One thing is for sure — the past few years have been a whirlwind, with COVID-19 and inflation shaking things up for millions of families across America. It’s also left many of us disillusioned with the old promise of working hard for a company for 50 years only to retire and wonder where life passed us by. For a lot of people, that 9 to 5 grind just isn’t working anymore, and they're looking for a way out.
If you’re one of those people, dreaming of more control over your life, and time with your family, you have to take a leap of faith to control your future. There are obviously a lot of options out there, but we argue the strongest of them is a home services business.
It could be easy enough to say “Everyone has a home that needs servicing,” but we’re not the types to blow smoke. The fact is, the U.S. home services industry is thriving, valued at over $657 billion in 2024, and expected to grow to $5.14 trillion (with a T!) by 2026. This growth is driven by a ton of reasons, mostly it’s that our houses are getting older, technology is rapidly improving, and people are wanting more leisure time by leaving the work to someone else.
So if you’ve got the drive and the willingness to learn, there really isn’t any reason you can’t be part of that tremendous growth. Whether you're looking to start a side hustle or transition fully into entrepreneurship, this booming market presents all sorts of opportunities.
Let’s take a look at some of the most stable and promising home service business ideas in America today, helping you take that first step towards achieving your personal and financial goals.
Table of Contents
- What is a Home Service Business?
- Understanding the Scope
- Crack filling and sealcoating asphalt driveways
- Carpet cleaning and restoration
- Pest Control Service
- Pressure washing
- Gutter cleaning
- Tree trimmer
- Christmas lights installation
- Crawlspace cleaning and encapsulation
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What is a Home Service Business?
Yes, the Home service industry is big and varied, but it can be simplified like this: if you provide a service that requires entering a person's home to clean, fix, maintain, or improve a part of it, then you have a home service business. This includes activities like house cleaning, plumbing repairs, electrical work, HVAC maintenance, and home improvement projects.
But home service businesses aren’t just limited to the inside of a house. You can also clean, fix, or improve areas outside the home, like driveways, pathways, yards, roofs, and crawlspaces. These exterior services include landscaping, lawn care, driveway repair, pressure washing, and roof repairs.
Understanding the Scope
- Interior Services: Think of anything inside the home that needs attention. This could be regular house cleaning, deep carpet cleaning, pest control, plumbing repairs, electrical work, HVAC maintenance, painting, or even remodeling a kitchen or bathroom.
- Exterior Services: The outside of a home needs love too. Services like landscaping, lawn care, driveway sealing, pressure washing, roof repairs, and gutter cleaning all fall under this category. These jobs make sure the exterior looks good and stays in great shape.
Why Home Services Matter
Home services are crucial for maintaining and improving living spaces, enhancing comfort, safety, and property value. Regular maintenance and timely repairs prevent small issues from becoming big, expensive problems. And let’s be honest, with busy schedules, many people prefer hiring professionals to handle these tasks. That’s why the home services market is booming.
Starting a home service business can be both fulfilling and profitable. It offers the flexibility to specialize in a niche or provide a broad range of services. Whether you focus on the interior or exterior, there’s a steady demand for your expertise, giving you a constant flow of business.
The Best Home Services Businesses to Start in 2024
Okay, enough background. Let’s get into it — here are the top ideas for starting a home services business in America right now.
1. Crack Filling and Sealcoating Asphalt Driveways
If you like the outdoors and you're looking for a business opportunity with a short training period and low startup cost, then try crack filling and sealcoating asphalt driveways.
Sealcoating a driveway
Getting Started
You don't need to go back to school just to learn about sealcoating and crack filling.
All you have to do is enroll in the Driveway Sealcoating Kickstart Course or the Crack Repair Kickstart Course to learn everything about these services and get started right away.
After taking your course, talk to a local asphalt maintenance contractor to see if you can chalk up some experience on the job before you start your own business.
While you’ll probably want that practical experience under your belt, you don’t actually have to be certified to become an asphalt maintenance specialist. Just make sure you get all the business permits and licenses before you start advertising your services.
Related: How to Start a Driveway Sealcoating Business
Adam Chapman, the owner of the Canadian company Pad Pal, offers sealcoating and crack repair services, as well as specializes in permanent LED accents and holiday lighting (more on that profitable venture later).
Watch our interview with him here to get some pointers on running this type of business and more helpful small business tips.
Interview with Adam Chapman, CEO of Pad Pal on
How To Start Sealcoating & Crack Repair Services
What are the items needed for an asphalt sealcoating and crack filling business?
