Can a Handyman Deal with That? 5 Methods to Inform
Everyone greets the craftsman. They’re just so … practical! And yet these all-rounders are not masters either, which means that they have their limits. Hence, you often wonder if certain repairs or renovations can be done at home by a handyman, or if it is best to consult a specialist instead.
To find out, check this list of criteria to determine the best course of action. So let’s buckle up the tool belt and let’s check this out!
If there is something you can but don’t want to do, give a handyman a call
The doorknob that always rattles. The cabinet knobs that will date your kitchen. If you feel like you can do something – provided you had the time, patience, and the appropriate YouTube video – a handyman is probably the right person for the job.
“Think of a handyman as a general worker doing a job that takes about four hours or less and is charged by the hour,” he says Calvin Brock, from that good Ole Handyman in Charlotte, NC. He cites the ideal “handyman jobs” cleaning gutters, pressure washing, painting a room, minor repairs, and light carpentry (around $ 60 an hour).
Another way to think of a craftsman job is to do a “smooth swap,” which means that you take out an old object and replace it with the exact same thing, e.g. Joe Giannone, a professional contractor and owner of Joseph Giannone Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in Philadelphia.
But if the job is something you wouldn’t dream of yourself – we’re talking about repairing the leaky HVAC system or replacing shingles on a roof, then you should call a specialist.
If you are under warranty, contact a specialist
Some equipment or HVAC systems have a guarantee that the service must be performed by a technician, notes Giannone. In other words, even if Harry the Handyman walks in and repairs your dishwasher with ease, it could void your warranty and / or you will not be refunded if it is not on the manufacturer’s green light list. So check the fine print of your warranty first.
If your work requires a license, contact a specialist
Plumbing, electrical, gas pipes … everything that requires a license needs a specialist.
“A plumber or electrician has special training and has done something so often that he knows how tight something needs to be tightened or how short the wires should be,” says Giannone.
How do you know if your job requires a license? As a rule of thumb, you need to contact your local community and find out if a specific business license is required to carry out the project.
“Finding out if a license is required is the best way to find out when a handyman can’t do the job, eliminating that option,” he says Teris Pantazes, Co-founder of EFynch.com, a Baltimore, MD-based platform that connects customers with contractors.
If you want to save a little money, give a handyman a call (maybe)
A craftsman usually charges less than a specialist. When money is tight this needs to be taken into account. However, all you need to know is that you may get what you pay for. Specialists ask more because they could save you more in the long run if they did the job right the first time.
However, there are borderline cases. The key is to make sure your handyman has already done exactly the job you want them to do – ideally, more than once! Ask for recommendations on similar projects and try to get multiple reviews even if your first source loved it.
“A lot of craftsmen I know actually have a craft background and could probably build the whole house if they wanted,” says Pantazes. But you want to be sure that your handyman is this guy before they start digging into your walls.
Learn about your craftsman’s background, then check out their insurance. Proof of insurance should be non-negotiable because if something goes wrong you will literally pay for it (more on that next).
If your home is destroyed, if everything goes wrong, contact a specialist
“Wonder what would happen if it wasn’t done right,” suggests Kirk Duke with Expert Plumbing & Rooter in Van Nuys, CA. If the deckboards came loose and you could nail them back down … well, no harm, no foul. But if your house burned down because the electrical system wasn’t up to date … well. A specialist probably not only knows what he or she is doing, but has the insurance to cover it.
Do you remember the “even-swapping” scenario mentioned earlier? Well, that doesn’t quite hold water when you talk about replacing something like a bathroom vanity that involves moving a water pipe. Because what’s the worst that can happen if it’s done wrong by a craftsman who doesn’t have the right expertise? Right, your house is flooding. Not cool. Hire a specialist when you really need one.