So you’re looking at doing some renovations on your home and want to do them as cheaply as possible. This is completely understood. Most people do want to get the best value for the price and may be looking at hiring the services of a handyman instead of a contractor. There are a lot of advertisements for handymen in classified ad sections on Internet sites and in the newspaper. These service providers can often charge less than half of what you’d pay a normal contractor.
Is it worth the savings?
In some cases it is and in some cases it isn’t. It really depends on what kind of job you want to get done, the reliability of the handyman and whether you’re a gambler or not.
Ninety-nine percent of the handymen out there do not carry insurance. This means that if something happens on your property you are going to be held liable. If the contractor falls and breaks his leg, for example, you will be held responsible because it occurred on your property. If you have household liability insurance that covers these kinds of things you will be safe. It will still be an inconvenience and your insurance rates are sure to rise, but you won’t be out of pocket for thousands of dollars.
If you don’t have household liability insurance, even hiring a handyman to come in and change a light bulb involves taking a chance. Your decision will depend on your willingness to gamble with the possibility of something happening or not. It is rare for a handyman to come into your home and get severely injured.
Contractors, on the other hand, usually carry their own liability insurance. It is always a good idea to double check that they are insured before signing any contracts. For larger jobs it is often worth the extra price you pay for the protection.
Another thing to keep in mind is the quality of the work. What happens if a landscaper redoes your patio and pools of water develop a month later after a heavy rainfall? Furthermore, what would happen if your wicker bar stools got damaged as a result? Would a handyman return, fix up the patio and replace your bar stools for you? Not likely. A contractor, however, is more accountable and has a reputation he needs to safeguard. You’ll probably get restitution from a contractor if anything goes wrong with the project and you suffer damages as a result.
In cases of electrical or plumbing projects, you absolutely have to get a contractor. Damage from plumbing or electrical problems can wipe out your entire home. This is something that you simply cannot fool around with.
Handymen can be very handy at fixing up your cupboard doors, replacing a tile floor, painting your walls etc. but just be sure that you have homeowner liability insurance in case something does go drastically wrong. If you don’t, you’ll have to be willing to take personal responsibility on your own.