One of the most important things you can do as a homeowner is to have contractors and essential services on speed dial. Of course, one of these services is a handyman to help you with issues that may develop in your home. But how do you find one you can trust?

Read on to learn the 9 positive signs to look out for when searching for a handyman for your home.

 

1. Licensed and insured 

Craigslist and similar sites are filled with amateur handymen looking for work. Many are not licensed experienced workers, but individuals looking to make a quick buck. Even if these amateurs try their hardest, they’ll never provide the level of service that an experienced handyman can.

Beyond just the quality of work, there is your financial and physical safety to worry about. An unlicensed handyman without the proper insurance can expose you to financial or physical harm if they mess up or don’t do a good job. Additionally, if they injure themselves on the job, you might be responsible for paying their hospital bills.

 

2. Variety of services 

One of the key benefits of working with a handyman is that you can build a trusting relationship with them to take care of issues around your home. 

But if your handyman can only help you with a couple select services, you will still be left searching for someone to help with any issue they don’t offer. Worse yet, your handyman might only recommend services that they can perform, even if another solution could be less expensive and ultimately better for your home.

When you work with a handyman with a broad variety of services, you’ll get good advice on ways to fix your home from someone you trust. Look out for a handyman who offers services surrounding…

 

3. Experienced in the area

Just because someone offers a service does not mean they can perform it well. Anybody with a Facebook account can offer roofing services, but experience fixing leaky roofs is harder to achieve. Make sure that any handyman you work with is actually experienced in the services that they offer. 

Even further, make sure that they have experience working on homes in your area. Every region of the country (and states like Oregon and Washington) has different weather conditions and needs. 

Working with a handyman familiar with the weather and types of homes typical of your area will ensure you get the best advice on materials and designs. It will also ensure that they have proven methods that work on homes just like yours!

 

4. Well-reviewed

There is no better way to get a good idea of how much you can trust a handyman than through reviews and testimonials of former and current clients. Handymen can make as many claims to being “the best,” but without actual reviews to back them up, they are worthless.

Look on popular review sites such as Google to find the best and most plentiful reviews. In addition, ask a handyman whether they have any references that you can contact. Most reputable handyman contractors have references they can provide that will speak to their overall quality of work and customer service. 

 

5. Clear pricing 

Nothing is worse than accepting a quote, only to be told once a job is completed that the price is actually much more than quoted because of “administrative fees” or some other hidden charge.

Reputable handyman contractors are interested in developing trusted lasting relationships with their clients. Making sure that pricing is clear and fair is crucial to developing these sorts of relationships. 

Make sure to get extremely clear pricing from any handyman you work with. If after asking what the final cost will be the price changes drastically, we recommend finding someone else to work with. They are likely not looking to work with you long-term and are less incentivized to do a good job.

 

6. No high-pressure sales

In a similar vein, don’t work with handymen who try to exert high-pressure sales tactics to get you to buy a particular service. 

Trustworthy handymen know that their work will stand on its own, and do not have to “trick” homeowners into buying their services. If your handyman is saying things like “the price will change tomorrow” or “this is the last one of these I will do this year,” it is time to look elsewhere.

 

7. Responsive communication

With any contractor you work with, someone who will be responsive and keep you up-to-date on project status is crucial to a good experience.

If you work with a handyman who won’t return your calls, does not answer your questions clearly, and is constantly delaying when they will get the job done, can you trust them to do a good job?

Only work with a handyman who will keep you in the loop and answer your questions. It will save you a headache and will lead to a handyman who does better work.

 

8. They do all the work

Particularly with inexperienced handymen, a big red flag is when you are asked to physically help in some way to get the job done. Whether it is acquiring lumber, having to apply for a permit, or even helping hold a ladder, you should not have to lift a finger in the process.

Avoiding these situations will result in a better home improvement project, but also keep you financially and physically safe. You are paying for work to get done, why should you have to get your hands dirty at all?

 

9. They are someone you want to work with long term

While most handymen love working with all homeowners — even if it is just once — finding a handyman who you can develop a long-term relationship is extremely valuable. If you find that you are looking for excuses to find other contractors for work, it is time to find a new handyman.

 

Work with a handyman you can trust

At All Around Maintenance, we offer handyman services to homeowners throughout the Portland and Vancouver area. We believe that you should trust the people who work on your home, and do all we can to make sure you are always 100% satisfied with the work we do for you.

Contact us today to see how we can help your home.