Working in a client’s home — keys, pets, and what to do if you break something
A client’s home has its own rules. There is a key to return, a dog to work around, and rooms you may not use. This guide covers the questions to ask before the first visit. It also covers keys and codes, a locked door, house rules, and a client who hovers. It ends with what to do when you break something.
To work in a client’s home, agree access before you go and keep keys and codes safe. Ask about parking, pets and who will be home before the first visit. Write down who holds each key. Give it back when the work ends. If nobody answers, wait a set time, then send a message. If you break something, tell the client the same day. Check your insurer before you promise to pay.
A quote prices the work. It says nothing about how you get into someone’s home. It also says nothing about their pets, their family, or what to do if something goes wrong inside. None of this goes on an invoice. All of it decides if a client trusts you with their house again.
Ask about access before the first visit
Ask four questions before you drive out. Send them together in one message:
- How do I get in? Is it a key, a code, or someone at home?
- Where can I park?
- Is there a pet, and where will it be during the visit?
- Will anyone be home, or will I work alone in the house?
One message with all four questions shows the client that you know the job. If you find out at the door, you waste your time and theirs.
Keys and codes: write it down
A client who gives you a key or an alarm code trusts you with their home. Keep a list of the keys you hold and where you keep each one. Then an old key does not sit forgotten in the van.
Keep the code away from the key. A tag with an address and a code on it gives a stranger everything. Put the code on the client’s record instead. See key-holding for more on this rule.
Give the key back when the work ends. Do this before the client has to ask. A key in your drawer months after the last visit is a risk to their front door.
Nobody home, or no way in
Some visits end at the door. Decide in advance how long you will wait. Then you do not have to pick a fair time on the doorstep. When the time is up, send a message and go to your next job.
After that, your cancellation terms apply. Cancellations and no-shows covers the notice window and the fee. Charging for the visit covers what a wasted trip costs you. The visits and callouts pack has the words to name that cost.
The house, and the people in it
Small habits do most of the work inside. Take your shoes off, or wear covers, if the client prefers it. Put dust sheets down before messy work. Ask before you use the toilet or the kitchen. Ask the client to shut pets away before you start, on every visit.
Children or a vulnerable adult may be in the house. Never agree to be the only adult in charge of them. This applies even for five minutes while the client takes a phone call. If something happens, you are in a position you should never be in.
A client who hovers, helps, or wants to chat
Some clients like to watch, chat or help while you work. Give a short, friendly reason when you need space. For example: “I work best on my own for this part.” Say it once, early in the visit. Do not wait and hope that they take the hint.
You break something
Stop work and tell the client the same day. Do not wait to see if they notice. Do not repair it in secret. A hidden repair that the client finds later does more harm than the breakage. Say what happened and say sorry. Then offer to put it right with a repair or the cost of one.
Check your insurer’s rules before you promise to pay. A promise that your policy does not support is worse than a short delay. This is general information. It is not insurance or legal advice. Your insurer can tell you what your policy covers.
The scripts for all of this
The in the client’s home pack has seven messages for this guide. There are messages for the access questions, a key handover and a locked door. Others ask a client to put a pet away, or to give you space. The last two tell a client that you broke something, and then how you will fix it. Fill in your details once, and every script updates.
The free client card is a paper place for the same access notes. Ask the access questions on the inquiry sheet, before you book the first visit.
Common questions
Do I tell a client about a small breakage I can fix myself?
Yes. Tell them the same day. It is their home and their property, so they decide if it matters to them.
What if a client will not give me a key or a code?
That is their choice. It usually means someone must be home for each visit. Ask once and accept the answer. Then plan each visit around it.
Am I covered if I damage something in a client’s home?
Your insurance policy decides that. Check its rules before you promise a repair or a payment. A short delay while you check is better than a promise you cannot keep.
Is it rude to ask a client to put a pet away?
No. Ask the same way on every visit, and it sounds routine. Problems start when you say nothing and hope for the best.
Want the access details kept with the client?
BizBinder does not track keys, log arrivals or send messages about a visit. It keeps dated notes on each client’s record. Put the key location, the alarm code and the dog’s name there. The notes are ready the next time you go.
You are on the list.
A person reads every request. You will hear from us within one business day.
- 01 A person reads your note — not a queue.
- 02 You get an invite as spots open.
- 03 Your admin starts filing itself.
The free library is open while you wait. Nothing in it needs an account.
- guide How to keep track of jobs without a spreadsheet The six-stage system here is the frame for the tools and sheets in this stage.
- tool Small business admin health check Answer ten quick questions on quoting, invoicing, getting paid, staying organized, and follow-up. You get a score and a plan for your two weakest stages.
- tool Day plan check Enter your start time, your target finish, and up to six jobs with their travel and on-site time. The tool shows if the day fits. It also shows the first job that misses its fixed start time.