hit my 10 year mark as a handyman and im burned out already

been doing this handyman gig for a full decade now, started right out of high school fixing leaky faucets and hanging shelves for neighbors. been in the Chicago area my whole career, dealing with these old brick bungalows that need constant patching and wiring updates to meet code. lately im just exhausted from the endless parade of small jobs that barely cover gas for my Ford Transit, and my back is screaming after lugging around the Milwaukee packsaw and drywall compound all day. saw a post on r/handyman about someone else hitting this wall at year 8, and it got me thinking if its time to scale back or hire a helper. anyone else feel this way after a milestone like this?

track your hours with something like Toggl to see if youre undercharging on those small fixes, might help stretch the day without adding more jobs.

fuck the PE vultures scooping up local shops, theyll ruin the handyman scene just like they did hvac.

man i get it, after 10 years my knees are shot from all the crawling under sinks.

same here, thought id be set by now but the competition from taskrabbit types is killing margins.

lol remember that time i celebrated 5 years by treating myself to a new dewalt kit, only to drop the drill off a roof two weeks later?

set boundaries on job sizes early, anything under 2 hours aint worth the drive anymore.

watch out for those weekend warrior jobs that turn into all-nighters, i almost lost a finger last year on a rushed cabinet install.

dont ignore the signs, i pushed through at year 7 and ended up with a herniated disc from hauling lumber solo.

frustrated too, clients now expect full renos for handyman rates.

try niching into senior home mods, steady work and they appreciate the small stuff like grab bar installs.

never take verbal agreements on big milestone jobs, get it in writing or youll eat the cost.

proud of ya for lasting 10, but yeah the burnout is real when every job feels like a bandaid.

those old chicago houses are brutal, wiring from the 50s needs constant updates.

commiserations brother, my 15 year mark felt the same until i started subcontracting the heavy lifts.

join a local handyman network for referrals, cuts down on the solo grind.

hit 12 years and finally bought a second van, changed everything.

use sharkbites for quick plumbing tie-ins, saves time on those burnout days.

controversial take: handymen should unionize like the trades, get some benefits to make the long haul worthwhile.

i feel you, after a decade the thrill of fixing a squeaky door wears thin.

sharktite or whatever, but nah stick to soldered joints for longevity, saves callbacks.

batch similar jobs in your area to minimize travel, helped me push past the 10 year slump.

customer called me at midnight for a loose cabinet door after i hit my anniversary dinner, total buzzkill.

had a client ghost me on payment right after i finished their deck remodel, worst timing ever.

screw the apps taking 20% cut, theyre turning handymen into gig slaves.

damn right, burned out from the 24/7 on-call vibe.

yeah the physical toll adds up, take a real vacation or youll regret it.

try quickbooks for tracking expenses, saw it in a tommy mello vid and it cleaned up my finances.

those chicago winters make every job twice as miserable, hang in there.

the big corps are gobbling up leads, leaving scraps for us vets.

screw that, independents like us built this trade.

and now theyre undercutting with cheap labor, its a race to the bottom.

dont wait till youre 10 years in to get insured properly, one slip and youre done.

burnout hit me hard too, started saying no to jobs that dont excite me anymore.

pe firms ruining local handyman scenes everywhere, fight back with reviews.

reached 20 years by specializing in eco-friendly fixes, clients pay premium now.

frustrated with the endless small stuff, dreaming of semi-retirement.

totally get the exhaustion, especially after lugging tools all season.