Custom Home Building, Remodeling and Restoration: Handyman vs General Contractor: A Home Repair Hiring Guide

Let’s face it: your needs as a homeowner vary wildly from project to project and day to day. You may be dreaming about doing a new kitchen or bathroom remodeling job, but on the other hand, you may have small plumbing projects or minor fixes that have to be taken care of right now. Of course, when issues from minor repairs to major overhauls arise, you want the very best person for the job.

This begs the question: do you hire a handyman or a general contractor? Learn how to determine when to hire a handyman vs. general contractor, and where to find the best service for your home improvement needs.

Hiring a Handyman

A handyman is a sort of jack of all trades when it comes to home repair services. The big problem you run into with a handyman is that there’s not really a defined industry term for the service. There isn’t a national regulatory body, though in some areas it may be required for handymen to be licensed, if the project exceeds a certain cost. There are advantages and disadvantages to working with this sort of independent service.

Save Money on Small Jobs

Handymen are often a great choice for small jobs. If you need a few loose boards nailed down, need to dry-lock your foundation with brush-on paint, if you need painting done in one or more rooms of your house or the like, you can save a lot of money by going with a local handyman. This is the sort of job where these pros excel.

Qualifications, Licenses and Bonding Issues

The problems you run into with handymen involve qualifications, licensing and bonding. Since these repairmen aren’t generally subject to oversight, you don’t know what you’re getting. It could be a carpenter with decades of experience, or it could be the self-taught guy from up the street. They may not have the proper licenses to do the job, and many aren’t properly insured and bonded against disasters.

This means it’s important to ask the right questions of handymen. Find out what their history is, if they have satisfied customers, if they carry licensing and/or bonding before you hire them for your project.

Hiring a Contractor

When it comes to big home jobs, you definitely want to go with a professional contractor. While you’ll pay more for their services, the extra money will go to better, higher quality services overall.

Outstanding Service for Big Improvement Needs

If you need higher quality work for major improvements like a kitchen renovation, bathroom remodeling job, adding onto your home, major landscaping work and the like, a contractor will be a better option. Contractors will be fully licensed and bonded. They have the ability to pull permits as needed and can provide a team of workers and specialists to take care of each job.

Higher Cost for Better Service

While a contractor certainly will cost more to use, it’s because you get far better services overall. A qualified home repair company in Scottsdale AZ can supply more people, each of whom will be a bonded expert, they’ll use better materials in general, and will be a better fit for the successful completion of your large job.

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