Handyman Vs Contractor

LNG24

Since I see so many on here trash Handymen (persons) I wantd to get everyones opnion on just what makes up a Handyman vs Contractor.

In my opinion a Handy Man is a person that will take on a number of small projects in any field he/she is qualified to work in and is usually working alone or with one laboror. A Contractor will take on large projects in any field! Hiring subs to perform all or most of the tasks. Subs and Speciality Trades are people that works soley in a specific field such as an Electrician, Plumber, Finish Carpenter.

I personally bounce back and fourth from doing many small jobs one year to GC'ing a big job. The main reason I shy away form doing more GC work is that I am uncomfortable having a number of guys rely on me for work. For this reason alone, I do not use a crew except where necessary.

woodmagman

Handyman is just that, Handy. Any time home owner safety and property depeciation can result from the work of a individulal a proffesional contractor should be used over a handyman. A handyman service should not involove themselves in in areas that require proffesional results. A state or provincilly certified tradesman such as caprenters, plumbers and electicians can be masters of one trade yet have the ablity to do some work in others. This a handyman does not make. Bargin hunters and discount mentality customers, like the services of handymen. Skilled certified tradesman don't want this type of cutomer and don't ask for this type of work. If you market yourself as a handyman that is great. Not all households have handi husbands. There is a market for this providing the handyman service does not tread on areas were a certified tradesman should be. A certified tradesman can do all the handy work he wants providing he does not compromise other trades certificates.

fez-head

A licensed and insured Handyman is still a contractor. A good business man will only provide services that he can do very well and with confidence (or sub it out to those who can).

There is an enormous need for Handyman services and the market is steadily growing. Lately I have even provided concierge service for my busy clients arranging plumbing and HVAC appointments for them. I know it sounds silly but I will sure do it at my regular hourly rate with a smile.

AtlanticWBConst

Realized I was just venting and decided to remove the post I had here....

__________________
- Build Well -

JPF

Totally agree with ya here Jesse.....I have also taken on the role of "facilitator" if you will, of several condominiums in my area. Not only do i get the average, somewhat meanial jobs from the association (changing out door's, replacing light fixture's, etc.) but also make sure the more intricate stuff ( anything that falls under code compliance standards) is delegated out. I have been in the trades for 30 years, and have a great deal of knowledege in numerous areas, but i know what side my bread is buttered. I don't venture into areas where i know it becomes a "legal" issue. There's plenty of honey-do work out there to be had!!

woodmagman

As long as it did not threaten home or country, vent all you want. Like no one else has spoken the truth yet regretted the backlash......

JamesNLA

Not sure about your area, but in CA there is no such thing as a licensed and insured handyman. There is no license for handyman work here, and no insurance company will touch you with a 10 foot pole.

Now, there are many handy man companies that say they are licensed and bonded (insured too) however these guys are operating under a B license, they or the owner or partner in the corporation holds a B-2 therefor he is a GC, and if memory serves can do up to 10 grand of any one trade himself. I think there is some other governing laws of the type work, and specialty issues that requires a specific contractor.
I'm sure someone here knows more about that than I.

I have seen a few things that these handymen do to peoples houses, and it's scary. Beyond horrible, beyond rigged, beyond hacked. His name is usually Jose can barley speak the language, charges for his time while eating lunch and does a piss poor job....and get this, they charge 85 bucks per hour.

Just like some of those national handyman companies that Oprah was flappin her botox about, and I get the ads in my local coupon mailers.

They say they can do it all....from installing a new switch plate to remodeling your entire house..... Well, they can do it, because someone in the company has the B class license.

Now there is a guy down the street, he's unlicensed and does mostly painting (suprise), and from what I hear he does an ok job and charges a fair price. I got no problem with that. I have no problem with some guy who has the experience to do a job correctly and charge a fair price. What's the fair price for a handyman? I personally think it should be half of what a local contractor charges. And I also have no problem with these guys doing jobs that do NOT infringe on the saftey or value of someone elses dwelling. However all too often they claim to do everything, and know maybe half. It is what it is, and I think there is a need for these guys. There are a lot of divorced single moms that have no money and need things done (not those things... ). I have helped out many of the wifes friends who barley can feed their kids while the Ex is getting a new car, so for them I am happy they exist. I couldn't live the lifestyle I do, off handyman pricing.

$.02

woodmagman

This has handy written all over it. Something about dryer venting.
Nothing said about compromised structure or safety.

Attached Thumbnails

 

needthingsdone?

If you're going to pull pics from other posts you should at least use them in context. That pic was straight from the web site of the company that manufactures them. there was nothing about who installed it and you should not make assumptions like that, it could have just as easily been installed by some dumba$$, pot smoking, drunk at 8 am contractor, I know a couple.
There are plenty of qualified, talented, dedicated and professional handymen out there and other trades people that lump all handymen together as hacks and trunk slammers are just ignorant!
I have done everything from framing for a framing contractor to painting for a painting contractor to running my own handyman business to running a $250,000 a year labor only siding and deck company. I am handy, I have a degree in business/accounting and have no problem with the term handyman.
Most importantly, I served and continue to serve my customers in a dedicated and professional manner, and I can make a good living at it.

