The 90+ Handyman Tools Every Professional Needs [2025]

Basic Tool List

Basic handyman tools are hand-held and work without external power. They are typically small and play important roles in a handyman’s ability to deliver their services efficiently.

1. Hammers ($5–30): These drive fasteners into other objects when assembling or disassembling wooden structures. They come in three shapes—claw hammer, sledgehammer, and ball-peen hammer—and function better when lightweight and ergonomically gripped.

2. Pliers ($15–50): Your toolbox should contain three types of pliers: slip-joint for gripping large objects, needle-nose for holding small ones, and lineman for snipping wires.

3. Utility knife ($10–60): Get a utility knife or safety cutter to cut through shingles, strip wires, shorten cables, etc. Remember to obey the appropriate safety protocols when using them.

4. Wrenches ($20–100): Add adjustable, torque, and box-end wrenches to your toolbox to loosen or tighten hardware fasteners—nuts, bolts, screws, and pipes.

5. Measuring devices ($5–20): Handyman work requires precision and exact measurements, so it's important to have measuring tools like tape measures, rulers, spirit levels, and combination squares.

6. Stud finder ($8–35): Use stud finders to pinpoint framing studs hidden behind walls to find a strong anchor point for hanging shelves, heavy artwork, and cabinets.

7. Screwdrivers ($10–30): These are used to fasten nuts and bolts and are divided into various groups based on the shape of their head. As a bare minimum, handyman toolboxes should have three separate screwdriver types—Phillips, Torx, and Flatheads. You can also buy a multi-bit screwdriver set containing all the heads to save on costs.

Essential Handyman Power Tools

Unlike basic handyman tools, power tools need external power sources such as electricity, battery cells, or gasoline to work. Some examples are:

1. Power saws ($20–150): These electronically powered saws are used to cut or shape various materials. Based on the teeth design and application, they are divided into various categories, such as coping saws for curves, circular saws for straight lines, hole saws for round cuts, and hacksaws for cutting metals.

2. Heat gun ($20–70): Heat guns efficiently strip paint from surfaces, soften adhesives, shrink materials like plastic, and absorb moisture from surfaces like wood.

3. Impact driver ($50–200): You’ll need impact drivers to force large screws into very dense wood or metal without damaging the fastener’s head. This can be used when assembling furniture, repairing car engines, or installing dry walls.

4. Nail guns ($100–400): Use a nail gun powered by compressed air, battery, or electricity to drive nails at high speed and force when installing roofs, trimming baseboards, or assembling wooden projects. Remember to get an air compressor when purchasing pneumatic guns.

5. Cordless drill ($30–300): A cordless drill will help you create holes, drive screws, and sand surfaces. You should purchase one with extra accessories for mixing materials, plus a speed and torque adjuster. 

Common Supplies for Handymen

These are essential items required to run the business's daily operations and deliver services successfully. They include the following:

1. Screws, nuts, and bolts

2. Zip ties

3. Duct, electrical, masking, and Teflon tape

4. Staples and nails

5. Wire connectors

6. Wood fillers

7. Caulking (white exterior and silicone caulking)

8. Extra saw blades

9. Allen keys

10. Files

Depending on the complexity of your work, the services offered, and your personal preferences, you might need some items not listed above.

Specialty Handyman Tools by Job Type

Some specific types of jobs require special tools. For example, plumbers need tools to decongest toilets, electricians need voltameters, chimney sweeps need tools to clean flues, etc.

Get the following special tools if you plan to deliver any of these services:

Electrical work tools

Electrical repair professionals must have the following tools in their toolbox: van, truck, or bed.

1. Electrical and voltage testers ($30–80): These are used to locate electrical flow (electrical testers) and measure the voltage flowing through a system (voltage testers). You should use them to avoid accidents caused by exposure to dangerously high electrical currents.

2. Glow rods ($100–300): When installing electrical outlets or finding faulty connections, you must be prepared to work in dark, tight spaces. Glow rods are fluorescent sticks designed to provide illumination when running wires through dark areas.

3. Wire strippers ($10–40): These remove the external insulation coating of wires without destroying the internal conductor.

4. Wire crimpers ($25–60): Crimpers join wires, coaxial cables, and other electrical connectors to create strong, uninterrupted electrical flow without damaging the conductor or wire inside.

5. Levels ($10–40): These help ensure that all electrical fittings, fixtures, sockets, and other installations are fixed in the right place and line up perfectly.

