Handyman James
$59 per month, per property. Reach a licensed handyman at any hour by phone, text or email — and when something goes wrong at 3am in Arlington, there's no emergency callout fee waiting for you.
Sign upEast Arlington in particular runs heavily to two-families and rented units, often owned by people who no longer live in them. Property Care exists for precisely that: one licensed number, reachable at any hour, for a property you are not standing in front of.
A good deal of Arlington's rented stock is owned by people who moved out years ago and kept the building. Property Care is built for exactly that distance: you are not going to drive over to look at it, so somebody has to.
The housing here is tight and close together — capes, two-families and older singles on narrow lots, plenty of them built when a utility room meant the basement. Access is usually the first problem to solve and the one that decides how long a job takes.
A 3am callout is billed at the same hourly rate as a Tuesday afternoon. No several-hundred-dollar surcharge for bad timing.
Phone, text or email, 24 hours a day. Not a call centre or a ticket queue — James directly.
Normal callouts often within hours. Emergencies, as soon as he can physically get there.
The same licensed tradesman every time, who already knows where your shutoff valve is.
Gutters, exterior and weatherproofing checked ahead of the seasons that cause the damage — not after.
Repairs and touch-ups handled between tenants, on your schedule, for owners who aren't local.
$59 per month, per property. This covers 24-hour access, seasonal walkthroughs, and removes emergency callout fees. Landlords with several units in Arlington pay per property.
For the months you're away: visits on a schedule agreed with you, with the meters read for unusual water, gas or electricity use and photos taken every time, and a look after storms. Added to Property Care and quoted per home. More about Home Watch →
Billed at James's standard hourly rate, plus materials and any other costs incurred. The membership isn't a labour plan — it's what makes sure someone answers, and that calling at midnight doesn't cost more than calling at noon.
A single after-hours emergency callout from a contractor typically carries a premium of several hundred dollars before anyone picks up a tool. A year of Property Care costs about what one or two of those would — and with it, the 3am call costs the same as the Tuesday one.
“James is prompt with his work and getting back to me. His breadth of knowledge is amazing — he was able to fix my industrial sewing machine and get it running well every time. He's also available for small jobs and quite pleasant to work with.”
— Katherine, Arlington, MA“This man's dedication to his job is outstanding. He's well informed, professional, and transparent about everything he does.”
— Matthew, Lincoln, MAJoin online in a few minutes: read the agreement, sign it, and pay by card, or for a year up front by card, bank transfer, check or cash. $59 a month or $649 a year for each property. Cancel any time online.
Rather talk first, or want Home Watch quoted? Fill this in and James will call you. No payment is taken through this form.
Repairs, fixtures, drywall, painting and the everyday jobs.
Snowblowers only, never a plow. Register closes 15 November.