Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Hiring a Handyman

Video, Financial, Ask Danny Published 03/25/2007 by Danny Lipford

Hiring a handyman is not easy and many people have had unpleasant experiences trying to do so. They don’t show up, they don’t return calls, they say they can do the work, but then do a poor job. In order to avoid this type of disappointment, here’s some advice.

Before hiring any handyman, ask him or her these questions:

• How many years have they been in business?
• How do they price their work? Hourly? Per job? Do they give free estimates?
• Do they carry liability insurance? If not, remember that you are responsible for any medical expenses and possibly more, if they’re injured while working for you!
• Finally, make sure you get a detailed description of the work AND cost in writing, and remember that even though most handymen have a variety of skills, some jobs are best left to specialists.