6. Cable and wire lugs ($11–20): Purchase lugs to connect wires to electrical appliances and systems easily. They should be of varying pad widths.

7. Cable rods ($20–40): Aka ‘fishing rods,’ you’ll need them to maneuver wires through walls when installing electrical systems.

8. Multimeter ($30-50): Get a multimeter to measure various electrical values, such as voltage, resistance, current, frequency, and capacitance. It will also help ensure a continuous flow of electricity without any impedance.

If you’re looking for more electrical tools, check out this article.

Plumbing tools

The complex nature of plumbing work necessitates the purchase of the following essential tools:

1. Pipe cutters ($20–50): As the name implies, this handheld tool resizes plastic and copper pipes. They are easier to use than hacksaws and deliver cleaner cuts with minimal burrs.

2. Plungers ($20–40): Plumbing services mostly involve cleaning or unblocking drains. Hence, to decongest plumbing systems, purchase plungers of different sizes and suction pressures.

3. Inspection camera ($50–250): You’ll need these cameras attached to flexible cables to visualize the state of pipes' internal coating and anything causing obstruction. 

4. Tube benders ($20–80): These are used to bend tubes into specific shapes without distorting or crimping the internal tubing. They’re handy for joining or reshaping copper and stainless steel pipes.

5. Deburring tool ($15–40): After cutting or joining pipes, you’ll need a deburring tool to smoothen the edges and remove overhangs that can interfere with water flow.

6. Thread sealing tape (or plumber’s tape) ($15–20): Fluids can escape through even the smallest openings. To prevent this, plumbers use this tape to block potential leaks at pipe joints and ensure two pipes fit tightly together.

Read this article, which contains a more exhaustive list of the various tools used by plumbers.

HVAC tools

Here are the tools repairmen use to fix even the most complex of HVAC issues:

1. Coil fin straightener ($15–25): Buy this to straighten the distorted aluminum coil fins in air conditioning or heating systems. Though cheap, they are essential to improving heat and airflow.

2. Gauges ($50–120): This tool comes in different sizes and is a must-have for any HVAC handyman. It measures the air pressure in HVAC systems and determines if there’s a leak.

3. Thermometer ($30–100): Buy a digital, portable thermometer to measure temperature. This will help you calibrate thermostats and ensure that HVAC systems work within the temperature ranges suggested by the manufacturer.

4. Manometer ($45–100): Handymen use manometers to confirm airflow and measure the pressure within the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

5. Leak detector ($30–250): Use a leak detector to pinpoint moisture and find where refrigerant is leaking.

Learn more about essential HVAC tools in this article.

Roofing tools

Before you fix or install roofs, stock your van or truck with the following tools to enable you to provide the best quality of service:

1. Roofing hammers and hatchets ($9–40): Use hammers and hatchets to drive fasteners into roofing materials and cut shingles to size. Go for those with ergonomic handles and a gauge for measuring shingle exposure.

2. Roofing shovel ($50–150): These are special shovels with serrated edges for removing the fasteners that attach shingles and other materials to roofs.

3. Chalk liners ($15-30): These chalk-coated strings wound around mounting points create reference lines to ensure roofing materials are laid straight, preventing leaks. You can get them at any DIY store.

4. Ladders ($50–150): Purchase ladders to go up and down roofs.

5. Ladder hoist ($2,000+): This uses a hydraulic system to convey shingles and other heavy roofing materials from the ground to the top of roofs.

6. Tarps ($15-25): Use them to protect roofing materials from rain and prevent shingle fragments or nails from damaging customers’ property. You can also use them to gather debris as you work to make it easier to clean the job site after the project is completed.

Check out this article for a more exhaustive list of roofing tools.

Chimney sweep tools

Any handyman company offering chimney sweep services needs the following tools:

1. Power sweeping system ($40–100): This is an extended rod with a spider-like head made from nylon strands that spins up and down chimney chambers, removing soot and tar deposits without damaging the liner.

2. Chimney cleaning rod ($70–100): Chimney sweep professionals use this flexible, extended rod to clean lined and double-insulated flues.

3. Full-face respirator ($200–400): Purchase a full-face respirator to protect your face and eyes from carcinogenic and harmful substances such as soot, dust, animal droppings, and asbestos. You’ll also need it to breathe in clean air when cleaning chimneys.

4. Masonry sealant ($25–130): Apply masonry sealant to chimneys to close leaks and block out moisture. This prevents wood rot, mold damage, exterior mortar decay, etc.

