Open house prep

Tom Hanks, owner, 24/7 Express Handyman Service · Updated September 2026

24/7 Express Handyman Service gets homes open-house ready in Salt Lake, Park City and Heber. 3.0 million emergency department-treated injuries a year involve stairs, ramps, landings and floors, CPSC estimates. (CPSC: Consumer Product-Related Injuries and Deaths in the United States, Estimated Injuries Occurring in 2024)

What open house prep costs

Salt Lake City & Millcreek	e.g. $464
Park City & Summit County	e.g. $559
Heber Valley & Wasatch County	e.g. $559

Open house prep in Salt Lake City & Millcreek is billed as a same-day call-out: a dispatch fee by time of day that covers the first 60 minutes on site ($199 daytime (7 a.m.–6 p.m. weekdays), $249 evenings and weekends (6–10 p.m., and all day Saturday and Sunday), $299 overnight (10 p.m.–7 a.m.), $349 holidays and declared storm nights (federal holidays, and storm nights announced before the storm)), then $150/hour in 30-minute steps, plus the $50 supplies fee and the $15 fuel surcharge. Example: a small fix list the evening before an open house, about 2 hours: $464.

Full price sheet and estimator

Call now

(801) 999-0827 Text photos

Answered 24/7 by Tom or his dispatcher.

24/7 Express Handyman Service confirms the address, the zone rate and the dispatch fee, and takes a card, before rolling.

Quick answers

What should I fix before an open house tomorrow?

Fix safety items first, then what buyers touch. Tighten loose handrails and lifted thresholds, make every door open and latch, and patch obvious holes. Stairs, ramps, landings and floors account for over 3.0 million emergency department-treated injuries a year, so a loose rail is the item not to skip.

Can small repairs be done the night before an open house?

Yes, when the list is short: tightening rails, adjusting doors, swapping hardware and patching small holes fit in a single visit. Paint touch-ups need drying time, so send the full list as early as possible and put anything involving paint at the front of the day.

Should I test the smoke alarms before an open house?

Yes. Fire safety guidance is to test each alarm monthly and replace 9-volt batteries at least once every year, and a chirping alarm is easy to fix before visitors arrive. Replace any alarm 10 years past its manufacture date rather than just changing the battery.

Home for sale sign with an open house sign on a front lawn — Photo: Rick Obst, CC BY 4.0

What 24/7 Express Handyman Service does on site

Loose handrails, wobbly balusters, lifted threshold strips and rocking stair treads tightened before visitors walk them
Sticking doors, loose knobs, cabinet doors that swing open and drawers that jam adjusted so everything opens cleanly on a tour
Last-minute wall patching, touch-up paint and hardware swaps finished and cleaned up in the same visit

How it works

Start with anything a visitor could trip on or grab: stairs, rails, thresholds and loose steps
Fix the doors, drawers and hardware buyers will open
Patch and touch up what shows, then clean up so the house is ready for the agent
Referred out: dripping faucets or running toilets that need parts inside the plumbing system go to a licensed plumber, and lights or outlets that do not work go to a licensed electrician

When to stop and call

If the open house is tomorrow and a handrail still moves or a door will not latch, do not leave it for the agent to explain. 24/7 Express Handyman Service can come out and knock out the list before the doors open.

What happens next

The written scope and price come first; safety items like rails and thresholds go at the top of the list so they are done even if time runs short.
Photograph the damage before anything is moved and keep every receipt; 24/7 Express Handyman Service provides an itemised invoice your insurer may ask for. The dispatch fee and job cost are paid by you on the day.

Every job 24/7 Express Handyman Service takes on is under $3,000 including labor, materials and any change orders (Utah Code §58-55-305); a change that would push a job over that line is referred to a licensed contractor, not written up as a second job. plumbing, electrical, HVAC, gas appliance / combustion system work is referred to a licensed trade.

Sources

CPSC: Consumer Product-Related Injuries and Deaths in the United States, Estimated Injuries Occurring in 2024 — retrieved 2026-09-23
Smoke Alarms | U.S. Fire Administration — retrieved 2026-09-23

All sources

Water still coming? Door that won't lock?

(801) 999-0827

Answered 24/7 by Tom or his dispatcher. 24/7 Express Handyman Service confirms the address, the zone rate and the dispatch fee, and takes a card, before rolling.