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How do handymen in Tennessee get more customers from Google and AI search?
Short answer: Handymen in Tennessee get found online with a website that shows their license number, names the towns they serve such as Nashville-Davidson, Memphis and Knoxville, and collects real local reviews. Licensing runs through the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. The state had 1,612 businesses with staff in this Census category in 2022.
- Licensing body: Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors.
- 1,612 businesses with staff in 2022, 23rd of 50 states; 89% have fewer than 10 staff.
- Largest cities: Nashville-Davidson, Memphis and Knoxville.
- Coldest month January (about 38°F), warmest July (about 78°F), statewide average.
- Code edition: 2018 International Residential Code (IRC).
Do handymen need a license in Tennessee?
Licensing in Tennessee is set by Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, and some cities add their own rules on top.
License or registration types named by the state: Home Improvement Contractor (where adopted).
- No separate handyman license. Jobs from $3,000 to $24,999 fall under Home Improvement in the nine adopting counties.
- Below $3,000, no state license is implied. Check city rules.
Homeowners can check a license on the state lookup page. Put your number where they will look for it.
Contractor registration in Tennessee sits with Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. Contractor license is required before bidding or pricing projects of $25,000 or more, labor and materials. Masonry subcontractors need a license at $100,000 and up.
What does a year of handyman work look like in Tennessee?
Publish each seasonal page four to six weeks ahead.
| Month | Avg temp | Jobs to plan for (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 38°F | spring repair lists, doors, caulking |
| February | 42°F | spring repair lists, doors, caulking |
| March | 49°F | spring repair lists, doors, caulking |
| April | 58°F | deck and fence repairs, outdoor fixes |
| May | 67°F | deck and fence repairs, outdoor fixes |
| June | 74°F | indoor projects, small remodels |
| July | 78°F | indoor projects, small remodels |
| August | 76°F | indoor projects, small remodels |
| September | 70°F | deck and fence repairs, outdoor fixes |
| October | 59°F | deck and fence repairs, outdoor fixes |
| November | 48°F | spring repair lists, doors, caulking |
| December | 41°F | spring repair lists, doors, caulking |
Temperatures: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv statewide data. Job column: our planning suggestion, not survey data.
How many handyman and home repair businesses compete in Tennessee’s main cities?
| City | County | Businesses with staff | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson | Davidson County | 195 | 3,653 |
| Memphis | Shelby County | 145 | 6,276 |
| Knoxville | Knox County | 158 | 3,169 |
| Chattanooga | Hamilton County | 103 | 3,688 |
| Clarksville | Montgomery County | 51 | 4,703 |
Competition is tightest around Knoxville (Knox County), with one business for every 3,169 residents, and loosest around Memphis, at one per 6,276.
Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 and County Population Estimates 2023. Counts businesses with paid employees only.
How many handyman and home repair businesses are in Tennessee?
The Census Bureau counted 1,612 businesses with employees in Tennessee in 2022, in the category “Residential remodelers (the closest Census group to handyman businesses)”. That ranks Tennessee 23rd of 50 states, a mid-sized market, and 1% of the US total. 89% of them have fewer than 10 staff, and 59 have 20 or more.
Together they employ 7,310 people, with an average yearly payroll of $251,592 per business. The three busiest counties hold 31% of them, so the work is spread across the state.
With 7,126,489 residents (Census, July 2023), that is one business for every 4,421 people, against 2,509 nationally: more residents per business than the US average, so each business has more homes to serve.
Tennessee next to its neighbors
| State | Businesses | Residents per business | Under 10 staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 1,612 | 4,421 | 89% |
| Alabama | 1,013 | 5,043 | 92% |
| Arkansas | 587 | 5,226 | 90% |
| Georgia | 3,061 | 3,603 | 94% |
| Kentucky | 1,059 | 4,274 | 92% |
| Mississippi | 367 | 8,010 | 93% |
| Missouri | 2,095 | 2,958 | 93% |
| North Carolina | 3,526 | 3,073 | 93% |
| Virginia | 3,820 | 2,282 | 92% |
Counties with the most handyman and home repair businesses
| County | Businesses | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|
| Davidson County | 195 | 3,653 |
| Knox County | 158 | 3,169 |
| Shelby County | 145 | 6,276 |
| Williamson County | 111 | 2,383 |
| Hamilton County | 103 | 3,688 |
| Rutherford County | 88 | 4,172 |
| Sumner County | 57 | 3,649 |
| Montgomery County | 51 | 4,703 |
| Washington County | 48 | 2,884 |
| Wilson County | 45 | 3,637 |
60 of Tennessee’s counties have at least one. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022.
How big are they?
Businesses by number of employees, 2022: 1,200 with 1-4 staff, 228 with 5-9 staff, 125 with 10-19 staff, 49 with 20-49 staff, 10 with 50+ staff.
Where Tennessee is growing
New homes and new owners bring new work. Tennessee's population changed +2.9% from July 2020 to July 2023. The fastest-growing counties with 50,000 or more people:
- Wilson County: 163,674 people, +10.1% since 2020, 45 handyman and home repair businesses
- Loudon County: 60,591 people, +9.9% since 2020, 9 handyman and home repair businesses
- Maury County: 110,760 people, +8.8% since 2020, 41 handyman and home repair businesses
- Montgomery County: 239,872 people, +8.4% since 2020, 51 handyman and home repair businesses
- Rutherford County: 367,101 people, +6.9% since 2020, 88 handyman and home repair businesses
Source: US Census Bureau, County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023.
Which code applies in Tennessee?
Tennessee uses the 2018 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) (State enforces 2018 IRC but jurisdictions may opt out and adopt their own). Homeowners rarely ask about code editions, but inspectors do, and a line on your service pages saying your work meets the current 2018 code answers the question before it comes up.
What should a Tennessee handyman website show?
- Your license number in the footer of every page. Tennessee requires it in advertising for at least some trades.
- A service area list that names real counties and towns, for example Davidson County, Knox County and Shelby County.
- Seasonal pages published before April, so they are found when demand starts.
- Real reviews from local jobs, with the town named, and photos of your own work.
Tennessee questions
Who licenses handymen in Tennessee?
Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. No separate handyman license. Jobs from $3,000 to $24,999 fall under Home Improvement in the nine adopting counties. Below $3,000, no state license is implied. Check city rules.
How many handyman and home repair businesses are there in Tennessee?
The US Census Bureau counted 1,612 businesses with employees in Tennessee in 2022 in the category Residential remodelers (the closest Census group to handyman businesses), and 89% of them have fewer than 10 staff.
Which county in Tennessee has the most handyman and home repair businesses?
Davidson County, with 195 businesses with employees in 2022 (Census County Business Patterns).
Which edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) does Tennessee use?
The 2018 edition. State enforces 2018 IRC but jurisdictions may opt out and adopt their own.
When is the busiest season for handymen in Tennessee?
Tennessee’s statewide average runs from about 38°F in January to about 78°F in July (NOAA, 1991 to 2020).
Sources
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (state and county files)
- US Census Bureau, City, Town and County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023
- NOAA NCEI, nClimDiv statewide temperature and degree days, 1991 to 2020
- https://www.tn.gov/commerce/regboards/contractors/license/get/home-improvement.html
- https://awc.org/priorities/codes-standards/adoption/tennessee/
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