5. Smoke chamber brush ($50–150): To dislodge creosote build-up in chimney smoke chambers.

Check out other essential chimney sweep tools.

Landscaping tools

To be prepared for any landscaping job, stock your truck or van with the following tools:

1. Mattocks ($30–70): When planting lawns, you’ll need mattocks to dig and chop into the soil. It’s also a great idea to purchase a pickax, too, as a mattock may not always be suitable.

2. Hoses ($5–50): Not every home you visit will have a sprinkler system. In that case, you’ll need a hose to deliver water from a central source to the plants manually.

3. Pruners ($20–60): Invest in pruning shears, loppers, and pocket-sized shears to remove damaged, diseased, or dead branches from landscapes. 

4. Spades ($25–50): You’ll need a garden spade to dig holes, pry out plants and rocks, and relocate mounds of soil from one place to another. They are also helpful for creating edges and turning the soil in an area to aerate and loosen it so that plant roots can extend and access nutrients properly. 

5. Lawn rollers ($150–250): These are used to eliminate air pockets, break soil clods, and level the ground after a sod is laid.

6. Leaf vacuum ($50–200): A leaf vacuum helps maintain a debris-free lawn by sucking up scattered leaves, including those stuck in tight areas such as beneath shrubs, in crevices, or near fences.

7. Lawnmower ($350–3,000): This motorized tool has sharp blades that cut grass to a specific height, making lawns manicured. Although its cost far exceeds other landscaping tools, you’ll need it to cover more lawns in less time.

Read this article to learn more about landscaping tools.

Irrigation tools

Here are some tools you’ll need to deliver irrigation services:

1. Trenching shovel or spade ($20–30): Purchase this to dislodge and remove loose soil from trenches dug with machines.

2. Trencher machine ($2,000–2,300): A trencher machine creates narrow and long ditches in the soil to house irrigation pipes. Its dials allow you to adjust the speed and boom height based on the soil type and desired depth.

3. Water-meter wrenches ($20–30): Purchase these to turn on and shut off the water supply by removing or returning the valves in water meters buried in the ground.

4. Irrigation leak detection equipment ($2,000+): This equipment accurately pinpoints leaks by detecting unusually high or low water pressure readings.

5. Water flow meter ($20–60): This measures the amount of water flowing through a pipe at any given time.

We’ve limited the number of tools covered here to save time. Read this article for more irrigation tools and equipment.

Septic tank tools

Carry these essential tools and equipment when going to fix, inspect, or install septic tank systems:

1. Septic probes ($15–60): These detect septic tank fields and drain lines across a property. Septic tank technicians also use them to locate septic tanks and identify potential leaks. 

2. Electric septic locator ($400–1,000): Septic tank techs and sewer cleaners flush electric septic locators down toilets and use the signal they produce to locate the tank. Larger septic companies use ground-scanning radar for the same purpose but charge customers more.

3. Pump truck ($100,000–500,000): A pump truck usually has a vacuum pump with strong suction to drain sewage from septic tanks.

4. Wrecking ball ($750+): This is a long rod with a ball at the end used to break open the cover of septic tanks.

5. Sludge judge ($75–100): Use a sludge judge to accurately determine the amount and depth of settleable solids in a septic tank.

Locksmithing tools

If you’re offering locksmithing services, the following tools must not be missing from your toolbox:

1. Lock picks and rakes ($8–30): These help locksmiths manipulate the internal mechanisms of locks until they open. Your toolbox should have multiple types and sizes to open different locks.

2. Broken key extractors ($19–27): Purchase this tool to extract broken key pieces stuck in locks without damaging the lock’s pins and wards.

3. Key blanks ($9–54): These are metal pieces without bitting, used to duplicate keys.

4. Auto jigglers ($25–102): You’ll need auto jigglers to open car locks by agitating their internal pins and wards.

5. Rekeying kits ($11–210): These distort the arrangement of lock pins so a new key can be created without buying a new lock, and someone with the old keys can’t access the property.

6. Key decoders ($10–600): You may not always have the luxury of having access to old keys when creating new ones. Therefore, purchase key decoders to create new keys using broken ones or the internal arrangement of a lock’s pins.

Find out more about locksmithing tools in this article.

Common Handyman Accessories

Accessories are extra but essential tools you need for the job. They include the following:

1. Step ladder ($35–140): Step ladders are compressible and stable, making it easier to reach elevated portions when hanging cabinets, changing light fixtures, installing smoke detectors, cleaning windows, and painting walls.

