What are your areas of expertise?

Many handypersons consider themselves jack-of-all-trades, asking for specifics about

their complete list of work is the best way to discover which jobs a handyman can and

can’t handle. When you need components of complex plumbing or electrical systems

replaced, or have complex wiring needs, it’s best to look for a licensed specialist with

the training to work safely and accurately.

Can you provide local references?

A reliable handyman should be able to provide you with a handful of local references.

Good references should be able to tell you the scope of work completed, how long it took,

and the quality of the work. They can also discuss how the experience of working with the

handyman went so you know what to expect.

Are you licensed to work in our area?

A qualified and professional handyman will be licensed to legally perform their services

in a specified area or group of areas. Ask if they will provide you a look at their license.

Are you insured, will you show me your certificate of insurance?

This question is important to ask for you to ensure that the handyperson has liability

insurance so that you and they are covered if any unexpected accidents or events take

place that cause injury or damage during work being done on your property or in your

home by the handyperson. Also be certain that if the handyperson brings an outside

contractor onto to your property or into your home that they too are insured or have

Worksafe BC coverage.

What is your current work schedule like?

This is a great question to ask because it can start a conversation about expected

timeframes before getting too far along in the hiring process. A handyperson who is

already working on several different jobs might not be able to complete the job by the

time you want it done.

Will you provide me with an estimate/quote?

This is a great question to ask. Any experienced handyperson should be able to give

you a basic cost estimate/quote before starting the job within 24 hours of your ask.

To create clear guidelines and expectations, request a written estimate that itemizes

the cost of materials, labour, expected timeframes, and full scope of work to be done.

Also make note if there is a stipulation that any changes to the scope of work will

require a work change order which may increase the cost estimate.

How do you price your work?

A qualified handyperson will either charge by the hour or for the project. This metric can

change from project to project based on the scope of work, materials, and projected

timeline. Jobs that might uncover hidden problems that need additional work (ie: a wall

replacement where there's water damage) are usually billed hourly. A simple standard job

(like straightening a door or rehanging a cabinet) would get billed as a set project price.

See previous question regarding requesting a written estimate/quote.

When will the work be done?

A qualified handyperson will give you a definite schedule with a date(s) that fits with your

schedule and set a time to be onsite that is convenient for you. Also, they should be able

to give you a start and estimated completion time, and they should let you know about

any possible complications that may possibly happen with the type of work being done.

Do you provide any type of guarantee?

Even the most experienced handyperson can do a job that doesn’t hold up. There are

various reasons why a handyman’s work might not hold. If this happens, it doesn’t necessarily

indicate they were a wrong choice. A better way to confirm trust when hiring a handyperson

is to ask them if they provide a guarantee on their work. If they fix a broken toilet and it stops

flushing again, will they come back to fix it without a secondary charge? If a fixture they

install shorts out, will they replace it? What are the boundaries of their guarantee on their

work? These are the best questions to ask for you to have peace of mind.

Will you be working alone, or will you have help?

Some handyperson jobs make take more than one person to get the job done (ie: building a

fence, installing new flooring, or replacing aspects of a kitchen), which means that your

handyperson may need an extra set of hands to get the job done right and on time.

An additional worker benefits you because the job gets done faster, safer, and better.

But another worker can affect the overall price, so ask if they plan to have any assistance

and how that will affect pricing to avoid invoice shock down the line. And once again be

certain that they too are insured.

PLEASE NOTE

Our rates are flexible and may vary, they are based on

the total cost of the materials (no markup on material costs),

the scope of work, time to complete job (including travel),

and on each of our customer's budgetary constraints.

(Ask About My Varied Discount Rates

and When They Apply)

250-606-1380