General Contractor or Handyman – Who Do I Really Need?

by Mike G. ,

The more familiar you become with your home and the more home renovations/decorating you do, the more you’ll familiarize yourself with the distinctions between Handyman and General Contractor. Hopefully this will give you some help and/or guidance in this area.

What Jobs Can a Handyman Do Instead of a General Contractor?

The easiest way to remember the distinction between what a contractor does and what a handyman does is “macro” and “micro”. For bigger jobs like the renovation and makeover of an entire kitchen, bedroom, washroom, living room, etc. this is a macro job because it requires a general contractor and subcontractors who specialize in different areas of renovation (examples: an electrician, a ventilation specialist, etc.) If however, you’d like a renovation done on just the door or window of one room, this would be a micro job and require a, handyman, who would specialize in one or many of these micro renovation jobs.

What Kind of Prices Should I Expect to be Charged?

This really depends on many things: the scope of the job, the materials used, the time you want the job done by, and not to mention, the obvious quality of the handyman. One thing is almost certain, a general contractor will charge more than the handyman because the prior has greater expenses than the latter; namely paying the sub-contractors who work under them, whereas the handyman usually works alone. Now the best handymen, just like in any other field will probably charge more than others because better quality always requires a higher cost; most handymen charge by the hour. Keeping this in mind, it’s essential to get an idea of how long the project will take. Once you’ve both agreed on the time and budget, decide whether or not you’re willing to pay for a project if it goes over budget. Say this up front because if it’s up to the handyman, this person may assume budget is not an issue and bill you for the extra hours; a costly example of miscommunication indeed!

How Do I Find a Reputable Handyman?

The easiest way to find a handyman is to look in the Yellow pages, or do a Google search under, Home Repair, or Home Improvement. This however is not the most efficient way, unless you don’t care about the quality and cost of the work. In that case, just pick the first name on the list. But if you do care, the phone book and/or Google method can take you many hours phoning, getting cost estimates, and reference checks on all the handymen in the city. A more efficient way to go about finding a handyman is to talk to friends, family, and/or neighbors on your street, and ask them about the handymen they’ve hired for their home. If you like the work that was done, ask for the number and call to ask the handyman about other homes they’ve worked on. Just like a general contractor, a thorough check of a handyman’s past work is the best way to ensure present success in your home renovation.

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