For sealing asphalt driveways:- A drum of asphalt emulsion sealer for sealing driveways
- A drum mixer for mixing the sealer
- A sealcoat brush or squeegee for spreading the sealer
- A sealer sprayer for drums for spraying on the go
- A melter kettle with a crack pour pot or an asphalt crack fill machine for filling cracks
- A box of hot pour rubberized crack filler to fill the cracks with
- Alligator patch for repairing extensive cracks and damaged areas
- Pothole patch for filling potholes
Surface preparation is a must in asphalt maintenance, so make sure you get quality cleaning supplies and equipment, too. Transport your asphalt maintenance supplies and equipment in the back of your pickup truck or trailer.
Related: 6 Reasons to Start a Driveway Sealing Business
2. Carpet cleaning and restoration
If you like working with your hands and love transforming carpets from filthy to pristine, then carpet cleaning and restoration may be the perfect home service business for you.
Man doing carpet cleaning service inside a home.
What makes it a good option for many people is it has a low barrier to entry, and you don't need tens of thousands of dollars in capital to start your own carpet cleaning company. It's lucrative, too! This service has a high demand in the residential and commercial sectors, so you'll never run out of customers as long as you do a great job.
How to Start a Carpet Cleaning and Restoration Business
If you've worked as a hotel housekeeper or an office or house cleaner, then you probably know a lot about carpet cleaning and restoration already. But if you're clueless about how to clean carpets according to industry standards, then it's time to get hands-on experience.
To do that, you have to apply as a hotel housekeeper or residential or commercial cleaner, and learn everything you can for 3 to 6 months before starting your own business. If you want to fast track the process, we suggest that you complete a carpet cleaning technician training course and get certified.
Once certified (although certification is not really necessary — it’s just good to have), you can register your business, get a license, and obtain all necessary permits.
Next, get your business bank accounts and insurance.
Once all your paperwork is in order, it's time to purchase your equipment.
What Are the Items Needed for a Carpet Cleaning and Restoration Business?
- Industrial Vacuum Cleaner: Essential for deep cleaning.
- Carpet Cleaner: For professional cleaning results.
- Defoamer: To prevent foam buildup
- Air Scrubber: For removing contaminants.
- Stain Remover: For tough stains.
- Carpet Rake: For loosening dirt.
- Cleaning Detergent: For effective cleaning.
- Transportation: A van or truck for equipment.
3. Pest Control Service
Pest Control is a good business option for people who already have experience in the pest control industry and are willing to strike out on their own.
Pest control specialist spraying chemicals inside cabinet.
How to Start a Pest Control Business
Don't have any experience in pest control yet? Don't worry! You can still start a pest control business even if you don't have any experience in the sector.
All you have to do is undergo professional pest control technician training and acquire certification upon completion.
What Are the Items Needed for a Pest Control Business?
Once all the paperwork is done, find a supplier for pest control chemicals. Here are some tools and equipment your startup pest control will need:
- Chemical Sprayers: For applying pesticides.
- Ladders: To reach high places.
- Baits and Cages: For trapping pests.
- Flashlights and Headlamps: For inspections.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): For safety.
- Transportation: A van or truck for equipment.
4. Pressure washing
If you're looking for a venture that has a low barrier to entry, low startup cost, and you don't mind the hard work, then check out pressure washing.
Floor tiles are getting cleaned using a pressure washer.
What's great about pressure washing is that it doesn't have to be a standalone business. You can integrate it into an existing home cleaning business so you can earn more.
How to Start a Pressure Washing Business
Surprisingly, there are actually pressure cleaning schools that offer training to employees and would-be business owners alike.
Their programs are short but packed with information, including the proper usage of a cold water pressure washer and how to ensure workplace safety. You'll also learn which surface cleaners are safe to use on concrete walls and driveways and how to use a hot-water power washer.
Don't have time to complete the coursework? Then work as a pressure washer operator for someone else for a few months. The great thing about receiving training as an employee is that you don't just learn on the job, you also earn while you're at it.
The process of starting your own pressure-washing business is quite simple. Get your business permits and licenses, insurance, and your business bank account and you're ready to start.
What Are the Items Needed for a Pressure Washing Business?
To start, here is the pressure washing equipment you're going to need:
- Gas Blower: For clearing debris.
- High-Pressure Power Washer: For effective cleaning.
- Long Water Hoses: To connect to the power washer.
- Sprayer Guns and Nozzles: For various cleaning tasks.
- Surface Cleaner: For large flat surfaces.
- Protective Gear: Rubber boots, gloves, rain pants, and respirator.
- Cleaning Supplies: Including bleach for tough stains.
- Transportation: A van or truck for equipment.
5. Gutter cleaning
If you're not afraid of heights and you don't mind handling wet and dry debris, then start a gutter cleaning business.
Man in a ladder cleaning a gutter of a house.
This is one of the easiest businesses you can get into, but of course, there's a risk that comes with it. You'll be climbing ladders, walking on roofs, and watching out for power lines all day, so it’s not for the faint-hearted.
