Middlesex County, New Jersey
Licensed Handyman in East Brunswick, NJKnow the price before we start.
Drywall, doors, TV mounts, decks, and everything else on your list, for homes across East Brunswick and the rest of Middlesex County. $345 visit. Not a franchise, not a gig app.
That's Osama, the owner. Licensed, insured, local, and we answer the phone.
Two ways to start
Every labor price is agreed before any work begins. When we supply materials, they are quoted with the price.
Most popular
Handyman Visit
$345
Two hours of repair time, as many items as fit. Send the full list.
- A TV mount, a faucet swap, three drywall patches, a sticking door
- Most small repairs finish in one visit
- Tools, ladder, and cleanup included
- Specialty installs priced per job, agreed up front
The bigger list
Half Day & Full Day
$595
half day · $1,095 full day
A room of drywall, a set of doors, a fixture list, or the move-in backlog. Same flat rule.
- Half Day: as much as 4 hours at your house
- Full Day: a full working day, the whole backlog
- Bigger jobs (backsplash, sheds, deck resurfacing): a signed price for the job, with half paid to book the date
Repairs, Not Renovations.
Small repairs and installs for East Brunswick homes, priced as a flat package before anyone starts.
Drywall Repair
Doorknob holes, settling cracks, ceiling stains, popped nails. Patched, sanded, and painted to match.
See what's includedDoors & Locks
Doors that stick, drag, or won't latch, plus new doors in the existing opening and new locks.
See what's includedCarpentry, Trim & Cabinet Repair
Loose railings, split baseboard, closet shelving, rotted trim, and cabinet doors that hang crooked.
See what's includedTV Mounting & Assembly
Televisions anchored to studs, flat-pack furniture put together, and anything that needs to hang straight.
See what's includedDeck & Fence Repair
Spongy deck boards, shaky posts, gates that drag, and a fresh coat of stain.
See what's includedTile, Grout & Caulk
Fresh grout and caulk, a cracked tile replaced, grab bars and shower doors installed.
See what's includedFixture & Faucet Swaps
A faucet, toilet, vanity, light, fan, switch, or outlet traded for a like item. No permit needed.
See what's includedPainting Touch-Ups
Patches painted out, nicked trim and doors refreshed, a single room or hall at a time.
See what's includedHome Maintenance
Dryer vents, drafty doors, torn screens, squeaky floors, detectors, and the twice-a-year checklist.
See what's includedMulti-day jobs, priced once.
A signed price for the whole job and a deposit of half to book it. Still no demolition and no permit work.
What we turn down
- Inside the walls. Moving or adding pipes, wires, circuits, or outlets, and any panel work.
- Gas, water heaters, and heating or cooling. Those trades pull their own permits.
- Remodels. No gutted baths or kitchens; the small bathroom fixes above are as far as we go.
- Roofs, gutters, and power washing. Ask and we'll suggest someone.
The franchise runs a meter. We agree a price.
Ace Handyman Services bills from the moment the craftsman walks in. We tell you the number before anyone picks up a tool, and it doesn't move.
When the clock starts
Ace: When the craftsman walks in
Us: It doesn't. You get one price before we start
Rounding
Ace: To the next 15 minutes
Us: None. The price is the price
The trip to the store
Ace: On your time
Us: Parts are on the truck
If the job runs long
Ace: The meter keeps running
Us: Our cost, not yours
If the list is bigger
Ace: More hours, more money
Us: We stop and price the next block first
Ace Handyman Services Central Jersey, phone quote August 2026: $210 for the first hour, $130 each additional hour, billed from arrival and rounded to 15 minutes per their published FAQ. Franchise pricing varies by location.
How our packages compare with national handyman rates
HomeGuide's handyman price guide reports national figures, not New Jersey quotes, but it is a useful yardstick.
HomeGuide, national (Aug 2023)
- Self-employed handyman
- $50 to $80 an hour, plus materials
- Handyman company
- $75 to $125 an hour, plus materials
- Minimum charge
- Commonly $75 to $200
- Trip to buy materials
- $30 to $80
East Brunswick Handyman
- Visit
- $345, up to 2 hours
- Half Day
- $595, up to 4 hours
- Full Day
- $1,095, up to 8 hours
- One itemized job
- $175 an hour, never more than the package that covers it
Hour for hour, our Visit costs more than the national company range. The difference is how the number behaves: an hourly rate grows with every extra minute, minimum, and store run, while our package price is fixed before anyone starts, with materials quoted alongside it.
