How to Find and Hire a Qualified Handyman
How to Hire a Handyman
When it comes to your home, you want the best. So it can be difficult to know which handymen are the right fit for your projects. Thankfully, we’ve got a few tips to help you make sure you hire the right handyman every time.
In this article, we’ll teach you a few of the methods that we use to identify quality handymen. You’ll also learn questions you should ask a handyman to get a sense of what they can fix, and also determine whether or not you should hire a contractor instead. All of these topics and more are covered in the following sections:
How to Find Handyman Qualifications
One of the quickest ways to determine whether or not a handyman performs quality work is to take a stroll through their history. You can check the types of jobs they’ve performed, read reviews and see where most of their experience lies.
Here are a few of the places where you can check this information:
LinkedIn: While you may think of LinkedIn as part of the corporate world, many professionals are present on the platform. Because LinkedIn works as a long resume, you can take a look through the work history of a particular handyman to make sure they have the experience you require.
Online reviews: Reading reviews on sites like Google and Yelp shows you the opinions customers have on the quality of work a particular handyman performs. Go deeper than just the overall rating though. By carefully looking through the reviews, you can even determine if there is a discrepancy in customer satisfaction depending on the type of work that the handyman completed.
Website: While you can’t count on a person’s website to be unbiased, it still may contain plenty of useful information for you as a prospective customer. In many cases, a handyman will indicate the services they perform, and may also list specialties, which can help you determine if they’re the right fit for your job.
Common Issues a Handyman Can Fix
As generalists, handymen can tackle a huge variety of tasks. Here are just a few jobs that handymen can perform:
Gutter repair/cleaning/replacement
Sink replacement
Garbage disposal installation
Door installation
Child proofing
Mulching
Power bridge installation
Furniture assembly
Television wall mounting
Tree trimming
Questions to Ask a Handyman
Interviewing a handyman can help you get a better sense of their qualifications and familiarity with the type of work you have in mind. Here are a few questions we recommend asking your prospective handymen:
Are you familiar with this type of work? – You should always make sure that whoever you plan on hiring is familiar with the work you need performed. While handymen can carry out a wide range of tasks, some excel at certain jobs compared to others.
Are you insured? – You want to make sure your handyman is insured. If they aren’t and something goes wrong, you may be on the hook for the cost of repair.
What is the best way to contact you? – Make sure that your handyman is easy to reach. This also helps you avoid ineffective contact methods.
Can you provide references? – Quality handymen should be able to provide you with recommendations from previous customers or employers.
What is the payment schedule? – Make sure to nail down payment schedules beforehand. This helps avoid unexpected charges that can hold up the work schedule.
Handyman or Contractor
When planning work on your home, it’s crucial that you know whether the job is for a handyman or a contractor. Handymen tend to perform less-specialized work that runs little risk of serious damage to a home. For instance, a handyman would likely fix a broken gutter, install a new door or wall-mount a TV.
A contractor performs work that is more specialized, larger in scope, or could potentially harm the home. For example, a contractor would be the person to call if you want to add a room onto your house, retrofit a kitchen or remove an existing wall.
When choosing between a handyman and a contractor, consider the size of your job. If you have any questions left after that, call both the handyman and the contractor to get quotes and work experience history to determine who will perform the job more effectively.
To learn more about these professionals, check out our article on the differences between handymen and contractors.
How to Use American Home Protect to Find a Handyman
If you’re not a fan of searching for the right handyman, then you’re in luck. At American Home Protect, we handle all of that for you. All you need to do to hire a handyman through us is let us know which service you would like them to perform. After you do that, we’ll locate a qualified handyman in your area and let you know their available work hours and contact info.
Interested in handyman services and more for your home? Get a free quote today to see how a home warranty from American Home Protect can help you!
FAQs about Hiring a Handyman
How do you interview a handyman?
To interview a handyman, reach out to them and see if they would be willing to speak for a brief interview. You may also ask if you can conduct the interview through email, which is often easier to fit into a busy work schedule. You can ask a prospective handyman our suggested questions listed above and add some specifics about your particular needs.
What are basic handyman skills?
Some basic handyman skills include competency with power tools, light plumbing jobs, light electrical work, hardware (e.g. different screw types, washers and wall mounting items) and comfort with yardwork. Handymen tend to perform a wide array of jobs, so skills vary from one handyman to another.
What tasks can a handyman do?
As generalists, handymen can do dozens of different jobs. Some common handyman tasks include tree trimming, brush clearing, picture hanging, sink installation, weather stripping, power washing, water filter installation and pet door installation.