• By Gregory Nowak
• In Tips

How To Hire a Handyman

Five Tips to Help You Hire the Best Candidate

Trying to get a reliable and affordable handyman can be a huge chore when you don’t know where to start. From the phone book to the Internet, there are literally millions of listings for repair men. Doing adequate research and paying attention to a few key points is essential when hiring a good repair man.

  Experience
Although a potential worker may say he can do a quality job, nothing speaks louder than experience. A handyman with at least 8 to 10 years of expertise helps set your mind at ease and you’ll feel confident you’re getting a good result. Many carpenters or repair men are naturally inclined, yet a good repair man will have some sort of training under his belt. Job-specific experience and training is key with most jobs and particularly if you need plumbing or electrical work done.

 Estimates
One of the most important things you want to do is shop around. Don’t just make a quick decision- get a few reputable recommendations and then have them bid on the work. Once you read the estimates pay attention to how much you get for your money. Determine what’s included in a standard fee and what’s considered extra. Also, keep in mind that some repair men will use higher- end supplies, which can also drive up their estimate.

 Licensing and insurance
You want your repair man to have a current license and the proper insurance coverage. Having an up-to-date license ensures your worker is good with codes and state-specific practices. Also, it’s also a good idea to make sure your handyman has the proper insurance. If he gets hurt on the job or if something goes wrong while fixing your item, the handyman will need to be responsible for covering costs-not you.

 References
Checking references is vital to ensuring you get a quality job done. Many times, a handyman will be forthcoming about their skill level and expertise. However, there are plenty of people or companies that cannot honestly vouch for their quality of work or they may choose to simply not mention a bad job. When checking references, don’t forget to ask a variety of questions. These questions should include whether or not the client was truly happy with the job, if it was completed on time and if there was need for numerous changes in order to finish the job to the client’s satisfaction.

 Written quotes
No matter who you choose, it is essential you get everything you have agreed upon with the home repair professional in writing. For instance, you all may have talked about getting a certain brand name when buying parts. Make sure you get what you discussed and were charged for. If something else comes through that was not mentioned in your quote, then you can go back to what you two agreed upon as opposed to relying on each others word or memory. Also make sure if there are any changes to the original quote that they are documented.