Hiring a handyman

June 21, 8:40 PMAtlanta Home Remodeling ExaminerBrent Eriksen

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The ATL Handyman

I get the question from many homeowners and friends on how to define a Handyman and what to expect.  Well, one can usually expect the unexpected!

Right now, a Handyman is someone who has many broad skills and generally can do many repairs. You can see that on any given show on HGTV or any other "reality" series. There is no hard and fast rule to define a Handyman yet...I wish there was!  It would be nice to have licensing for this type of classification of "tradesman" but it is really to general for that. 

There is a huge difference between your average Handyman with a truck and a few tools and one who wants a professional appearance.  Right out of the gates if you see a guy at The Home Depot handing out cards or driving around town with a tool box and car magnet you may want to ask a few questions before hiring (these rules apply for the incorporated Handyman services too).

1. Ask the person if they are insured.  Which means Liability most importantly and if they have more than (3) employees counting themselves, worker's compensation.  If they don't have worker's compensation, I would make sure they have health insurance that covers them while on the job.
2. Ask about licensing too.  The state of Georgia has just made licensing mandatory for General Contractors...Finally!  As for Handymen it's a little bit different.  If I'm not mistaken in the state of Georgia any job over $2500 does require a Basic Residential Contractor's license.  So this leaves the jobs below that open to the non-licensed Handyman.  The way to get around that (if you must have some proof of license) is a business license.  Most incorporated Handymen (with a shop) will have a business license granted by the city they operate out of.  That way if their is a complaint you can take it up with the grantor of the license.  This doesn't include plumber's, electrician's or HVAC contractors.  They all have to be licensed!
3. Never pay on an hourly basis.  You can expect to pay $25/hr for your "guy in the truck" up to $75/hr for an incorporated, licensed and insured Handyman service.  Always get the scope of work and a firm quote WRITTEN OUT (no exceptions)!  If the scope changes they can write a change order to add or deduct from the scope of work and price.
4. Get a schedule from them and hold them to it.  If the Handyman shows up on time for the appointment and is in constant communication with you, I would be more at ease to hire them.  People's time is important.  This goes for both the customer and Handyman.  I know schedules change hourly let alone daily, but just make sure there is open communication and both parties can compromise with each other.
5. Make a fair deposit. Customers always ask me about deposits.  Deposits can range from 25% of the job up to 50%.  It just depends on the job.  Don't think that the Handyman wants to finance your job, because they DON'T!  If the proposal is well-written with payment terms, it's very standard practice.  My rule is anything over $500 is worthy of 50% down (unless it's a bigger job with payment milestones).  I've been burned before when I first started and learned my lesson quickly!

These are some standard rules to get started on hiring a Handyman.  In my mind any jobs less than $2500 (labor & materials) is a Handyman job.  I use that number because of the state of Georgia contractor's licensing dollar value cutoffs.  Handyman operations are great and they can usually do quite a few minor repairs all at once without hiring several tradesman for the job.  Never be shy to ask for references and  referrals.  There are many good Handymen or Handywomen around and many bad ones.  Just stick to some of the basic rules above and I'm sure you will get a great result!