The aim of this article is to help you in hiring a professional handyman. While we would love to have every reader hire us, we know this is impossible, we want to help you choose the right one.
Let me introduce myself, my name is Colin and I am the owner of The Hive Works. We are a small handyman business offering a variety of services. Much like a lot of professional handymen, we have a desire to help our neighbours. We strive to improve our community.
What Is A Professional Handyman?
Simple answer: a person who works for or owns a registered handyman business.
While the simple answer is true, let me explain what the differences between a professional handyman and just someone looking for some easy money.
Simply working for or owning a company doesn’t make anyone a professional. There is probably a list in your head of people you have worked with or encountered in your life where you thought “how do you have this job?”
I have been in the construction industry for over 25 years. I have met a lot of people who you would think are professionals in their chosen field. It does make sense that someone who hangs drywall every day would become pretty good at it, but it’s not always the case.
Choosing whom to work in your home or business is a serious decision. So when looking for a handyman company, look for ones that understand it is a serious business and their clients are more than just a means to money.
But how can you differentiate between a professional and a “chuck in a truck”. In case you have never heard of that term, it is used to describe the type of handyman who isn’t serious about running a business and ensuring value and quality for their clients. They do want to work, not like they aren’t willing to put in the hours. But they do not want to take responsibility for their work. Nor do they put their clients before the paycheque.
So let’s take a look at what I believe it takes to weed out the “chuck in a truck” from the professionals.
Licensing
This is probably an area that is the most complex. Unfortunately the requirements for handyman licensing vary depending on where you live. However, a professional handyman will know what is required. As a general rule most areas allow handymen to do simple repairs to your home. Generally when your handyman needs a special license, it would be for major plumbing, electrical and structural work. But when it comes to simple plumbing and electrical most areas allow handymen to perform these tasks. This is something you will need to search on your own. It might seem like a lot of work or waste of time, however you cannot find a real professional handyman without some additional homework.
Best resource to go to is your local building department. They can inform you if the handyman requires a licence. Some municipalities have very vague definitions of renovations and require anyone working in a home or business to have a licence. Others require a licence for specific specialties.
Another resource would be only useful for those who live in condos, apartments or have a home owners association. These places usually have their own rules when it comes to who is allowed to work on your home.
Of course there is the good old internet. Using it to search for your specific area will give you an idea of the requirements.
Don’t just blindly trust a handyman. Best to be informed a little, not like you need to understand every requirement, but make sure you know what is allowed. This will help you find the professional handyman you need and protect yourself from the “chuck in a truck”.
Insurance
This is a must! There should be no reason to have anyone work in your home without insurance. Your home or tenant insurance should not be the only safety net you have. That is there to protect your home and belongings from things out of your control. You have the control on who works in your home so make sure they have insurance. This is one of the biggest ways you can find the professionals in a sea of companies. Professionals want to protect themselves and care enough for their clients to protect them as well. The best way to do this is to have insurance.
If you live in a multi unit building, the management company will usually require anyone working in the building to carry a minimum insurance policy.
No one likes paying for insurance, it’s not cheap. But we are here to help you find a professional handyman. Having insurance displays a level of care and professionalism way above the “chuck in a truck”. It not only protects you as the client but protects the handyman as well
Registered Business
In order to have the proper business insurance, a professional handyman needs to have a registered business. It doesn’t need to be a corporation or LLC. The Hive Works is a sole proprietorship, the difference between the various business structures shouldn’t really affect your decision.
But how can you tell if the company is actually registered?
Simple, you will see their business number along with their tax number on the estimate. It doesn’t take a lot of work for someone to register a business. When The Hive Works started, it just took $60 and some time to fill out an online form. Then we needed to register with the CRA, for our tax number. Some areas may require more work for the business owner, however, it is well worth it to display your level of professionalism.
When choosing a handyman, find one that has gone through the work to legitimize their company. It signals a dedication to their job, shows you the client they are serious about their business and they generally won’t leave you high and dry if things go wrong. Unlike the chuck in a truck, who is probably difficult to get a hold of if there is an issue down the line. Not to mention if something goes really wrong, it could be difficult to peruse any sort of recourse.
Professional handymen are in the business of building trust and helping others with their skills.
Professional Estimate
When you hire someone to work in your home, you will definitely need to get some estimates. If it is a really small job, like replacing a toilet, getting 10 estimates is a huge waste of time. But getting two or three can certainly give you a better understanding what it’s going to cost.
So lets say you go on facebook marketplace and find someone offering toilet replacement. You message them and they message back with a price. Sounds simple enough, but if this is their idea of an estimate, you should think again before you hire them. When we send an estimate it’s quite detailed. This is what you are looking for, details that tell you not only the cost but what is included.
What should the estimate include?
The estimate should have the company logo or name, their address and contact info. It must also contain the business number/tax number. This is the simplest way to ensure this business is registered. The estimate should also clearly state what it covers and doesn’t cover.
Going back to the example of the facebook interaction, simply getting a price doesn’t show much, nor does it ensure you are getting the price for what you really need done. An explanation of work included is a must, a long with a statement regarding what happens if there is an issue while the work is being done. Finally the total cost plus taxes, unfortunately everything is taxed.
Some professional handymen will give you a price based on a time block (2, 4 or 8 hour) and some might just give you a price based on the task (toilet replacement: $180). The amount of detail the handyman chooses to put on their estimate varies greatly, it’s up to you if you would like to see more detail or you are fine with simple. Just ask them if you need clarification or more detail.
An estimate with the proper information will give you an indication of the level of professionalism a company has. You as the client have the right to be informed on what your are paying for in writing. This not only gives you the information of what it’s going to cost, but what that cost includes and excludes. Without this information laid out clearly, you are going to be at the mercy of you vs them if there are any discrepancies.
Website & Social Media
In today’s digital world, a website isn’t the only way to show a business is legit. But it sure does bring a level of professionalism much higher than one without. There are two ways to build a website, either hiring someone or DIY. Either way, it costs time and money, the handyman who chooses to have a website is telling their potential clients we are serious.
Not only does spending the time and money to have a website show commitment to a business, it also benefits the clients. It will simplify the choice for you the client when you can easily find information about the company and the services they offer. The forms you fill out for estimates, ensure that the estimate has enough detail to convey the services requested. In today’s virtual world, free estimates are more and more common with forms that allow a great deal of information. Allowing you as a client to get more estimates quicker.
A professional handyman wants their clients experience to be great right from the start. When information is shared and recorded, nothing is lost or forgotten. Leading to a much more reliable estimate and clear understanding of the request and what is the solution.
Social media is a great resume for professional handymen. Searching on social media can help differentiate the chuck in a truck from the professionals. A professional handyman is proud of their work, so they put it out there for all to see. Helping you make an informed decision on the quality of their work. Finding their reviews on other platforms will also help separate the pros from the amateurs.
My Final 2 Cents
The home services industry is massive and intimidating to some. As a homeowner or tenant, finding a professional to help you can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. The entry point into the industry is pretty easy. All you need is a willingness to do work and the ability to get people to request your services. There are a lot of people out there who will gladly come to your home or business and attempt to do some work.
However, a professional will be there to guide you to the outcome you want. They have the knowledge to give you a quality outcome and the piece of mind that you have protection if something goes wrong. If you need some work done, please do your research. Don’t just base your decision on price, much like everything else, you get what you pay for.
A professional handyman will no doubt be more expensive than a chuck in a truck. They have more costs to bring you a service. But think of what you get with the service vs a cheap quick fix. Using someone who is a little more expensive will save you money down the road and will give you peace of mind you made the right decision.
