Terms and Conditions

About these terms

These terms explain how work is agreed and carried out when you hire The Sarasota Handyman, referred to here as I, me or the business. They apply to the services described on this website, in Sarasota and Manatee counties, Florida. You are referred to as you or the customer.

They are written in plain language on purpose. Where a job needs more detail, for example a roof replacement or a remodel, the details go in a written scope for that job, and the written scope controls over anything general said here.

Nothing on this website is an offer that you can accept by clicking a button. Sending a quote request starts a conversation, nothing more. A job exists only when we have both agreed its scope and price, and I have confirmed the start in writing or by a clear message you have acknowledged.

This page is a plain-language description of how I work. It is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for the written scope of a particular job. If you want a lawyer to review anything before you agree, you should have one do so.

The quote request and the callback

The quote form on the contact page asks for your name, contact details, the service you want and a description of the work. I read it and call you back. On the call I ask questions, explain what I think the work involves and, where I can, give you a price by phone.

No price appears on this website. A price depends on the job, the condition of the property, access, materials, weather and the distance I travel, and the website cannot know those things. A price I give you is for the work described to me at that time, for your address.

A price given by phone is not final until the scope is agreed. If I visit and find the work is different from what was described, I will tell you, and the price may change before the work starts. You are never obliged to accept it.

Visits, inspections and reports

Some services begin with a visit, an inspection or a report. These services give you information, in the form of photographs, notes, a written report or a completed form, about the condition or features of your property at the moment of the visit.

A visit shows what could be seen and reached safely on the day. I tell you what I could not see or reach. An inspection or report is a record of the property on that day and does not predict the future. It does not promise how the property will behave in any storm, how long any part will last or what any third party will decide.

Reports and forms that are requested by insurers, lenders, buyers or authorities are used by those parties under their own rules. I do not speak for them, and I do not promise how any of them will treat a report. If you want to know what a report may mean for your policy, ask your agent or insurer.

Scope of work

The scope of work is the list of what I will do. For small jobs, it may be a short description agreed on the phone and repeated in a message. For larger jobs, it is written and sent to you before work begins.

The scope names the work, the main materials, the place it will be done and anything specifically included or left out. Work not named in the scope is not part of the job. If you ask me to do something extra on the day, I will tell you whether I can and whether it changes the price, and I will record it.

Please read the scope when it arrives, and tell me if anything is wrong or missing before work starts. It is much easier to correct a sentence than a finished job.

Changes to the scope

Changes to the scope of work must be agreed before the changed work is done. A change may be one you ask for, or one that becomes necessary because of something found during the work.

Hidden conditions are the usual cause. Opening a wall, lifting roof tiles, removing a ceiling or digging near a tree can show damage, rot, old repairs or conditions nobody could see before. When that happens I stop, tell you what I found, show you where I can and explain the options and any effect on price and time. Work on the changed part continues only after you agree.

Emergency repairs are an exception in one limited way. If something unsafe or fast-moving is found, such as active water entering the house, I may take immediate steps to protect the property and tell you right away. Anything beyond that waits for your agreement.

Access, site conditions and what I ask of you

To do the work properly, I need access and accurate information. You agree to give me safe and reasonable access to the property and the area to be worked on, including gates, doors, the attic or crawlspace where relevant, and any water or power the job needs.

• Tell me about hazards I might not see: loose boards, weak ceilings, buried lines, irrigation, septic components, pets, wasps or anything else.
• Move vehicles, furniture and fragile items out of the work area, or tell me if you need help.
• Tell me about association or landlord rules that affect the work, and make sure you have the authority to approve it.
• Make sure that someone is available when we agreed, or tell me how to get in.
• Secure pets and keep children and visitors clear of the work zone.

If you rent or the property belongs to someone else, you are responsible for having the owner's permission. If I arrive and cannot get in, or the site is not as described, the visit may need to be rescheduled, and I may need to adjust the price or the date.

Permits, approvals and rules

Some work needs a permit, an approval from an association or a notice to a utility. Rules differ by city, county, neighborhood and type of work, and they change. I tell you what I know about what applies to your job, and I tell you what you should confirm with the local office or association.

Where a permit or approval is required for the agreed work, it needs to be in place before that work starts, and who arranges it will be stated in the written scope. Work will not be carried out in a way that depends on an approval that has not been given. Delays caused by waiting for an approval are not delays caused by me.

The Florida credentials listed on this website are given as facts about me; I make no other claim about licences, certifications or credentials. When there is something to state on that subject, it will be stated here and on the relevant pages in full. Until then, you may ask me directly any question about who performs and who signs off on a particular type of work for your address.

Weather, safety and delays

Outdoor work in Florida depends on the weather. Rain, lightning, strong wind and extreme heat can make roof, tree and exterior work unsafe or poor in quality, and I will not carry on in conditions I judge to be unsafe. When the weather is wrong, the work moves to a better day, and I will tell you.

I am not responsible for delays caused by events outside my reasonable control. These include storms and hurricanes, floods, fire, power outages, material shortages, supplier delays, orders from authorities, and delays in permits, approvals or inspections. During hurricane season in particular, demand for work rises very quickly and schedules change.

I will not promise dates I do not control. When I give you a window, it is my honest estimate. When it moves, you will hear from me promptly. If you need a firm date for a reason such as a sale, tell me early and I will say plainly whether it can be met.

Payment

How and when you pay will be stated in the written scope or agreed message for your job. In general, I invoice for work completed, and an invoice is due when the scope says it is due. For larger jobs, payments may be tied to stages of the work or to the delivery of materials.

No price is quoted on the website, and any price I give you is for the work described. If you have questions about an invoice, tell me as soon as you notice a problem, and I will go through it with you. Please do not withhold payment for work that is not in dispute.