2. Super glue ($3–20): Purchase super glue to bond ceramic, plastic, metal, and glass objects. You can also use it to plug leaks and temporarily repair objects until a more long-lasting adhesive is available.

3. Toolbox or tool bag ($15–400): These have compartments and pockets for securely transporting tools from one job site to another.

4. Screw and nail organizer ($20–50): You can use this tool to keep screws and nails in a secure place where they can be easily accessed. This saves you the hassle of searching for lost screws or nails or getting injured when trying to pick them from a tool bag.

5. Extension cord ($9–20): Get an extension cord to power electronic tools and equipment when working on outdoor projects far from a power outlet.

6. Duct tape ($10–25): Duct tapes let you secure objects, bundle cables, insulate surfaces, and plug leaks.

7. Tool belt ($15–100): To save time and avoid frequent visits to your toolbox, wear a belt that holds your essential tools.

Must-have Handyman Safety Gear

As a handyman, you need to protect yourself from work accidents such as burns, face injuries from wood splinters, etc. Some essential safety gear to add to your truck and van include: 

1. Safety goggles ($10–25): Safety goggles protect the most delicate part of the body—the eyes—from sharp objects and flying debris. Advisably, go for safety goggles with adjustable straps, anti-scratch coatings, and nose pads that minimize discomfort during prolonged use.

2. Earplugs ($20–100): If you’re working in noisy environments, get earplugs to protect your ears and nerves from loud sounds that exceed the ear’s natural tolerance of 85 decibels. They should have a high noise rating and fit snugly in the ears to be effective.

3. Work gloves ($70–200): Whether you’re lifting sharp objects, loosening screws, or handling wood with sharp splinters, you need gloves to protect your hands. Look for pierce-resistant material and a comfortable fit.

4. Kneepads ($15–35): When kneeling, a large portion of your body weight is transferred to the knees, which can cause injuries and damage to your clothing. Wearing kneepads can prevent both.

5. Masks with respirators ($15–40): Get a mask with a respirator to keep out toxins and dangerous substances and deliver filtered air for breathing.

6. Safety shoes ($40–130): Tools and equipment can fall on your feet and cause fractures, dislocations, and deep cuts. Buy safety shoes with steel toes to protect the toes and anti-grip soles that prevent slips.

In addition to this safety gear, always carry sunscreen, enough water, and a first aid kit when working outdoors.

Handyman Software Tools

To run a handyman business successfully, you need streamlined workflows that prevent mistakes, eliminate inefficiencies, and minimize the business's pain. Only the right software can accomplish this.

Over the years, we’ve devoted ourselves to building a comprehensive software solution that handyman business owners have come to love. They use it to automate core business processes such as service scheduling, appointment setting, invoicing, and marketing.

Below, we’ll explain how handyman professionals use ServiceTitan to manage their business.

1. Call booking software

Customers will almost always prefer to book an appointment by phone instead of physically visiting your place of business. Hence, you must do your best to craft a call-booking experience that delivers a positive first impression. 

Customers shouldn’t be kept waiting. CSRs should proactively suggest resolutions to their issues, capture every detail required for the job, and record them in a central database accessible to technicians. Not to toot our own horn, but ServiceTitan’s Call Booking platform does all this and more.

The platform has a cloud-based VOIP system that allows handyman business owners to pick up customer calls from anywhere with an internet connection. This minimizes missed calls and the frustration customers experience when no one is available to respond to their emergency.

Additionally, to ease information collection, we fitted the Customer Booking platform with drop-down menus and pre-loaded sales scripts that guide CSRs on the details to collect and questions to ask.

Once they’ve collected all the necessary information, ServiceTitan automatically uploads it and the call recording to the cloud, where technicians from the field can access it via tablets and mobile devices. This empowers technicians to recognize loyal customers, access their entire history, and upsell relevant services.

This enhances customer satisfaction, which translates into repeat business and more revenue.

2. Scheduling software

You’ll agree that scheduling is one of the major headaches of running a handyman business. Clipboards, calendars, whiteboards, and spreadsheets may work for managing a hundred appointments, but they become increasingly inefficient as the number grows.

Handyman businesses use ServiceTitan’s Service Scheduling software to schedule appointments weeks and months in advance and attach tags to those with special requirements, such as knowledge of a language or a new procedure.

This way, handyman business owners can stock the right materials in anticipation of the project and ensure the technicians assigned are well-qualified to handle it.

