Pricing is consistent across the primary ring. The further out the job, the bigger it needs to be — straightforward to be straight about. Below is what I actually know about each neighborhood, beyond just the name.
Ten neighborhoods within 20 minutes of Harwood Heights. Same flat-rate prices across the primary ring. No trip surcharge, no zone fees, no minimums beyond the standard $120.
Mid-century brick bungalows and ranch homes — typical jobs are TV mounts, gutter cleaning, drywall patches from settling, and door realignment as the houses age. I live in this zip; if it's an emergency I can usually swing by within the hour.
Tightly-packed bungalows and 1.5-stories, plus the newer Harlem corridor condos. Common jobs are kitchen-faucet swaps, IKEA assembly in basement rec rooms, and replacing the deadbolts on storm doors after the season changes.
Larger Cape Cods, Tudor revivals, and Uptown's vintage two-flats. Lots of older interior doors that drag, original hardwood floors that creak under shifting baseboards, and the occasional century-old fuse-panel home where I do fixture swaps but won't touch wiring.
Mix of 1960s ranches, Golf Mill area condos, and newer infill. Frequent jobs: ceiling fan swaps, smart-doorbell installs, and patching drywall around mounted shelving from previous tenants.
The Chicago neighborhood that feels like a suburb — historic bungalows along the Metra line, well-kept brick two-flats, lots of long-time owner-occupants. I'll do allowed work here but won't do interior electrical wiring (Chicago city license required).
Brick bungalows, Cape Cods, and 1950s ranches west of Harlem. Common asks: drywall patch, door rehang, gutter cleaning, IKEA bedroom sets in finished basements.
Smaller post-war ranches and bungalows, with O'Hare-corridor condos. Lots of light-fixture swaps and gutter cleanings before fall.
Mostly hotels, conference center, and light-commercial. Residential work is rare. I'll quote individual property-manager jobs but not retail-pace volume.
Frame and brick bungalows, two-flats along Belmont and Grand. Repeat work tends to be deck-staining in spring and gutter cleaning in fall.
Older ranches and split-levels south of Algonquin. North Des Plaines is in the secondary tier — same rates plus a $25 trip surcharge or a 2-hour minimum.
Same flat-rate pricing as the primary ring. Add either a $25 trip surcharge or a 2-hour minimum instead of the standard 1-hour minimum.
I'll drive an hour for a job that's worth it — full-day projects, multi-room work, or trade-referral jobs from realtors and property managers I already work with.
I reply to texts within 2 hours during business hours and book most primary-ring jobs the same week.