordless drill is eight years old.

If you take longer to do something right, customers will quickly forget about that extra time and mainly remember your great work.

If you mount a TV straight and securely to the wall in the exact spot the customer wants, they won’t care if you use a $30 mount from Amazon.

Sure, you may be able to charge more if you can expertly explain the benefits of a full-motion mount, but that is secondary to the main thing, which is doing the job well and being a pleasure to work with.

It doesn’t matter how many fancy features or extra benefits you add to the project if you don’t execute the basics.

Take the example of having the customer help lift the TV. This is clearly not ideal. Ideally you’d have a helper so the customers wouldn’t have to be involved. But as it turns out, that’s OK. A helper is just an extra benefit that goes beyond the basics.

This problem can be easily solved by asking the customer if someone will be available to help lift the TV before you schedule the job. Great communication is one of the easiest ways to improve service.

While mounting TVs, I’ve learned that most customers just want me to show up on time, mount the TV so it’s perfectly level, and have the peace of mind that it won’t fall off the wall.

Anything else is just a bonus.

Lesson #4 – Strive to be the best

It pays to be the best.

Once you execute the basics, continually level up your game and strive to be the best.

Never get complacent.

Sometimes, being the best can be as simple as investing in the right tools.

If there is a tool that will make me better at mounting TVs, I will buy it.

One example is a borescope.

This tool allows me to drill a small hole in the wall and then stick a camera in that hole to find studs or see what is behind the wall.

Most TV mounting companies don’t have a borescope because it’s unnecessary for 95% of jobs.

The magic of this little $200 tool is that it allows me to mount TVs to faux stone walls above a fireplace without drilling 20 holes to find a stud.

This makes me look more professional, increases my capabilities and confidence, and allows me to charge a premium.

One customer called me to mount TVs in a 100-year-old home with lathe and plaster walls. He tried to get other companies out there, but nobody would touch it.

I knew it would be a challenge (I’d never done it before), but I was dedicated to being the best at this service, and I viewed the challenge as a way to differentiate myself.

The project took a bit longer than expected (luckily, I charged a premium), but I learned a new skill in the process, and I’m now confident for the next century-old home I encounter.

When you commit to a specialty, it is much easier to justify buying expensive tools or honing your skills to become the best.

But even if you don’t specialize, always try to level up your game.

Lesson #5 – Don’t be afraid to test different marketing methods

Many new entrepreneurs are afraid to test new marketing strategies. They want to ask twelve people for their feedback before they “waste their hard-earned money.”

This is the wrong way to look at it.

Sure, in the short run, you may lose some money. Your effort may not pay off. So, in the worst case, you learn something.

But the more likely scenario is that your efforts will pay off, and you’ll learn something.

For example, I recently tested a Performance Max campaign in Google Ads. I didn’t think it was paying off until I got one of the best leads of the year from a wealthy CEO who needed many handyman services.

Another example is Home Advisor. I hated paying for leads, and I’m very happy that I no longer need to, but if I hadn’t tried HomeAdvisor, I wouldn’t been able to fill my schedule during my first months in business.

With each marketing strategy I try, I notice I get a different kind of lead that I probably wouldn’t have reached otherwise.

This inevitably gives me more ideas for attracting more of those customers.

Sometimes I lose money, but that’s just part of the game. The good thing about this game is that the odds are stacked in your favor, so it’s not gambling. It’s a calculated risk.

This advice comes with a couple of caveats, though. First, don’t try too many things at once. Otherwise, it’s too challenging to gauge the results. Secondly, whatever advertising method you are testing, don’t half-ass it. Do it well. Otherwise, no matter how good it could work, it probably won’t.

Conclusion

There will always be more information you can learn from books, videos, podcasts, etc.

But if you’re constantly waiting to start your business until you know everything, you’ll end up a very knowledgeable wannabe with no real wisdom.

So, go out there and do something. You never know what you might learn. If you aren’t sure what to do, you can follow my step-by-step guide to starting a profitable handyman business here.

The post 5 Indispensable Business Lessons From Mounting 100 TVs appeared first on Handyman Startup.

Here’s an inspiring interview with a handyman who started his business just over a year ago.

After receiving an ultimatum from his boss, Evaristo Gomez left his secure job as a finish carpenter’s apprentice to grow his handyman business full-time – even though he had a wife and young child at home to support.

That takes courage.

And his bravery paid off.

Today, Evaristo is the proud owner of a thriving business that not only surpasses his previous job in terms of income but also grants him the flexibility to be there for his family whenever they need him.

And that’s just a little over a year in!

HS048 – Evaristo Gomez Shares His Story After One Year In Business as a Pro Handyman

Here’s what we discuss in this episode:

• Evaristo’s courageous journey – leaving his secure income for a better life.
• How Evaristo accidentally drilled into a pipe in the wall and caused a leak on one of his first jobs.
• The challenges of getting started – doubts, fears, and more.
• How Evaristo estimates jobs.
• The type of work Evaristo is doing.
• How Evaristo stands out from the competition.

About Evaristo Gomez

Evaristo is the proud owner of A Pleasant Handyman Service, which serves residents of Winlock, Washington, and surrounding areas.

After buying a 1930s-built home, Evaristo was overwhelmed by his growing list of repairs and lack of skills. When a contractor came in and helped him address the issues, his peace of mind returned.

From that moment, he was inspired to do the same for others. So, after working in several jobs in the construction industry, he eventually went out on his own and started his handyman business – where he focuses on bringing a pleasant experience and peace of mind to his clients.

And since he’s experienced so much success with his business, he’s been inspired to help others at his church start home repair businesses as well.

The post Pro Handyman Shares His Story After One Year In Business appeared first on Handyman Startup.