3. Crew dispatch software

For effective work order management, technicians must be assigned new jobs according to their current workload and proximity to the service location. But that’s unlikely to happen if dispatchers still use physical or digital maps with pegs, pins, and hooks to dispatch and assign jobs.

With such a manual system, customers may not receive updates on appointment changes, and more resources than necessary will be wasted on driving to the job site.

A digital system like ServiceTitan’s Dispatch Software eliminates such encumbrances by providing an intuitive interface dispatchers can use to see which techs are available and ready to take on new orders. This helps managers maximize the available resources without causing burnout.

Furthermore, customer appointment confirmations are automatically reflected on the dispatch board. This way, dispatchers spend less time on phone calls, and technicians won’t need to return to job sites twice because the homeowner wasn’t around the first time. 

4. Field service tool

What if you could maximize techs' direct contact with customers to generate revenue? Or provide techs with all they need to close sales on-site? 

You can with ServiceTitan’s Field Service App, which lets technicians access customer information and listen to intake call recordings from mobile devices.

With the right information in their hands, technicians can create tiered estimates to upsell customers on new services. After creating the estimates, they can switch to the presentation mode that lets customers swipe and select a pricing tier aligned with their financial position.

Once a tier is selected, customers can use the mobile tablet to pay via cash, credit card, or check. Customers' records and your financial statements automatically adjust to accommodate each payment.

This increases the revenue technicians generate in the field, which grows your business.

5. Payroll software

There’s an old business saying—“Treat your employees the way you want customers to be treated.” If you want customers to return, pay employees fair wages so they cheerfully interact with customers, deliver quality services, and drive repeat business.

Having a hard time calculating a fair salary or hourly rate to pay employees?

Servicetitan’s Payroll Platform lets handyman business owners view timesheets and track the time technicians spend on each stage of the job cycle—driving to and from service visits, buying supplies, and fixing customer issues. It also has a tab for creating custom payment structures that incorporate performance-based incentives such as bonuses, commissions, and overtime.

Furthermore, ServiceTitan’s Payroll Platform automatically computes, analyzes, and displays the cost of each project in manpower hours and materials.

This ensures you compensate employees fairly for every second they spend on the job, while maintaining profitability.

6. Marketing tool

Promoting your services to prospects is how you stay in business.

Considering the digital nature of most customer inquiries, it's wise to adopt an omnichannel marketing approach that involves running campaigns on every channel frequented by your target customers.

To do that, you need a tool like ServiceTitan’s Home Services Marketing software that lets you monitor, create, and track campaigns hosted on different channels. This includes email marketing, direct mail, and paid advertising.

The software also displays the revenue generated by each campaign, using a unique tracking number assigned to the campaign by the software. You can use this report to discover what to improve, which neighborhoods to target, and which campaigns to discontinue.

How to Choose the Best Handyman Tools for Your Needs

You may think of buying all the tools listed above or simply imitating what another business like yours already uses. A better approach, however, would be to pick tools suitable for your specific business needs, which has the added advantage of eliminating tools you may never use.

Use this checklist to choose handyman tools applicable to your business requirements:

1. Assess your current services and purchase only the essential tools you need to deliver them.

2. Prioritize quality over price. Low-quality tools eventually break down and repairing them will cost you a whole lot more than the price it takes to buy quality ones.

3. Look out for comfort, especially if you’ll be using the tool for extended periods. Select weightless tools with ergonomic designs to minimize hand strain and fatigue.

4. To save costs, opt for versatile tools that can handle multiple tasks. For example, get a multi-bit screwdriver with extra accessories like levels and wire cutters instead of buying different types of screwdrivers.

5. Opt for cordless power tools if you move around frequently and do most of your work outdoors.

6. Pick tools made by reputable manufacturers. They’re more likely to be of high quality and have accessories that are easy to find.

After buying all the tools you need, service them regularly so they remain in top condition. You should also invest in a digital solution like ServiceTitan’s Inventory Management platform to track your tools’ locations and know exactly when to restock.

Over To You

Handymen are unsuccessful without the right tools. That’s why we’ve used this article to curate a list of essential tools you can pick from.

Before you make your choice, assess your business needs and budget. Then, select a tool that satisfies those needs without overly denting your finances.

Once you’ve purchased manual tools, remember to invest in digital handyman software such as ServiceTitan, to automate key operational processes.

ServiceTitan is a cloud-based, all-in-one software solution built specifically to help handyman businesses track their operations, boost productivity, and achieve growth. Our award-winning platform is trusted by more than 100,000+ contractors across the country.