What counts as an emergency
Tom Hanks, owner, 24/7 Express Handyman Service · Updated September 2026
24/7 Express Handyman Service rolls at night for water that is still coming, a house that cannot be secured, and anything that will be worse by morning; everything else is scheduled for the next day at the standard rate.
Call now
Water still coming after the main valve is off. A door or window that will not close or lock. A ceiling, shelf or railing that has come down or is about to. A roof open to the weather. A guest arriving to a house that is not safe to hand over.
Call in the morning
A drip that a bucket is holding. A garage door that is closed and stuck. A fence panel down with nothing behind it. Anything cosmetic. The dispatcher will say which it is before anyone rolls, and the standard rate applies to a scheduled visit.
Call 911 or the utility first
Any smell of gas. Water touching the electrical panel or an outlet that is live. A tree on a power line. Those are not handyman calls until the utility has made the scene safe.
Leaving the house empty in winter
IBHS advises setting the thermostat to at least 55°F to keep pipes from freezing, even when no one is home.
When to stop and call
If you are not sure which list you are on, call and say so; 24/7 Express Handyman Service answers 24 hours a day and tells you honestly whether a night dispatch is worth the fee.
Call now
Answered 24/7 by Tom or his dispatcher.
24/7 Express Handyman Service confirms the address, the zone rate and the dispatch fee before rolling.
Sources
- IBHS Winter Weather Ready Guide news release — retrieved 2026-09-19