Questions people ask us before booking
These are the questions we get asked by email, WhatsApp and on the doorstep, answered the way we would answer them if you rang. If yours is not here, ask it at mendwell.co.uk/book or on 07472 281 663.
Price and quotes
How much does a handyman cost?
With Mendwell, the job is priced, not the hours, so the honest answer is “it depends on the job, and we will tell you in writing before we start”. For a sense of scale, a solid core internal door supplied and fitted is around £205 to £225, and we publish more of these figures in our cost guides. National guides put a typical handyman at £30 to £50 an hour; we are not the cheapest and are not trying to be.
Do you charge by the hour or a fixed price?
A fixed price, in writing, after a visit. We do have a service rate of £80 for the small, mixed jobs that cannot be priced ahead, but we steer people away from it because it is not the cheap option and it means turning up unprepared.
Do you charge a call-out fee?
No. There is no call-out fee and no charge for the visit to quote.
Is there a minimum charge?
Yes, small jobs carry a minimum, because a visit has a cost whatever is done on it. Several small jobs on one visit are far better value than one, so bring us the list.
Why do you visit before quoting? Can you not price from a photo?
We visit, every time, because the photo does not show the things that decide the price. A visit takes about half an hour and you get a fixed figure afterwards, so there are no surprises on the day.
Why is the cheapest quote not always the best?
Because a cheap quote is usually missing something: the materials, the protection, the rubbish, or the return visit. We wrote a whole guide on it: why quotes differ so much.
Does the quote include everything?
Everything written on it, yes. If a room, a ceiling or a second side of a door is not on the quote, it is not in the price, so read the description and ask. Waste removal is never included unless it is a line on the quote.
Is the price on the quote the total I pay?
Yes. Nothing is added on top. If we find something on the day that could not have been seen at the visit, we stop and agree it with you before doing any extra work.
Can the price change after you start?
Only if we find something that could not have been seen at the visit, and only after we have told you and you have agreed it in writing.
Paying
Do you take a deposit?
Where a job needs materials worth more than about £60, we ask for 40% before we order them. That is what buys the materials for your job. Otherwise no deposit.
When and how do I pay?
The balance is paid on completion, by bank transfer, against an invoice with the bank details on it.
Do you send an invoice?
Yes, every time, by email.
Is VAT added?
The price on your quote is the total you pay. There is nothing added on top of it.
Trust
Are you insured?
Yes. Life Assembly Limited, trading as Mendwell, holds public and products liability insurance of £2,000,000 with Hiscox. We will show you the certificate if you ask.
Who are you, legally?
Mendwell is the trading name of Life Assembly Limited, company number 13963870, registered at 177 Arbury Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 7NH.
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes. If something we fitted fails because of our work, we come back and put it right.
What if I am not happy with the work?
Tell us, and we come back. We would rather hear it than not.
Can I see reviews?
Yes, they are on our reviews page and on our Google listing.
What we do and do not do
What kind of jobs do you do?
Carpentry and doors, locks and handles, shelving and fixings, fencing and gates, gutters and drainage, decorating, flooring, kitchens and general property maintenance. If it is on the house or in the garden and it needs doing properly, ask.
Do you do electrical work?
Small like-for-like jobs, yes. Anything that needs certifying, a new circuit, a consumer unit, work in a bathroom, is done by a registered electrician we bring in and manage, so you still have one quote and one point of contact.
Do you do plumbing?
Taps, washers, valves, toilet cisterns and like-for-like swaps, yes. New pipe runs and anything on the hot water cylinder go to a plumber we bring in and manage.
Do you do gas?
No. Gas work is Gas Safe registered engineers only, no exceptions, and we will tell you so rather than touch it.
Do you do small jobs?
Yes, and we are happy to start small. A list of small jobs on one visit is one of the best value things we do.
Do you take the old door, fence or rubbish away?
Only if it is a priced line on the quote. It is never included by default, so that you can compare our quote with others fairly.
Do you supply the materials, or can I buy my own?
We supply as standard, because then the material is right and it is covered by our guarantee. If you have already bought something, tell us at the visit and we will price around it.
Which areas do you cover?
We are based in Nuneaton and work across Warwickshire. If you are outside the towns you see us mention, ask anyway. We often say yes.
Booking and the day itself
How quickly can you come?
We plan every job before the day, which is why the day goes smoothly, so we are rarely able to come out the same day. Book a visit and we will give you an honest date.
What time will you arrive?
Between 9 and 10 in the morning on the day, unless we have agreed something different with you.
Do you work weekends or evenings?
No. We work Monday to Thursday. Friday is our office day, kept for quotes, planning and ordering, and it is what keeps the other four days running to time.
Do I need to be home?
Not necessarily. Plenty of customers leave a key or a code. We will agree how to get in at the visit.
What should I do before you arrive?
Clear the area we are working in, move the car if we need the drive, and tell us anything that has changed since the visit. We bring the sheets and the dust protection.
What if I need to cancel or move the date?
Let us know as early as you can. With a day’s notice there is no charge, and we will find you another date.
Will you tidy up?
Yes. Sheeting up before we start and cleaning up after is part of every job.
Can you help me decide what is worth doing?
Yes, and we will tell you honestly what can wait and what should not.
Still got a question?
Book a visit at mendwell.co.uk/book, email hello@mendwell.co.uk, or call or WhatsApp 07472 281 663.
Answers reviewed September 2026.