People ask me all the time how I got into this. They see a handyman and assume I've been doing this since I was a kid, or that I inherited some family contracting business. Nope. I got here through a winding road that started inside elevator shafts.

The Elevator Years

Before I ever picked up a pipe wrench in someone's kitchen, I was an elevator technician. If you've never thought about what that job involves, I don't blame you — nobody thinks about elevators until they stop working. But inside those shafts, there's a whole world of electrical systems, mechanical components, hydraulic lines, and safety mechanisms that all have to work perfectly together.

Working on elevators taught me some things that stuck. How to troubleshoot systematically. How to read wiring diagrams. How to work in tight, uncomfortable spaces without cutting corners. And most importantly, how to respect the fact that when you're working on someone's building systems, you don't get to be sloppy. People depend on this stuff.

But elevator work is corporate. You're on someone else's schedule, driving to high-rises, dealing with building management companies, filling out endless paperwork. I wanted something different. I wanted to work directly with people, in their homes, solving problems they actually cared about.

The Apprenticeship That Changed Everything

In 2020, I started apprenticing under Mark Kessler at MAK Handyman on Demand. Mark had been doing handyman work in South Florida for years, and he had a reputation for doing things right. Not fast and cheap — right.

For two years, I worked alongside Mark learning the residential side of the trades. Electrical: how to swap fixtures, install ceiling fans, troubleshoot circuits, and recognize when something needs a licensed electrician. Plumbing: faucet installs, fixture swaps, supply line replacements, and how to work with the ancient galvanized pipes you find in older West Palm homes without making a bad situation worse.

But it wasn't just the technical skills. Mark taught me how to run jobs. How to quote fairly. How to communicate with homeowners so they understand what they're paying for and why. How to show up on time, clean up when you're done, and treat someone's home like it's your own.

The best thing Mark ever told me: "The client is trusting you inside their home. That's not a small thing. Act like it matters, because it does."

That apprenticeship ran from 2020 to 2022, and by the end of it, I knew this was what I wanted to do full-time, on my own terms.

Going Solo

I launched The Palm Beach Fixer because I saw a gap. There are plenty of contractors in West Palm Beach. There are plenty of guys on Craigslist who'll show up in a beat-up truck and give you a quote that sounds great until you see the work. What there aren't enough of are reliable, skilled tradespeople who actually show up when they say they will, do clean work, and charge honestly.

I'm based in Northwood — it's my neighborhood, and it's where I do a lot of my work. But I cover all of West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Island, Lake Worth, and the surrounding areas. The historic districts are my sweet spot because I understand the quirks of older homes. The wiring that doesn't match modern color codes. The plumbing that's been patched three different ways over six decades. The walls that look simple until you open them up.

What I Do (and What I Don't)

I want to be straight with you about this because I think transparency is more valuable than pretending to be something I'm not. I'm an unlicensed handyman. In Florida, that means I handle fixture-for-fixture swaps and repairs that don't require permits.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

  • Electrical: Outlet swaps, light fixture installs, ceiling fan installs, switch replacements, dimmer installs, USB-C outlet upgrades. If it's swapping one device for another on an existing circuit, that's me.
  • Plumbing: Faucet installs, toilet replacements, supply line swaps, showerhead upgrades, garbage disposal installs. Fixture for fixture.
  • Carpentry: Shelving, trim work, door adjustments, cabinet hardware, small repairs.
  • General: TV mounting, smart home setup, Ring cameras, pressure washing, painting, drywall patching, flooring.

What I don't do: anything that requires a permit, new circuit runs, re-plumbing a house, structural work, or HVAC. If a job needs a licensed specialist, I'll tell you. I'd rather send you to the right person than pretend I can handle something outside my lane.

Why I Love This Work

Every day is different. Monday I'm installing ceiling fans in a Northwood bungalow. Tuesday I'm setting up Ring cameras at an Airbnb on Flagler. Wednesday I'm doing a full Project Day — faucets, outlets, TV mounts, and a pressure wash — at a new rental property in Lake Worth.

But what I really love is the direct connection with the people I work for. No corporate hierarchy. No building management middlemen. You call me, I show up, I fix the thing, you're happy. There's something deeply satisfying about solving real problems for real people in their actual homes.

I also live in the neighborhood I serve. When I do good work for you, I'm building my reputation on my own block. That keeps me honest in a way that a big company will never be. I can't afford to do bad work — and I don't want to.

That's the story. Elevator shafts to your kitchen sink. And I wouldn't trade it.