Personal Assistant Services in Burlington, VT

Choose the help that matches your task list

Start with the tasks you want someone to complete. For scheduling, specify the appointments, your available times, and who may receive your contact information. For shopping, provide a list, substitution rules, a purchase budget, and delivery instructions. For household coordination, identify the people the assistant should contact and the decisions that need your approval.

Ask candidates which tasks they accept and which require a separate provider. If your request includes lifting furniture, transporting passengers, handling chemicals, or providing personal care, discuss that work before hiring. For a first booking, choose a contained assignment with a clear finish, such as collecting named purchases and delivering them with receipts.

Compare the full booking cost

Request a written quote that separates the assistant's charge from purchases and other expenses. Ask when billing begins, whether travel and waiting count as paid time, and whether the provider charges a booking minimum. For recurring support, confirm the included hours, unused-hour policy, cancellation terms, and process for approving extra work.

Set an expense ceiling and require approval before the assistant exceeds it. Agree on receipt handling and how you will fund purchases. Give each candidate the same assignment, addresses, and deadlines so you can compare written quotes. Keep the labor charge and reimbursable expenses separate when deciding which booking fits your budget.

For downtown errands, Burlington lists smart meters at $2 per hour, blue-top meters at $1.50 per hour with a three-hour limit, and brown-top meters at $0.65 per hour with a nine-hour limit. Ask the assistant to choose parking that fits the expected stop and walking distance, and reimburse the agreed expense against a receipt. [1]

Plan access and winter changes

Give the assistant a named contact, entry instructions, and a place to leave purchases. Agree on key custody, alarm access, and whether anyone else may accompany them into your home. Ask about references, screening, insurance for the agreed work, and vehicle coverage when driving forms part of the assignment. Request supporting documents.

For evening winter visits, check the city's snow-ban status before the assistant departs. Burlington's snow bans run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., with a midnight-to-6 a.m. exception for its defined downtown zone. Use the city's boundary description to confirm the address. Set a rescheduling plan if the assistant cannot use the intended parking space. [3]

Confirm disposal errands before loading

List the items and approximate load size before asking for a disposal quote. CSWD's Burlington Drop-Off Center at 339 Pine Street opens Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It accepts bagged household trash, blue-bin recycling, food scraps, and specified special materials, with restrictions on size and type. It prohibits trailers and large items or loads. For furniture removal, confirm another destination and a provider who accepts the lifting and transport work. [4]

For hazardous household materials, CSWD operates the Environmental Depot at 1011 Airport Parkway in South Burlington by appointment. Its published hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. CSWD limits residential drop-off to 20 gallons of all materials combined and instructs users to keep materials separate, preferably in their original containers. Ask CSWD about acceptance and drop-off arrangements before authorizing an assistant to transport them. [5]

Ask the assistant to report completed stops, unresolved tasks, expenses, and items returned to you. For recurring bookings, review that record before adding more responsibility. Keep account access limited to the assignment and agree on how the assistant will return keys or remove access when the arrangement ends.

Published Burlington meter rates for errand budgeting

Match the assignment to the booking

Your hiring checklist

1. Write the tasks, addresses, deadlines, and intended completion result.
2. Ask each candidate to quote the same scope and explain travel, waiting, and minimum charges.
3. Set purchase and reimbursement limits, substitution rules, and approval requirements.
4. Confirm references, screening, relevant insurance, and vehicle arrangements.
5. Agree on home access, key custody, privacy, and a named contact.
6. Confirm destination hours, parking arrangements, and item acceptance before departure.
7. Request receipts and a completion record, then review the first booking before expanding the work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I budget for a personal assistant?

Ask candidates for written quotes for the same assignment, with labor, travel, waiting, and expenses separated. Include the addresses, deadlines, and purchase list in your request. Set a maximum spend and require approval for additional work. For recurring help, confirm included hours and charges for work beyond that allowance.

Can I combine shopping and a disposal trip?

Ask the assistant to approve the combined assignment and transport arrangements before booking. Check the disposal destination first: Pine Street prohibits trailers and large loads, while the Environmental Depot requires an appointment. Agree on the order of stops and how purchases will travel alongside disposal materials. [4] [5]

What should I arrange for a winter evening visit?

Confirm a parking location and an alternate plan before departure. Burlington snow bans run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., except in the defined downtown zone, where they run from midnight to 6 a.m. Check the city's alerts and address boundaries before relying on street parking. [3]