__________________
"It's not the first freakin' time I've done this you know!"

woodmagman

The picture is not out of context, someone who beleived themselves handy, compromised the structure of someones home and the safety of the family that lives there. Your abitiy as a proffesional is commendable.

fez-head

You seem pretty hung-up on bad mouthing my chosen profession.

It brings to mind the lady over on JLC forums Janet Ahmad, President
Homeowners for Better Building (HOBB) that had the exact same poisonous and irresponsible attitude toward all contractors in general.

Ed politely set her straight and I think his words ring true in this situation as well. Most Handymen (and all other contractors) are damn fine people with alot of integrity.

woodmagman

Read the words and not between them, My mom is proud of her handy son. She should be she paid for him to get the education required to not cut through structual members. You convince me that the guy that did this in the picture, did so not believing himself handy. To say even the person thought himself a Carpenter" would make no difference. "it is just bad judgement and the lack of knowledge that lead the person to compomise the structure..............

fez-head

fez-head

I agree with you.

He may have also known better and just did not care to take the time and do it right. I used to see meth-heads doing crazy stuff like that picture all the time. They were good men before the meth got ahold of them.

woodmagman

the foundation was not engineered properly to withstand the expansive soil environment. Once the house was built, the foundation failed causing structural damages and defects. This house will never be the same. It will never be what I paid for - a brand new home free of defects.
"This is not the work of any profesional. A licensed contractor, with a valid buiding permit in his hand would never have been able to build this if the buiding had been inspected and built to regulated conditions". Your making my point for me.

Don't get me wrong the world needs good people too...

LNG24

Ah, I knew this would open up a good discussion. I know Florida and California both have "Contractor Licensing" but that is not true for all areas of the country.

Handymen do get a bad rap, but mostly it is because many people who call themselves Handymen are contractors who could make it doing contract work. Now I call myself a Handyman becaue I can do it all. When in doubt I research the heck out of the job I am about to perform, when I am not in doubt, I still research what is new in the field.

I am not sure why you would think a Handyman should only charge 1/2 that of a contractor, unless there is a licensing issue. If licensing isn't the reason then he should charge a fair price to support himself and not rob the customer. After all, most Handymen that I know either came from the contracting field or are still involved in contracting. The only difference is that they are willing to do Small Jobs.

Now if you are a Contractor, you are insured (just like a handyman, yes there is insurance for them as well) and you have a crew of guys working under you. Do you really want to break up that crew and send one guy to hang a new door slad at one job while you send the other to patch the hole in the sheetrock that homeownes son accidently made? Keeping in mide that it will take 30 minutes one way just to get to these jobsand back and they will need to pull the tools off the $70k addition you are currently doing so that will shut that job down for the day at least.

I really think that ever contractor who employes a crew of guys should have a Handyman On Staff for just this reason. Sure, he might take a bit longer to hang a door, but when he is done he can also set that toilet, finish up some crown moulding and install the steps on the deck. In other words...he can clean up that punch list you have and when you don't have a punch list of items for him, then you send him out on the jobs you do have.

I think a lot of anger comes from guys who call themselves handymen and don't have a clue about the principals of building construction. But to lump us all in this catagory is simply wrong.

Since a picture is worht a thousand words and we clearly have pics of supposed handymen who screw things up, I want to share some pics of my own.

New Construction! Found 20 years later! Here is a 220v Electric heater wire that was forcefully pulled through the studs and left on the floor (I am guessing) and had the sheetrockers install the sheetrock op top of it. It was then bent up so it could be installed into the back of the heater. Look closely and you will see more than a inch of bare wire, both white and black have been stripped from the forceful pull and left in the wall. This was done by a Licensed Electrician. Same house another room and I had found another bare wire in the wall. Found that one by accident when I ran my had across it snaking another wire through the hole.

Attached Images

 

fez-head

Ya I screwed up.

I followed a link to it and thought that was the one about the shoddy carpentry by the tract builders which was the point I was after. When it comes to shoddy work "Size Doesn't Matter"

woodmagman

Digger,You have made a statement that is controdicting. You stated that the handyman should be paid equal and fair and then in the next breath you stated it would take the handyman longer to do the same job. Very interesting.

LNG24

No picture, but another Electrician error different house. I was installing a set of attic stairs and the home owner asked me to remove the wholehouse exhaust fan and see if I can reconnect the outlet the "Electrician" he hired to wire the fan had disconnected to feed the fan. I found a cut wire in the attic and another going to the fan. I disconnect the fan wire and cap it until I have the stairs in and can relocate it. As I am installing the stairs I hit that cut bare wire that was left there with my head and found out it wasn't dead, but live! No reason at all to have had killed the outlet in the bedroom other then he cut it and left the wire there by mistake.

Errors and Poor Workmanship are found in every trade. It is not just handymen.

LNG24

The value is in the diversity. Not in the speed!

I also said MIGHT take a bit longer. Not that he would, but I am figuring that someone that only sets doors all day will do it faster than some one that sets a few a month.