High School · Lesson 41 of 66
The Vendor Roster
Handyman, pool, lawn, pest, HVAC and laundry — the full roster with typical Central Florida costs.
5 min read +10 XP
Beyond the cleaner there are six or seven trades you will need, usually at short notice, usually on a day you had planned to do something else.
Build the list before you need it. Finding a pool guy while a guest is texting you about green water is how you end up paying emergency rates to whoever answers.
The roster
| Trade | When you need them | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Handyman | Monthly, batched | $75–$95/hr, 1hr minimum |
| Pool service | Weekly, non-negotiable | $120–$180/mo |
| Lawn | Weekly in season | $100–$160/mo |
| Pest control | Quarterly | $45–$75/visit |
| HVAC | 2 services/yr + emergencies | $90–$180/service |
| Laundry (if outsourced) | Per turn | $12–$25/turn |
| Locksmith / lock tech | Rare, urgent | $120–$250 call-out |
| Appliance repair | Rare, urgent | $95–$150 diagnostic |
That is roughly $400 to $600 a month of routine vendor spend on a 3–4 bedroom pool home before anything breaks — which is why the pool, lawn and pest line in the Level 4 waterfall was $2,400 a year and the maintenance reserve was separate.
Batch the small stuff
A loose cabinet handle is not worth a call-out. Eleven of them are what “tired” and “not as pictured” sound like in a review.
Keep a running list from the turnover reports and send your handyman in once a month to clear it. One trip charge instead of eight, and the house never accumulates the slow decline that guests can feel but cannot name.
Still with me? The two that will hurt you in August.
HVAC and pool, specifically
In Florida these two do not fail politely. They fail in August, with a full house, at emergency rates, on a weekend.
What to keep on file for each one
- Name, mobile, and whether they answer texts (most do; some only take calls).
- Licence and insurance certificate — ask once, keep the PDF.
- Their normal rate and their after-hours rate, agreed up front.
- Whether they will enter with a code while a guest is out, and whether you are comfortable with that.
Also defined: Deep Clean