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Hiring a Handyman for Home Repairs and Home Maintenance

For small repairs and maintenance, hiring a handyman or woman is often a great option if time constraints and project details are too complex to do it yourself (DIY).  DIY jobs are great for the pocket book and we all have skills that we can implement, but hiring a good handyman may also be a good choice.  Depending on the job, you’ll need to ask the right questions both to yourself for the DIY job or for the handyman hire job.  Outdoor maintenance and repairs such as painting and simple landscaping are often great DIY projects, while repairing drywall or adding new crown mouldings may be better suited for the handyman. 

What questions should I ask before I hire handyman help?

If you decide to hire a handyman, often the first and only thought is what is his/her hourly rate?  We all want to do any job for a good price, but hiring the cheapest is not always the best option.  Ask your handyman if he/she has any professional qualifications such as carpentry or plumbing accreditation.  Often these handy people are more expensive on an hourly basis, but they will know the right way to get the job done.   Skill and experience saves money over the course of the job especially if the handyman is qualified for the job in mind.  Most handymen and women will charge rates between $20 and $40 per hour depending on experience.  And some jobs like tiling (and wet tile cutting) are especially rare skills and often these jobs will command even higher hourly rates.  Ie. A skilled tile installer will cost more per hour, but will get the job done in a shorter time.  The same can be said for carpentry and other skilled trade work. 
If the job entails a demolition and reconstruction of an area, such as a bathroom or a small room reno, ask your handyman to provide a quote for all labour time for the project, or even better, provide him/her with a detailed list of materials and quantities and ask for a firm quote.  Specify the time by which the job must be completed in the estimate, and make sure to have him/her sign and witness the quote in writing.

Handyman Tips - When to know something is going wrong

Handymen are often handling several jobs at the same time. This is normal and most good handymen and women are able to work well within this context.  For example, when the plumber is at your house working, your handyman has a right to work elsewhere for this period if there are no tasks to complete while others are on site.  But, if you notice the job is dragging because your hire is not on site enough, often this is a sign that he/she has made commitments to other clients and is working elsewhere.  Let them know that you notice, and don’t be afraid to remind them of the commitment that they made to you at the outset.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease as they say!   And if you have any disagreements with your handyman hire, make sure to refer to the written contract that you made at the outset.  As mentioned, the written word is gold when problems arise. 

Final Advice when Hiring your Handyman

Prior to the hire, make sure that you ask your handyman what jobs they have on the go at the same time, and make sure that you are both comfortable with expectations.  Ask for references and call them.  If you don’t know where to find a handyman, post your project on this website and wait for bids!

Check out our professional contractors located everywhere across Canada. Need some landscaping done? Interested in hiring a contractor to improve your outdoor spaces and work on the exterior of your home? Click here to find a handy man in your town!