Handyman. It’s a term we’ve all heard now and again. It brings to mind past times of some local friend or neighbor who knows “a little bit ’bout everything”. You could call on them to help you with minor repairs around the house for a modest fee. While a lot of us might not know someone like that today, handyman services are alive and well. You can contract individuals through online ads or engage with a fully licensed contractor who do odd jobs on the side.
Handyman: The Jack of All Trades
A handyman is someone who is hired by the hour to complete minor home improvement or repair. The key word here is minor. If these are jobs you could complete with the right tools and research on your own, a handyman is an excellent choice. Since they know a little bit about everything, you can hand them a list of jobs from multiple categories. They could finish them all in a day rather than hiring out to multiple specialty contractors and arranging times and contracts for each.
A Handyman or a Contractor?
Handyman jobs shine their brightest when they are able to be finished quickly, since handymen usually charge an hourly time plus materials. If the job is a large one (taking multiple days), a specialized one (critical plumbing or electrical), or a multiple-person one, it might be better to hire a contractor for that specific job. If the job you need requires a professional license or the use of heavy duty or specialized machinery, a contractor has these licenses as well as the equipment as a matter of course.
Suitable Projects
Below is a list of handyman ready jobs examples. This list is by no means exhaustive, and some handymen (and handywomen) have additional licenses that open up other opportunities. As a rule of thumb if you think it will take more than a day or require special licenses or permits, then it’s probably not a handyman job.
- Home Exterior – Cleaning and maintaining gutters, replace or repair loose or missing siding or shingles.
- Minor Plumbing – Minor annoying issues, such as leaky faucets, or switching out new fixtures.
- Caulking and Spackling – Replace worn seals around windows or repair small wall damage or nail holes.
- Light Painting – Small painting jobs such as single walls or touchup work.
- Deck Cleaning – Replacing individual rotted boards, clean, and reseal/stain a deck or porch.
Benefits of Handyman Services
Handymen are a great midpoint between an unskilled homeowner and a highly-trained contractor. A handyman is a good option when the task isn’t something you have the time or know-how to do yourself. They may complete the job quickly and probably at a more reasonable rate. Many times a handyman can complete the job for less than the service charge to get a plumber or an electrician to just come and see the problem.
Finding a handyman can sometimes be a daunting proposition. You can find handyman services on online classified listings. Knowing if they are qualified professionals or unemployed amateurs rarely can be determined before work begins.