|
Your list may include small items such as fixing
broken door knobs, a leaky faucet, or caulking
trim. If you do, then it might be the perfect
time to acquaint yourself with the professional
services of a handyman. While most handyman
services will take on larger projects, they also
have the more generalized skills it requires to
complete your “honey-do list.”
Once you have located an area handyman,
have them come to your home and go over your
list of projects. Let them determine which
things on the list that they can get
accomplished and which things may require a
specialized service. Ask the handyman to give
you an estimate of how much it will cost you to
have your repairs made. Handyman services will
most likely charge in one of two ways.
Hourly:
Some handyman services will charge by the
hour or what is called an hourly rate. They
will determine how many hours it should take to
complete the job, and then give you an estimate
for the labor plus any materials. Know that they
try to give you as accurate of an estimate as
they can. However, sometimes unforeseen problems
as they complete each task will require
additional time, and they will have to charge
you more.
Total Job Estimate:
Other services will charge by the job and
allot a cost to each repair. This is an itemized
method. In general, they will only charge that
amount unless additional materials need to be
purchased to complete the repair. Then you will
be responsible for the extra charges. They will
not do this, however, without your approval
before proceeding.
A reputable handyman will do his best to
make the repairs for the estimated price. Which
method of billing you are most comfortable with
is up to you. Make sure that all estimates
include a list of the materials that the
handyman man needs to complete the repairs.
Before you proceed, you might want to check the
price of his materials against a local home
improvement store. Hourly labor rates will vary
from service to service. Sometimes the old
saying, “you get what you pay for, “ can be
true.
Also, ask the handyman for professional
references. Check them out. Ask anyone who has
used the service if the work was completed to
their satisfaction. Was it completed in a timely
manner? Did the final price far exceed his
estimate? If it did, to be fair to the service,
did the project have complications that could
not been determined at the time of the estimate?
Ask the reference if the handyman was respectful
of their home and cleaned up any mess before
they left that making the repairs had created.
These questions will help you to determine if
this is the correct handyman for your needs. If
you are satisfied with the job, then do the
handyman a favor by becoming a reference for
him. A professional handyman can save you the
large expense of hiring several contractors to
make minor repairs to your home. The saving in
trips charges alone for each company to come to
your home is enough to warrant hiring a
handyman. |
