The Longtime Franchisee Used Lessons From Big Business to Build a 24-Person Operation
Bart Williams earned his business stripes in corporate America and then moved on to ownership of a House Doctors franchise in south-central Kentucky. The home improvement franchise performs basic handyman and maintenance chores, such as hanging curtains and caulking, as well as more ambitious projects like bathroom renovations.
Williams’ entrepreneurship arose from the desire to steer his own destiny. “I worked for two large corporations before purchasing House Doctors. One was a big-box store, Walmart. The second was John Deere, where I worked in its insurance division. I enjoyed working for both companies, but I had little control over my own destiny. I had no control over decisions being made daily that affected my future.
“When I left Deere, I wanted to take control of my future. To do that, I needed to become an entrepreneur. I liked the concept of a franchise versus a non-franchise business. One good thing about my background was that I learned policies, procedures and best practices, and I knew there would be a road map, so to speak, by going the franchise route.”
Steady Demand
He researched franchise opportunities inside and outside of the home services industry before launching his House Doctors franchise in July 2007. His choice was well-reasoned: The brand operates within a steady industry. “The market size of the handyman services industry in the United States is $355.3 billion in 2026,” IbisWorld reports. “The handyman services industry has remained resilient, buoyed by shifting consumer preferences, economic cycles and evolving household dynamics.”
Williams’ House Doctors franchise is based in the town of Somerset, Ky., which has a population of less than 13,000. But it benefits from being 65 to 110 miles from considerably larger Bowling Green, Knoxville, Tenn. and Lexington, Ky.
A Typical Day
His day-to-day activities vary. Now that his business is well-established with 24 team members, Williams focuses on working on the business rather than in it. “I oversee and manage my management team. My management team members have been with me for at least six years and up to 15 years. They helped me build this business, and for the most part they do their jobs as if they owned the business themselves.”
But sometimes it’s challenging to be hands-off, he admits. “After nearly 19 years of customers having your cellphone number, it’s hard to pass them off. So I still do some estimates.
“My main daily focus is ensuring our customer experience is consistent every time they contact us, from the time their call comes in until we finish their project. All too often in this industry, the homeowner experience falls short of expectations. I want to meet and exceed those expectations so they will always think of House Doctors for their home needs.”
Franchising since 1997, House Doctors has territories available in 46 states and more than 150 units in operation. The home-based franchise is part of the Premium Service Brands family, which provides marketing support, a national call center and proprietary business management software to franchisees. They receive comprehensive training, continuous coaching and discounts through Premium Service Brands’ national vendor partnerships.
Multiple Revenue Streams
House Doctors owners benefit from almost infinite revenue streams because they perform so many services for residential and commercial clients. Some of these are:
- Exterior remodeling and maintenance, including deck and fence repairs and installation, gutter repairs and cleaning, and masonry work.
- Bathroom and other interior remodeling.
- Aging-in-place projects.
- Carpentry.
- Painting, drywall, flooring, weather stripping and caulking services.
- Curtain and blind installation.
- Garage and closet organization.
- Electrical services (electronics and cable, switches, outlets, fan installation and more).
- Plumbing services including drain cleaning, water heater inspections and leak detection.
- Repair and replacement of windows and doors.
- Cabinet repairs and replacement.
- Pet door installation.
- Picture and mirror hanging.
- Holiday decorating.
Premium Service Brands
House Doctors is part of Premium Service Brands, a home services franchisor with more than 1,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Its portfolio also includes 360˚ Painting, Maid Right, ProLift Garage Doors, Window Gang, The Grout Medic, House Doctors, RooterMan, Rubbish Works Junk Removal and Kitchen Wise & Closet Wise. Franchise owners benefit from the parent company’s established systems, national marketing resources, training and ongoing field support.
Learn more about the House Doctors franchise opportunity.
