Will a Handyman Break Your House?
It depends. Here are some things to think about when hiring a handyman.
New Handyman
After one or two years on the job a handyman should have replaced a garbage disposal, patched a hole in a wall, and installed a ceiling fan. You should hire them for these jobs in their early career.
In years one and two however you should not hire them to put in a sub panel in your basement, repair a ceiling drywall leak to match the current drywall texture or smooth finish, or install your new shower.
Experienced Handyman
With 10 years of experience, I can do all of those things proficiently without a major catastrophe. And if I have a problem I understand how to recover from it because over 10 years I can see behind the walls, listen and inspect for a leak, or determine the correct gauge of wire for a sub-panel.
It’s all about reps and the entry-level handyman just can’t have enough reps in the first year or two to be an expert-level residential handyman.
Action Steps
1) Ask you’re handyman for his references OR look at honest online reviews (Yelp and Google are the best in my region -Denver) in your type of project work trade being done. Drywall repair, Electrical, etc.
2) Is this an expensive project? Or more specifically, if something goes wrong will you have to spend $1,000s of dollars in repair fees. For greater peace of mind ask for an active general liability insurance document citing the handyman’s name and/or company name printed in writing.
3) Split up the work. Have the handyman do less intrusive parts of the job like drywall repair after the plumber has found and patched the leak. That way the repair is on the licensed plumber.
These lines of questions will give you better comfort in hiring a handyman.
Michael (MRod) Rodriguez
Handyman, Maker, Real Estate Investor Handyman
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