Where I Work
All of San Juan Island at standard rates, scheduled island days on Orcas, Lopez, and Shaw, and the outer islands by skiff.
- Licensed & bonded
- WA L&I #SANJUJI741OT
- Insured
- Locally owned in Friday Harbor
San Juan Island — full service
Based in Friday Harbor and working the whole island: town, Roche Harbor, Cape San Juan, False Bay, Cattle Point, Westside Road, and everywhere in between. Standard rates apply island-wide — no travel charge anywhere on San Juan.
- Friday Harbor
- Roche Harbor
- Cape San Juan
- False Bay
- Cattle Point
- Westside Road
- Lime Kiln
- Egg Lake
Tier one — ferry-served islands
Orcas, Lopez & Shaw — scheduled island days
The other three ferry-served islands get scheduled island days. Rather than charging one customer for a whole day of ferry logistics, I batch several jobs onto one crossing and everyone pays the day rate.
How it works
- Get on the list for your island. No commitment.
- When there’s enough work to fill a day, I set a date and email everyone on it.
- You confirm your slot and I come over.
Off-island days usually run every two to three weeks in season. If you need me sooner than the next scheduled day, a dedicated trip is available at the day rate plus $400.
Why island days instead of on-demand
Inter-island ferries load first-come and don’t take vehicle reservations. That means a crossing can cost me anywhere from forty minutes to three hours depending on the line. Batching jobs is the only way to keep off-island work affordable rather than charging each customer for a whole day of standby.
Tier two — outer islands, by boat
The islands the ferry never touches
I run my own 16-foot skiff, so the non-ferry islands are part of my service area rather than a place I refer you elsewhere. Decatur, Blakely, Waldron, Stuart, Center, Crane, Henry, Johns, and Brown all get worked from the boat, out of Friday Harbor or Roche Harbor depending on which island it is.
These islands are billed differently from the ferry islands: one flat, all-in boat day of $1,295 that already includes the skiff, the fuel, and hauling my tools and small materials over and back. There are no half days on boat-access islands, because launching and crossing costs the same whether I work three hours or eight. Every boat day is quoted before it is booked, and several jobs on the same island can share one crossing.
Two honest limits. First, the boat: it carries me, my tools, and small materials, with 20 feet the real ceiling on board length. Decking loads, sheet goods in quantity, appliances, windows and doors in bulk, and volume debris need a barge or a landing craft, and I will help you coordinate that instead of pretending otherwise. Second, the weather: winter crossings are not guaranteed, and I will move a date rather than push a small boat into water it should not be in.
Roughly 900 dwelling units sit across these islands and most of them are empty most of the year, according to the San Juan County comprehensive plan appendix. That is why the thing I lead with out here is property care and home watch rather than one-off repairs.
- Decatur
- Blakely
- Waldron
- Stuart
- Center
- Crane
- Henry
- Johns
- Brown
Outer islands, one page each
Each of these pages covers how I get there, what the housing stock is actually like, what breaks on that island in particular, and what the skiff can and cannot bring.
Decatur Island
Decatur is four separate communities on one island, each with its own dock and its own rules about what comes ashore where. I come over by skiff and I plan around that.
Handyman on Decatur Island →Blakely Island
Blakely is a private fly-in and boat-in community wrapped around a runway, a marina, and a lot of very tall trees. The trees are what keep me busy there.
Handyman on Blakely Island →Waldron Island
Waldron is the one outer island that is genuinely a year-round community, and it is off the grid on purpose. I work there quietly and on the island's terms.
Handyman on Waldron Island →Stuart Island
Stuart is the far corner of the county — two small communities, a dirt road, a one-room school, and weather that arrives before it does anywhere else.
Handyman on Stuart Island →Center Island
Center is 178 acres between Lopez and Decatur with a community marina, an airstrip, a clubhouse, and no cars. Everything I bring moves by cart or by hand.
Handyman on Center Island →Crane Island
Crane is a quiet, walk-everywhere island tucked between Orcas and Shaw. It is one of the shorter runs I make and one of the emptiest places I work.
Handyman on Crane Island →Henry Island
Henry sits right off Roche Harbor, which makes it one of the two easiest islands on this list for me to reach — I drive across San Juan and cross from there.
Handyman on Henry Island →Johns Island
Johns is about as seasonal as an inhabited island gets — several dozen rustic cabins on the east end, three households counted as year-round, and no utilities.
Handyman on Johns Island →Brown Island
Brown Island sits in Friday Harbor, a few hundred yards off the town I live in. Of all the boat-access islands, this is the one I can serve most easily.
Handyman on Brown Island →Next step
Off-island? Get on the list.
Tell me which island and what needs doing. No commitment. Call (360) 317-0203.
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