When hiring a handyman to perform work for you, take caution to avoid any possible horror stories that could occur. It is important to ensure that you are hiring a trusted professional to take care of your jobs. Some people have spent up to $900 upfront for a $1300 job and the only thing they received for that payment was a half painted wall and a disappeared handyman. You do not want to be a victim of such a story, it happens much more often than you would probably believe.
What do you do?
Ask what the Handyman’s skills are, don’t ask a carpenter to do a plumbing job and vice versa. More times than not you will have to call an actual plumber to fix the job the handyman never knew how to do in the first place, which is just going to cost you more money than you originally planned to spend. Also, don’t allow the person you hired to send a replacement without your permission.
How do I find a good handyman?
Checking with friends and neighbors is a good start; see what people they may have used in the past. Ask your local hardware store, often times they will have connections to handyman that shop there frequently. Look for someone who is experienced and has been in business for a few years, seek references and actually contact the people.
What work needs to be done?
Before you contact any handyman make a detailed list of what jobs you want to have done and then provide the worker with a copy of said list. Ask about pricing, some charge by the hour; others by the job. Minimum fee? If so, how much. Make sure the handyman does a walkthrough of all the tasks you want done.
Know your handyman!
Get the handyman’s full name, phone number, and street address. Any necessary contact information so that if the job goes bad you can contact the person and go from there. Handymen are required to have a “Business Tax Receipt” from the county or city they operate in, ask to see that and a current insurance liability certificate. Don’t pay anything upfront, unless it’s for materials. Don’t hire a handyman to do major home repairs, for that you will want to hire a certified contractor.
Get it done!
Now that you know the various steps to ensure you hire a trusted competent handyman, go out there and get the list of jobs done so you can love your home! Let an experienced Maryland handyman company complete your home improvement project. We have been helping homeowners with home improvement projects throughout Howard County, Carroll County, and Baltimore County for years. Our multi-skilled craftsmen are qualified to complete over 1,162 home improvement projects in Maryland.