If a payment is late, I will contact you first. The written scope may set out what happens when an invoice goes unpaid, and the law of the State of Florida applies to any such term. I do not ask for payment card numbers, bank details or passwords through the quote form or by text message, and you should not send them that way.

Cancellations and rescheduling

Plans change, and I understand. If you need to cancel or move a visit or a job, tell me as soon as you can so I can give the time to someone else. A change made with notice is rarely a problem.

If you cancel after I have ordered materials, reserved equipment or started work, I may need to recover costs already incurred, and the written scope will say how that is handled. Materials made to order, or already delivered, may not be returnable. I will explain what applies before you commit.

I may also need to reschedule, for example because of weather, an emergency elsewhere or a delay in materials. When I do, I tell you as early as I can and propose a new time. If I cannot do a job at all, I tell you promptly and in plain terms.

Materials, products and appearance

I choose materials suited to the job and your property, and I tell you what I plan to use. Where a specific brand, color or product is named in the scope, I use it, or I tell you before substituting something comparable.

Matching existing materials is not always possible. Roofing, paint, tile, siding and trim fade, discontinue and change over time, so new material beside old will often look different. I tell you where I expect a difference, but I cannot promise an exact match.

Natural materials, such as wood, move and change with humidity and heat. Small cracks, color variation and seasonal movement are normal, and they are not defects.

Quality of work, warranty and the limits of what I promise

I aim to do the agreed work carefully and to a good standard, and to come back and correct work that does not meet what we agreed. If you think something is wrong, tell me promptly, with photographs and a short note, so I can look at it.

Beyond that, no other warranty is given on this website. Any warranty on a particular job will be written down in the scope for that job. Manufacturers may give their own warranties on products, and those are between you and the manufacturer under their own terms.

I do not promise that any repair will last a certain length of time, that any part of a property will survive a storm, that water, mold, rot or pests will not return or that a report will lead to any particular result with an insurer. These things depend on the property, the weather and other parties.

To the extent the law allows, my responsibility for a problem with the work is limited to correcting the work or refunding the price of the part that is at fault. I am not responsible for indirect or consequential losses, such as lost use of a room or the cost of staying elsewhere, unless the law requires otherwise. Nothing in these terms takes away rights you have under Florida law that cannot be waived.

Existing conditions, hidden damage and other trades

I work on the property as I find it. I am not responsible for defects that existed before I arrived, for conditions that could not reasonably be seen or for the work of other people. If I notice a problem outside the agreed scope, I will tell you, but telling you is not the same as taking responsibility for it.

Older properties in particular may have concealed damage, outdated wiring or plumbing, rot, termite damage or past repairs of uncertain quality. Opening one part may show a problem in another. This is part of working on real houses, and it is why changes to scope are handled openly.

Where a job needs a specialist or another trade, I will say so, and I will not pretend to cover it. For example, large electrical work, structural questions, mold testing and medical or legal questions belong to qualified specialists.

Damage, protection of your property and your belongings

I take care of your property while I work, protect floors, landscaping and fixtures where it is reasonable to do so and clean up at the end. Please remove valuables, fragile items and wall hangings from the work area and from rooms below roof or ceiling work.

If something is damaged because of the work, tell me promptly, and I will look at it with you. I will correct or pay for damage I caused. I am not responsible for damage that already existed, for damage that arises from conditions I told you about, or for items left in a work area after being asked to move them.

Dust, noise and vibration come with this kind of work, and a degree of each is unavoidable. I will tell you what to expect.

Photographs and records

I may take photographs and notes during visits and work to record conditions before, during and after. They help explain findings and protect both of us if a question arises later. They are kept with the record of your job.

I will not publish photographs of your property, your home or you on this website or elsewhere without asking you first, and you may say no. See the privacy policy for how your details and materials are handled.

Communications and consent

By submitting the quote form and ticking the consent box, you agree that The Sarasota Handyman may contact you about your request by phone, text message and email. Message and data rates may apply. Consent is not a condition of any purchase or service.

You can opt out at any time by replying STOP to a text message, or by calling (407) 383-9118 and asking for contact to stop. Opting out does not cancel work you have already agreed to. I may still need to reach you about it in a way you have approved.

Your contact details are not sold, shared or handed to third parties for their marketing. The privacy policy has the full description.

Using this website

This website is provided for information about my services and to let you ask for a quote. The text, layout, images and other material on it are the property of Timothy Parks and are protected by copyright. You may read the site and print a page for your own use. You may not copy, republish or reuse its content for another site or for commercial purposes without written permission.

The information on the site is general. It describes what kinds of problems and services exist, and it is not a diagnosis of your property or professional advice about your situation. Only a visit and a conversation can do that. I try to keep the pages accurate, but they may contain mistakes, and I can correct them when I hear of them.

Links to other websites, if any, are provided for convenience. I do not control those sites and am not responsible for them.

Disputes, governing law and the whole agreement

I would much rather talk than argue. If something goes wrong, tell me, in writing if you can, with photographs and a short account. In most cases a prompt, honest conversation settles it.

These terms and any agreement for work are governed by the laws of the State of Florida. If a dispute cannot be settled by talking, it is to be dealt with in the courts that serve the county in which the property is located, unless the written scope for the job says otherwise.

The written scope for a job, together with these terms, is the whole agreement for that job. Changes to it must be written down and acknowledged by both of us. If part of these terms is found not to apply, the rest remains in effect.

Changes to these terms and how to reach me

I may update these terms from time to time. The version on the website at the time you ask for a quote applies to that request, and a job is carried out under the terms in force when the scope is agreed.

Questions about these terms: call (407) 383-9118 or use the contact page. You can read about the services I offer from the home page, and a good starting point for exterior and storm questions is the roof inspection page. Thank you for reading, and for taking the time to understand how I work.

Common questions