What can a handyman do in Ardmore, PA?
Pennsylvania's figure is $5,000 in yearly earnings. The exact wording below decides whether you fit.
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Not a home improvement contractor (no registration needed) if 'the total cash value of all of that person's home improvements is less than $5,000 during the previous taxable year' (strictly under $5,000; at $5,000 or more registration is required). FAQ elsewhere phrases it as 'less than $5,000 of work in a calendar year'. Separately, a job only counts as a 'home improvement' when the total cash price agreed is more than $500. Other exemption: home improvement retailers with net worth over $50,000,000. Written contracts are required for home improvements over $500; deposit limits apply to projects over $5,000.
What counts toward it: other: total cash value of all of the person's home improvements in the previous taxable year (annual business volume, not per job); a 'home improvement' itself is only work where total cash price agreed is more than $500
"A person for whom the total cash value of all of that person’s home improvements is less than $5,000 during the previous taxable year."
Source: attorneygeneral.gov · checked November 2, 2026
What Ardmore adds
Ardmore is an unincorporated CDP split between Lower Merion Twp (Montgomery Co.) and Haverford Twp (Delaware Co.). Lower Merion: Contractor License under Code Ch. 69 from Building & Planning for anyone doing construction/repair work in the Township, plus business license/registration and Business Privilege/Mercantile Tax via Finance Dept Business Tax Division. Haverford: Business Privilege Tax (1.5 mills) applies to contractors conducting business in the Township even without an office there.
Source link: ecode360.com · lowermerion.org · lowermerion.org · checked November 2, 2026
Local business license
Depends
- Name: Lower Merion business license/registration + Business Privilege/Mercantile Tax; Haverford Business Privilege Tax / Mercantile Tax (+ business license)
- Applies when: CONDITIONAL
- Office: Lower Merion Township Finance Dept - Business Tax Division; Haverford Township Finance Department (610-270-9520)
- Fee: Haverford BPT 1.5 mills on gross receipts; Lower Merion fees not captured
"Lower Merion: 'Business license/registration fees and Local Services Tax returns must be completed, signed and mailed to the Township building ... Business Privilege/Mercantile Tax Returns should be mailed to: Township of Lower Merion MBP Tax Collector 75 E Lancaster Ave Ardmore, PA 19003'. Haverford regs: 'Contractors and subcontractors with no office in the Township may still be subject to Tax if they are Conductin"
Source: lowermerion.org · checked November 2, 2026
Local contractor or handyman license
Depends
- Name: Lower Merion Township Contractor License (Code Chapter 69)
- Applies when: CONDITIONAL
- Trigger: Any person (other than owner's employee) undertaking construction, repair, reroofing, remodeling, rehabilitation, demolition, paving or home improvement work in the Township; no dollar threshold stated
"No person shall act as a contractor in the Township except in compliance with the provisions of this chapter. ... every person desiring ... to engage in the business of acting as a contractor in the Township shall ... make application for a license to act as a contractor in the Township."
Source: ecode360.com · checked November 2, 2026
Jobs a handyman usually takes
Everyday jobs handymen take. In Pennsylvania, read the rule above first, because paid work may need registration whatever the job size:
- Mounting TVs, shelves, mirrors and pictures
- Assembling furniture and flat-pack cabinets
- Patching drywall and interior painting
- Caulking, weatherstripping and sealing
- Repairing doors, locks, screens and windows
- Basic carpentry, trim and small repairs
- Pressure washing and gutter cleaning
Trade work in Pennsylvania
OAG FAQ confirms electrical contractors and master plumbers doing home improvements must still register under HICPA.
Source: attorneygeneral.gov · checked November 2, 2026
Nearby places
Rules change. This page shows what official sources said on the dates above. It is not legal advice, so confirm with the office named before you take the job.
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