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How a HandyForce territory is drawn
The HandyForce has operated in the Greater Toronto Area since 2010. We sell protected territories to owner-operators who want to run a service business in the market they already live in. This page lists the GTA territories we are currently mapping and explains how a boundary is drawn before you sign anything.
Households, not square kilometres
A HandyForce territory is defined by households. A large rural area with 8,000 homes is a worse business than a compact suburb with 60,000, so we size territories by the number of private dwellings inside the boundary and by the age and tenure of that housing stock. Older, owner-occupied housing generates more repair and renovation demand per household than new rental stock, and we weight the boundary accordingly.
In practice that means a territory in the old City of Toronto covers fewer streets than one in north Durham, because the dwelling count per street is higher. It also means some territories follow a corridor rather than a municipal line.
Once the boundary is set, it is yours. No other HandyForce franchisee markets inside it, and head office does not sell service inside it. Leads generated by our marketing that fall inside your boundary route to you.
The one hour rule
Every HandyForce franchisee has to live within one hour of their office location. This is not a formality. A handyman and renovation business runs on same-day response, on being able to look at a job before quoting it, and on being physically present when a crew hits a problem at 3pm. Owners who commute ninety minutes to their own territory do not last.
We would rather place you in the territory next to your house than sell you the one you liked the sound of.
Already operating
Two GTA markets are running now and are not available. Our head office serves East York from 1352 C Woodbine Ave, and North York has been franchisee-operated from an office on Wilson Ave since 2024. The North York page is worth reading anyway: it shows what a HandyForce territory looks like about two years in.
Territories with published market data
| Territory | What makes it work |
|---|---|
| Toronto | 448,365 dwellings, 55% built before 1981, a renter majority that puts landlords and property managers on your customer list |
| Etobicoke | 64.9% built before 1981, and the highest ownership rate in Toronto |
| Mississauga | 244,575 households, 70% owner-occupied, effectively built out |
| Markham | Detached homes averaging $1,507,841 and under 1% monthly turnover |
| Vaughan | 64% single-detached, 85.9% owner-occupied, planned projects rather than emergencies |
| Richmond Hill and Thornhill | 69,310 dwellings, 78.2% owner-occupied, and two different housing ages in one corridor |
| Newmarket and Aurora | Up to 81.3% owner-occupied, the lowest turnover in York Region |
| Pickering and Ajax | 85.2% owner occupancy, the highest of any territory we sell |
| Whitby and Oshawa | 113,085 dwellings, and 58.6% of Oshawa built before 1981 |
| Oakville and Burlington | $128,000 median household income and the fastest population growth on this list |
| Hamilton | 222,810 households, enough scale for more than one boundary |
How availability works
Availability changes, and some of the markets above are divided into more than one boundary. Tell us where you live and we will tell you which territory fits, whether it is open, and how many dwellings sit inside it.
What it costs to open one
The total investment is $140,000, of which $90,000 is cash to open. That covers a $40,000 franchise fee, a $5,000 licensing fee for The Portal, our business management software, a suggested $5,000 grand opening advertising budget, and $40,000 in capital expenditure for a truck, first and last month on your lease, technology and uniforms. You also need access to $50,000 in operating capital. Ongoing, royalty is 6 percent, the marketing fund is 2 percent, and software maintenance is $250 per month. The full breakdown is on the investment page.
No construction experience is required. We train owners to run the business and manage tradespeople, not to swing a hammer. Read more about the franchise or work through the frequently asked questions.
Next step
Tell us where you live and which territory you are looking at. We will tell you whether it is open, what the boundary looks like, and what the dwelling count inside it is. Start with the inquiry form, or call 647-427-7366 or 1-888-910-7366.