It also buys a registered New Jersey home improvement contractor with general liability insurance; the same guide notes that licensed, insured handymen often charge more. Small repairs that might each carry a minimum elsewhere can share one Visit.
Source: HomeGuide, "Handyman Prices" by Tom Grupa (August 29, 2023), homeguide.com/costs/handyman-prices. National figures; local rates vary.
5.0 Stars on Google
28 reviews from homeowners and businesses across Middlesex County. Every one is real and public.
"Osama is amazing at what he does! He works with honesty, integrity, and leaves the customer with quality work! Highly recommend booking him for any handyman services and home improvements needed."
"I highly recommend reaching out to Osama if you need a reliable and professional handyman. Even though he was fully booked, he took the time to discuss my project, offered a very fair and transparent estimate, and gave me great advice."
"We are very satisfied with the work done by Osama. From the very first contact, the entire service and communication process was seamless and smooth. The final finish on the projects looks absolutely perfect and professional."
From Text to Done
Text Your List
Send photos and a sentence per item to (609) 375-0098. We reply the same business day.
Get Your Flat Price
We pick the package that fits, Visit, Half Day, or Full Day, and agree the number before we start.
We Show Up
You get a name and an on-my-way text. Tools, ladder, parts on the truck, and cleanup included.
Done and Guaranteed
Half down to hold the date, the rest on completion. One-year labor warranty.
East Brunswick's houses, next to the county's
What needs fixing depends on the age and type of the houses. Here is East Brunswick township against Middlesex County, from the Census Bureau's latest five-year survey.
| Measure | East Brunswick | Middlesex County |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,945 | 871,290 |
| Median year built | 1975 | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 57% | 57% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 5% | 10% |
| Built 2000 or later | 12% | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 80% | 64% |
| Single-family detached | 64% | 52% |
| Median rooms per home | 6.7 | 5.5 |
What the table means for repairs
Most homes here are around fifty years old. A median build year of 1975 means doors that no longer latch, hinges worn loose in the jamb, and tired grout around the tub: typical wear at that age.
Owners, not landlords, make the calls. Eight in ten township homes are owner-occupied, against 64% countywide. A list that spans several rooms fits a Half Day or Full Day block in one booking.
Bigger houses, more rooms to keep up. The median East Brunswick home has 6.7 rooms against 5.5 countywide, and nearly two thirds are detached single-family houses. More rooms means more ceilings and doors to keep up, and only 5% of homes predate 1940, so walls here are mostly drywall. Our drywall repair work is built around fixing the whole set in one trip.
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (East Brunswick township, Middlesex County, NJ; Middlesex County, NJ), via censusreporter.org. Percentages are of housing units; tenure is of occupied units.
Permits, lead paint, and paperwork
Three sets of rules shape how a small job in an East Brunswick house gets done.
1. What needs no permit
New Jersey's Uniform Construction Code calls a set of jobs "ordinary maintenance" (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). In a one- or two-family dwelling they need no construction permit, and our menu stays inside that list.
Ordinary maintenance: no permit
- Painting and wallpapering
- Drywall or plaster work under 25% of a wall's area
- A window or door swapped into the same opening, framing untouched
- Trim, moldings, cabinets, and bathroom accessories
- Non-structural deck, porch, or stoop parts in like materials
- Faucets, traps, and fixtures swapped for similar ones, piping unchanged
- A switch, receptacle, or light fixture replaced with a like item
Goes to the township construction office
- Opening a wall to move framing, pipes, or wires
- New plumbing lines, new circuits, and panels
- Gas lines, water heaters, furnaces, and boilers
- Drywall or plaster work past the 25% line
We don't take this side on, and we say so when we see the photos.
2. Houses built before 1978
In housing built before 1978, the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (40 CFR 745) says a job disturbing more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room, or 20 square feet outside, must follow lead-safe practices by an EPA-certified firm.
The Census Bureau puts 57% of East Brunswick homes in its "built before 1980" group; the buckets don't split at 1978, but most houses in town sit near the line. A few anchor holes are far below the threshold. Cutting out a stained section of ceiling drywall or sanding several painted doors can go over it, so put your build year in your first message.
