Some homeowner’s thing they need to hire a general contractor to do the
honey-do repairs around the house.
Actual, not all home repair jobs require the help of a general
contractor or specialty contractor. A handyman can be hired for a variety of
small home improvement projects. For the busy or simply hammer-phobic
homeowner, it sounds almost too good to be true – hire a handyman to tackle
your odd jobs for about a third of the cost, time, and hassle of a general
contractor. The good news, there are
some licensed handyman out there that are also licenses general contractors and
specialty contractors.
Keep in mind a handyman is a skilled jack of all trades who can be hired
by the hour to complete a wide range of small home improvement work and repair.
A handyman, or handyman company, typically charges the customer by the hour
plus material costs, regardless of the task at hand. Many homeowners will
compile a list of repairs and hire a handyman to complete the list in a single
visit.
Unfortunately, there is no national standard or regulation for handymen.
Licensing and regulation vary by state. New Jersey, for example, requires
handymen who work for a profit to register with the state and carry insurance.
California requires handymen to carry a license from the State Contractors
License Board to work on any project that exceeds $500 in labor and material
costs. The good news, a legitimate
handyman or handyman business, will proudly share their insurance certificate
and workers compensation coverage with you.
Most general contractors don't usually like to bother with small repair
& maintenance tasks. If you have a
good working rapport with one, he might be willing to suggest one of his guys
who take side jobs. Just be mindful the
general contractor will typically not stand behind the warranty of cover this
job under their insurance.
There are benefits of hiring a handyman. Like most of us, you probably
have a to-do list of home improvements like changing out a bathroom faucet,
replacing missing shingles on the roof and painting a kitchen wall. You could
hire a plumber, roofer and painter who all would have conflicting schedules of
availability and their own service charges, or you could hire a handyman to
complete all three projects in one day for a single hourly rate.
A homeowner can save money on home improvement projects by hiring a
handyman because it eliminates the need for multiple service providers and
contractors. Many handymen charge by the hour so a homeowner only pays for one
worker who can complete a wide range of projects. A service charge from a
plumber or roofer to come to your home could equal or even surpass the price to
hire a handyman for a few hours. Hiring
a handyman also prevents waste and overcharging, as the handyman will only
charge you for hours worked. A contractor or specialist is more likely to price
a job based on the estimated amount of time it will take to complete it.
Handymen are able to keep their rates low because they don't have to pay
additional workers and have lower overhead costs than general contractors.
Unlike general contractors, who name their price upfront, handymen bill
you for the materials they use and the time they spend -- typically at around
$50 to $85 an hour. There are some handyman companies that do charge an upfront
flat labor rate but bill you for materials separate.
Many homeowners turn to handymen when they have a job but don't know who
to call. Handymen have been known to do all types of work.
Good handyman is needed for every home.
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