--- title: Find the Best Handyman for the Job description: 'For a busy -- or simply hammerphobic -- homeowner, it sounds almost too good to be true: A hired handyman (or woman) could tackle your…' authors: - name: timestaff url: https://money.com/author/timestaff/ articles: 459 covers: - Professional Services - Banking - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes former_staff: true published: '2012-09-17T14:52:05.000Z' modified: '2012-09-17T14:52:05.000Z' section: Professional Services tags: - contractor - handyman - home improvement - home repairs - Renovation word_count: 425 canonical: https://money.com/find-the-best-handyman-for-the-job/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Brooklyn Dodgers Players Buying Gloves](https://img.money.com/2012/01/504502551.jpg) *In the days before million-dollar endorsement deals and limitless freebies, players actually had to buy their own equipment. Really. They did.* For a busy -- or simply hammerphobic -- homeowner, it sounds almost too good to be true: A hired handyman (or woman) could tackle your odd jobs for about a third of the cost, time, and hassle of a general contractor. There are plenty of jacks-of-all-trades out there, but is it possible to find one you can really rely on? The answer is yes—provided you know where to look and what chores to give him. ### Pick the right project "A handyman should do only things that a proficient homeowner could handle himself if he had the time," says "Handyman Fran" Carito of Watertown, Mass. That might include installing a ceiling fan, freeing a stuck window sash, or replacing a light fixture, faucet, or cracked windowpane. Go with a licensed tradesman instead for work inside walls, like replacing a pipe or adding an electrical circuit; specialized tasks (say, repairing a roof leak or installing tiles); and, of course, remodeling. ### Tap your network General contractors don't usually like to bother with small fix-up tasks anyway, so if you have a good working rapport with one, he might be willing to suggest one of his guys who takes side jobs. Or ask a contact at a local school, church, or office park to recommend a staff handyman who does some moonlighting. Otherwise, check with friends for referrals. A long-established local sole proprietor may be the most expert and reasonably priced option. A larger company, though, is more likely to carry insurance, especially if it's part of a national franchise such as Mr. Handyman or House Doctors. ### Get an estimate Unlike contractors, who name their price upfront, handymen bill you for the materials they use and the time they spend -- typically at around $40 to $70 an hour. That's because, ironically, it's trickier to commit to a fixed price for a little job, says Madison handyman Adam Shirley. Still, ask for an estimate -- and consider setting a ceiling. For instance, you could designate a half-hour for trying to repair a dripping faucet before replacing it instead. ### Start small Just as you might audition a car mechanic with routine oil changes, test your new handyman's mettle with low-tech stuff, such as clearing clogged gutters or installing garage shelves. It's best to combine a few of these small projects, since most pros either have a two- to four-hour minimum or impose a one-hour service charge. Then let him earn his way to bigger assignments that require craftsmanship -- and if he nails those, put his number on speed dial. ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/find-the-best-handyman-for-the-job/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Professional Services", "item": "https://money.com/professional-services/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com/home/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Find the Best Handyman for the Job" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/find-the-best-handyman-for-the-job/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/find-the-best-handyman-for-the-job/", "name": "Find the Best Handyman for the Job", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2012-09-17T14:52:05.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/find-the-best-handyman-for-the-job/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/find-the-best-handyman-for-the-job/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2012-09-17T14:52:05.000Z" }, { "@type": "Article", "headline": "Find the Best Handyman for the Job", "articleSection": "Professional Services", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2012/01/504502551.jpg", "width": 1988, "height": 2048, "caption": "Brooklyn Dodgers Players Buying Gloves" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "timestaff", "url": "https://money.com/author/timestaff/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/timestaff/#author" } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2012-09-17T14:52:05.000Z", "description": "For a busy -- or simply hammerphobic -- homeowner, it sounds almost too good to be true: A hired handyman (or woman) could tackle your…", "abstract": "For a busy -- or simply hammerphobic -- homeowner, it sounds almost too good to be true: A hired handyman (or woman) could tackle your…", "@id": "https://money.com/find-the-best-handyman-for-the-job/", "inLanguage": "en-US", "dateModified": "2012-09-17T14:52:05.000Z", "wordCount": 425, "keywords": [ "contractor", "handyman", "home improvement", "home repairs", "Renovation" ], "about": [ { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Professional services", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_services" ] }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Home", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home" ] } ] } ] } ```