8 Questions to Ask a Professional Handyman
Owning a home can be exciting! The experience of being able to call a home your own is like no other, but it can often feel discouraging and daunting when the inevitable repair comes up and you need to hire a handyman to maintain or fix your home.
Common questions that many homeowners wrestle with when they consider hiring help for their home projects may include:
- Will I be burned by a no-show handyman?
- Am I going to be charged fairly for these services I need to be performed?
- Can I entrust this person to repair my home with care and respect?
To ensure you have a great experience, take a look at eight questions to ask your potential handyman when you find yourself in need of home repairs.
1. Are you certified and bonded?
Depending on which state you live in, you will want to make sure the handyman you’re working with has the proper certification and insurance in place to do the job. Hiring a certified handyman will ensure that the person you are entrusting your home with has taken the proper steps to educate themselves in the trade.
Although there are no licensing requirements for handymen or general contractors in Indiana, it’s still important to ask if your handyman has gone above and beyond to obtain certifications and training with a variety of reputable organizations.
Another important aspect of this question is to explore whether they’re bonded or not. A bonded handyman simply indicates that they have agreed to comply with the regulations of the government-issued building permit. When a handyman is bonded, that means you are protected if they don’t complete the job you hired them to do.
2. Are you insured?
In the unfortunate event of an onsite accident or injury, choosing to work with an uninsured handyman can pose legal and financial issues for you. As the homeowner, you would be responsible for any injuries incurred while they’re working on your property. Hiring an insured handyman frees you of the stress of accidents or unforeseen circumstances that may arise during the repair process.
Checking that your professional handyman is insured instills confidence in you that they are serious about their work and prepared to take precautionary measures when it comes to their profession.
3. What types of projects do you work on?
Be sure you ask what types of projects they work on and clarify what services they offer. Some handymen specialize in maintenance and repair, such as plumbing and electrical fixtures, while others may work on home improvements, such as crown molding or updating a bathroom. Depending on your need, be sure to clarify what your potential handyman can offer and has experience doing.
4. What’s your experience in this line of work?
Understanding what handyman experience the tradesman has should be an important step in your decision-making process. Working with a handyman who is new to the trade and looking to get experience under his or her belt may seem like a great financial decision for you in the short term, but could also pose quality and timeline issues for you if you’re one of their first clients. It could also end up costing more should anything go wrong in the repair process.
Working with an experienced handyman can ensure that you receive quality work on your project. Our professional handyman services keep you in control of your small home improvements and repair projects and provide a worry-free experience when it comes to quality workmanship, fair pricing, and safety.
5. How are payments managed?
It’s important to have a straightforward plan in place for paying your handyman in order to avoid surprise fees and back-end costs. Agree on terms up-front and follow-up throughout the project to make sure that decisions aren’t being made that would impact or change the originally agreed-upon terms.
If changes occur during the project, clarify with the handyman that he or she will have transparency in updating you on any changes that may need to be made. Don’t be afraid to speak up and speak out about this at your initial meeting in order to avoid any surprises at the end of your contract.
6. What will the timeline be for this project?
Ask for a detailed, transparent plan with your handyman. Whether it’s a smaller job that can be completed within a few hours or a much larger project that will take weeks or months, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the timeline.
If your project is going to take a little longer, it’s also important to follow up with your handyman throughout the process to ensure the project is still on track for timely completion. Ask him about other projects he’s expected to work on during the course of your project and if there’s any chance the projects would conflict with one another, causing a delay in the project timeline.
7. What’s a reliable way to get in touch with you throughout this project?
Trying to get in touch with a flaky handyman can add frustration and delay when you’re trying to complete a project. Be sure to ask your handyman for their contact information, as well as times and days you can reach out to them regarding your project. This will open clear paths of communication for you when it comes time to solidify decisions and ask questions about your project.
8. Do you offer any warranties?
Warranties for a handyman’s work prove that they care about doing a great job and serving you with quality standards. If a handyman offers you a warranty, they’re guaranteeing that if something goes wrong on the project they worked on, they will make it right within a reasonable amount of time.
No one should get burned by no-show handymen, poor workmanship, damage to their home, or sneaky pricing models. Asking these questions can get you started on the right path to finding a trustworthy handyman for your home. If you’re ready to tackle your next home project or need a repair, our expert team is ready to help.
Home Care & Repair’s professional handyman services keep you in control of your small home improvements and repair projects and provide a worry-free experience when it comes to quality workmanship, fair pricing, and your safety. To learn more, please visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.