5 Questions to Ask Your Handyman
Who You Gonna Call?
Hiring a home improvement contractor can be stressful. We visit a lot of homes and hear horror stories of the work done by so-called professionals. Our homes are meant to be a safe place for us and we want to trust our home's upkeep to the right people.
Before interviewing potential handyman services, please do your homework and review the website and reviews of the company or individual. You will hopefully be able to weed out many of the "duds" from there.
When you do invite the handyman to your home, here is a list of some important questions to ask.
1. Are you licensed, bonded, and insured?
It is strange that we still have to ask this question, but it is still very important to not risk your home and assets if something happens to the worker in your home. Being licensed also helps ensure that the handyman has the knowledge and experience to perform the work.
2. How do you price your work?
Every contractor seems to have a different way to provide an estimate for the work to be done. Some contractors will charge by the hour, others base it on a project by project basis. Find out if they will provide a fixed estimate or if it will be based on costs and figured out after the work is complete.
3. Do you provide a warranty?
Make sure you won't be left holding the bag if something didn't go quite right during the work. Will your handyman give you the cold shoulder once they have been paid or do they stand behind their work. Ask some clarifying questions about how they handle issues that may arise after the project is complete to make sure you are left satisfied with the service.
4. When will the work be done?
Ask how they schedule their work and get information on when to expect the work to be done. If you need a job to be complete by a specific date, make sure they are able to service that work in the timeframe that you need. If you are more flexible with your timeline, find out how they schedule the work and how they communicate that schedule so you aren't surprised when the work starts.
5. What type of work can you do?
Finally, is the handyman even able to do what you are needing? Do they have experience with the project type that you need? We have seen projects done by other home improvement contractors that obviously had no business learning how to do the work on the job. Ensure they are experienced and skilled and will be able to provide the quality of work that you should expect in your home.
Start with these five questions when interviewing your potential home improvement specialist. When you find a quality handyman, you will have someone that you can always rely on to keep your home in tip-top shape and know you are investing in the longevity and quality of your home.