How to Start a Gutter Cleaning Business
Unlike other types of home service businesses, there is no formal training for gutter cleaners. The best way to learn how to clean gutters is to seek employment with a credible gutter cleaning company and learn everything you can there. Once you have enough experience, you can strike out on your own.
What Are the Items Needed for a Gutter Cleaning Business?
Here are the equipment and supplies you need to clean gutters.
- Ladders: To reach gutters.
- Work Gloves: For handling debris.
- Gas-Powered Blower: For clearing leaves and debris.
- Gutter Cleaner Brush: For scrubbing gutters.
- Pressure Washer: For deep cleaning.
- Trash Bags and Tarps: For collecting debris.
- Transportation: A van or truck for equipment.
6. Tree Trimming
We've mentioned some home service businesses that have low barriers to entry, and you can start almost right away. Tree trimming, however, is different from other home service business ideas we have listed here, as it does require some pretty specific training.
Contractor with full gear doing tree trimming services.
How to Start a Tree Trimming Business
Before you can set up your own tree trimming and removal business, you need to have experience as an apprentice tree trimmer or formal training as one. We recommend that you get this training from local tree care organizations to learn everything about this service.
But tree trimming is not the only thing you're going to learn in the coursework —you'll also learn about proper tree identification and biology, as well as how to identify tree diseases. You'll also learn the right way to prune trees, correct equipment handling, and safe cabling and bracing techniques.
Let’s be clear here though — tree trimming is one of the most hazardous jobs out there. That's why workplace safety is also included in the coursework.
That begs an important question:
Do You Need to Be Certified as a Tree Trimmer Before You Can Set up Your Own Business?
The short answer is (surprisingly) no, you don't have to. But we still recommend that you get certified as it is a good thing to have just in case a prospective customer asks to see it. Not to mention the last thing you want is a career or even life-threatening injury.
What Are the Items Needed for a Tree Trimming Business?
- Hand Saws: Telescoping pole saw, pruning saw.
- Power Saws: Electric pole saw, chainsaw, reciprocating saw.
- Ladders: Climbing ladder, stepladder, tripod ladder.
- PPE: Eye and ear protectors, helmets, gloves, work boots.
- Ropes: For safety and support.
- Stump Grinder: For removing tree stumps.
- Transportation: A van or truck for equipment.
Related: Asphalt Maintenance vs Lawn Maintenance: The Best Business for 2023
7. Christmas Lights Installation
Another lucrative home service business for the festive amongst us is Christmas lights installation. You can offer this service to residential and commercial property owners, as there is a high demand from both sectors.
House that has Christmas lights installed.
How to Start a Christmas Lights Installation Business
The barrier to entry is so low you don't need a high school diploma or training to become a Christmas lights installer. All you need is a good eye for light design and installation, and you're ready to start your own holiday lights installation business.
It's a seasonal service (obviously), so once Christmas ends, make sure that you have another gig lined up. It's also a good idea to incorporate this into your existing handyman or lawn service business.
What Are the Items Needed for a Christmas Lights Installation Business?
- Professional-Grade Christmas Lights: To sell or lease to customers.
- Stepladders: For reaching high places.
- Light Holders: For secure installation.
- Transportation: A truck or van for equipment.
Related: Four Winter Money-Making Ideas for Asphalt Contractors
8. Lawn Care
If you enjoy working outdoors and have a knack for keeping lawns green and tidy, a lawn care business could be perfect for you. This service is always in demand, especially during the spring and summer months, and can be a great way to earn steady income.
How to Start a Lawncare Business
Starting a lawn care business is relatively straightforward and doesn’t require a lot of initial capital. Begin by offering basic services like mowing, edging, and trimming. As your business grows, you can add more specialized services such as fertilizing, weed control, and landscape design.
What Are the Items Needed for a Lawncare Business?
- Lawnmower: A high-quality mower is essential. Consider starting with a push mower and upgrading to a riding mower as your business grows.
- Edger and Trimmer: For clean edges and trimming hard-to-reach areas.
- Leaf Blower: To clear leaves and debris quickly.
- Fertilizer Spreader: For applying fertilizer evenly across lawns.
- Basic Hand Tools: Shovels, rakes, and pruners.
- Transportation: A reliable truck or trailer to transport your equipment.
Where to Next With Asphalt Kingdom
While all of these businesses are viable options, we are always going to be biased and recommend that you get into the asphalt industry. We have a range of courses and resources that can help you be on your way to easily earning over $100,000 in your first year with all the freedom and sunshine you can handle.
If you’re keen to find out how, check out our Turnkey Sealcoating Business Package Solution. You can also check out our asphalt business resources page for more helpful blogs, articles, videos, and more.
If you want personalized help, contact our asphalt experts at 1-866-399-5562. They can help you get started and choose the right sealcoat supplies and asphalt equipment for your company.
Whatever you choose, we wish you luck!
Keep it smooth,
The AK Team.
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