3. Jobs over $500 get a written contract
Under the Contractors' Registration Act (N.J.S.A. 56:8-136 et seq.; contract terms at 56:8-151) and N.J.A.C. 13:45A-16.2, any home improvement contract above $500 must be written and signed, listing start and completion dates, the total price, and the contractor's registration number. Ours is NJ HIC #13VH13918800.
The homeowner then has three business days to cancel. A Half Day or Full Day booking is over the line and comes with the signed paper.
Sources: N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 (Uniform Construction Code, ordinary maintenance); EPA, 40 CFR 745 (Renovation, Repair and Painting); N.J.S.A. 56:8-136 et seq. and 56:8-151; N.J.A.C. 13:45A-16.2; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Licensed, Local, and
Accountable.
East Brunswick Handyman is operated by Central Jersey Home Services LLC, a registered New Jersey home improvement contractor that is licensed, bonded, and insured, with over 15 years of hands-on repair and carpentry experience across Central NJ. Flat prices, a one-year labor warranty, and a real person on the phone.
NJ HIC #13VH13918800
About East Brunswick and Middlesex County
East Brunswick is a township of 22.36 square miles on the southern shore of the Raritan River, directly next to New Brunswick, the county seat. A farming community until the 1930s, it grew fast after the Turnpike arrived in 1952: from 5,699 residents in 1950 to 19,965 in 1960. The Census Bureau has placed New Jersey's center of population inside the township since the 2000 census.
Water frames the town. The Lawrence Brook runs along the western border, widened by dams into Farrington Lake and Westons Mill Pond, and the South River runs along the eastern side past the Old Bridge Village Historic District, on the National Register since 1977.
The township sits at exit 9 of the Turnpike, with Route 18 through its eastern part, and borders eleven Middlesex municipalities, including Edison, Sayreville, and Monroe Township.
Middlesex County counted 863,162 residents in the 2020 census, third among New Jersey counties. The Raritan River cuts it in two, and most of it is flat inner coastal plain.
The climate matters for upkeep. New Brunswick's monthly averages run from about 32°F in January to 76°F in July, with July also the wettest month at about 5 inches of rain. Freezing winters and humid summers are hard on exterior caulk, weatherstripping, deck boards, and painted trim.
Sources: Wikipedia, "East Brunswick, New Jersey" and "Middlesex County, New Jersey" (accessed October 2026).
Towns We Serve
Middlesex County, from our base in Parlin.
Home base is East Brunswick, Old Bridge, Sayreville, South River, Edison, and Woodbridge. We also serve South Amboy, Spotswood, Milltown, Monroe Township, Piscataway, and North Brunswick.
If you have seen this truck on your street, that was us.
Questions East Brunswick homeowners ask first
How much does a handyman cost in East Brunswick?
Three flat packages: Visit $345 (up to 2 hours), Half Day $595 (up to 4 hours), Full Day $1,095 (up to 8 hours). A single itemized job is $175 an hour, capped at the package price. Materials are quoted up front.
Is East Brunswick Handyman licensed and insured?
We are Central Jersey Home Services LLC, a registered New Jersey home improvement contractor (NJ HIC #13VH13918800) with general liability insurance.
Do small repairs in East Brunswick need a permit?
Most don't. In one- and two-family homes, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7 lists painting, small drywall patches, trim, cabinets, same-opening door swaps, and like-for-like fixture swaps as ordinary maintenance, with no permit. Anything beyond that list goes through the township construction office, and we don't take it on.
Do you do bathroom or kitchen remodels?
No. We do small repairs and installs, not renovations. In a bathroom that means tile, grout, and caulk, like-for-like fixture swaps, grab bars, and shower doors.
My house was built before 1978. Does that change anything?
It can. The EPA's lead rule (40 CFR 745) requires lead-safe practices by an EPA-certified firm when work in pre-1978 housing disturbs over 6 square feet of paint per room inside or 20 outside. Small patches stay well under that. Include your home's build year with your photos.
Will I get a written contract?
Over $500, yes. New Jersey law requires a signed written contract with start and completion dates, the total price, and our registration number, and you have three business days to cancel.
Do you repair drywall and ceilings?
Yes: holes, cracks, water stains, nail pops, and damaged ceiling sections. Most small patches fit inside a $345 Visit.