Handyman near you

Q: What do handyman services include?

A: Handymen are experts who perform a vast number of home improvement services. Whether you need to fix a leaking faucet or repaint the whole exterior wall, a handyman is skilled enough to help you with both. The list of services a handyman can perform is almost infinite because it involves all minor and major home renovation and improvement projects you may require help with.

Most often, handymen work on their own and so prefer tackling only minor and middle-range issues, while for large scope projects it’s advised to work with general contractors and subcontractors. If you are not sure whether a particular handyman will be able to fix your problem, always clarify what you need them to do before actually hiring an expert.

Q: How do handymen charge?

A: Handymen usually charge on a per-project basis when tackling standard minor individual issues. For example, toilet installation or picture hanging are generally among such services. However, if you want a handyman to help with resolving several issues at once, your contractor may ask for per hour payment since several projects done at once require more work, materials, and instruments.

Q: What is the average cost of the handymen services?

A: If you will be paying per-project charges, then you can expect to pay about $180-$650 in total for the project, which usually takes 2-4 hours. In case you will have to pay for every hour individually, expect $50-$80 per hour fees. You can find more detailed quotes and numbers in our cost guide to handyman services on the blog.

Q: What factors affect the cost of the handyman services?

A: Generally, handyman services are influenced most by the hours of work a project takes to complete. However, you can expect to pay some additional fees that increase the final sum you will be handing over to your handyman.

• Travel fees. Homeowners of isolated houses or living in suburbs may have to pay additional travel fees for their handymen. Besides that, your contractor may request an additional charge for the petrol used to travel to some home depot store in order to buy some missing parts or materials.
• Independent or company service. Even though there is no fixed difference in the prices of individual or company services, most individual handymen can offer more flexible payments and can even make you a discount.
• Number of problems. Generally, the more problems to fix you have, the more money you will have to pay to a handyman. However, if your contractor charges on a per-hour basis, then you can combine several minor fixes into one request and pay for them all together only per one hour of work.
• Experience. The more experienced handyman you hire, the higher rates you can expect. If you need to save on fixing some minor problems in your home, then you can opt for a novice in the business. They are still likely to know how to hang a shelf on the wall or fix a squeaking door, but the overall bill will be smaller.

Q: How to avoid dealing with a scam handyman?

A: There is a number of signs indicating that the chosen handyman is a scam. Make sure to avoid service providers with the following red flags:

• Lack of papers. Lack of paperwork and accounting signify that a handyman is using your money for some unrelated things. Make sure that you always have a contract and all the bills that provide clear information about the money you give to your handyman.
• Permits. If your project is bigger than a picture hanging, then for larger renovations you will need a permit. Lack of building permit will cost you more in the form of a fine. Make sure that your handyman obtains all permits prior to beginning the work on your project.
• Cash payments only. Reliable handymen who conduct a legal business always have a possibility to pay with a card or a cheque. Never agree to the services that accept cash payments only and require a large downpayment upfront.
• Lack of references. Previous appraisals speak for the work of a handyman even louder than any regalia and experience. Always ask your prospective contractor to provide several references so that you can verify the level of satisfaction of the work a particular handyman is offering.