How to find a fixer-upper? Hire a good handyman

The rooms in your house may be a little tired looking. A new light fixture, updated flooring, or maybe some bright tile will help. But maybe you don't want to spend much money, or the job is small. A remodeling contractor is out of the question. Yet, you don't have the time or even the knowledge to do the work, so how do you cope?

Hire a handyman.

Because of the state of today's housing market, people are remaining in their homes longer. The longer you stay, the more things will break down, need to be repaired or replaced, etc.

If the job isn't too complicated, requiring only a partial day to several days of work, chances are a handyman is the remedy needed to update your home and keep things running smoothly.

"A handyman is great for those 'honey-do' lists that everyone has," said Mimi Makar, executive director of NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry of Greater Chicagoland.

The kinds of jobs performed by handyman often read like those honey-do lists with things such as drywall repair, small painting jobs, replacing ceiling fans or light fixtures, floor repairs and the like. It's common for homeowners to come up with a list of five or six little jobs that need to be done.

"Once we get out there, they (homeowners) often start coming up with other things that need to be done," said Don Domanus, production manager of Mega Home Improvement Inc. in Algonquin. "Fewer people are doing their own home maintenance these days."

The traditional image of a handyman is one who can do a wide variety of jobs. Yet some specialize, particularly those who work on their own or in small teams.

"Electrical and plumbing are my main jobs," said Scott Keck, owner of Scotty the Handyman LLC in Arlington Heights.

Keck started his own handyman business six years ago after losing his job as a fiber optics splicer with AT&T. As a member of the local electrical workers union, he had a wealth of experience in that area, but he had always been good with tools thanks to skills passed down to him by his father.

In addition to electrical and plumbing, Keck also does light cabinetry, hanging storm doors and other limited installations. However, he does not do drywall or painting. Yet, there are others who can do virtually any job handed to them.

"I look for someone who is a jack of all trades," said Bob Balgeman of Handymanmatters Inc. in Palatine.

Balgeman has prospective hirees go through a skill matrix to determine which types of jobs are appropriate for them. By doing so, he does not put them on a job that is beyond their capabilities. Those that aren't electricians or plumbers don't work on jobs where those skills are required.

That brings homeowners to another important point - don't hire someone for a job just because they say they can do it. Make sure they have experience in the area for which you need the work done.

"People shouldn't be afraid to ask questions," Keck said.

For example, even though Keck specializes in electrical work, he will not do larger jobs such as installing electrical panels.

"You wouldn't want to purchase a water heater and have a handyman come out and put it in just because he says he can do it," Domanus said.

Check with references to see that your handyman has actually done the type of job you want. Just because someone is great with drywall doesn't mean that they can install a new light fixture. Beyond that, there are licensing requirements by which contractors, including handymen, must abide. Plumbers are licensed by the Illinois Department of Health, while electricians must be licensed in the towns in which they work.

"Towns typically require a certificate of testing, surety bonds, certificate of insurance and/or a registration fee. Requirements differ from town to town, so homeowners need to ask the contractor for a current license specific to their town," Makar said. They may want to call the town to make sure that it is still valid. Hiring a licensed electrician, plumber or roofer means that homeowners are hiring legitimate contractors who are educated in their field. A homeowner also may have some recourse through their municipality if there are problems with the job.

It's also a good rule of thumb to ask if a job needs to have a permit from your municipality before the work can begin.

Whether you employ a handyman team or a general contractor really depends on the size and type of the work you need to have done. Some companies, such as Mega Home Improvement, have handyman divisions within their structure to take care of the smaller jobs.

"It (the handyman division) started out as an addition to our services about 10 years ago," Domanus said. "We wanted to be able to service our clients who wanted to have their gutters cleaned or maybe a repair to their backyard deck."

Mega also offers full-service roofing, window, and siding installation as well as interior and exterior carpentry.

Sometimes the lines between a general contractor and handyman services are blurred, particularly when the latter specializes in certain areas. While Balgeman's Handymanmatters offers all types of services, his company specializes in bathroom remodeling.

Don't try to force a prospective handyman outside of his skill level.

"I don't do room additions - if you want that, you need someone other than me," Balgeman said.

Besides that, there are a few areas where it makes more sense to go with a regular contractor in lieu of a handyman just to save money. These are often big ticket items such as roofs, new windows, and heating and air conditioning. With indoor climate control, there are safety considerations such as carbon monoxide emissions, overheating leading to fire, etc., when weighing who will install your purchase. Licensing sometimes comes into play here, as roofers need a state license to replace a roof.

There are times, however, when a handyman can work on a roof, particularly if the repair involved is an isolated one.

"There are certain circumstances such as when shingles blow off and need to be put back on," Domanus said.

Other acceptable repairs include leaks around skylights or flashing areas such as chimneys. Replacing one or two windows is feasible, too, but when the job is bigger, it makes more sense to go with a specialty contractor.

"The guys who do windows, the aluminum siding guys, they have all the equipment to do the job right," Keck said.

When employing a handyman, it's just like selecting other contractors - do your homework first. Check references, or online resources such as Angie's List of customer reviews, and make sure the person you select is able to do the job.

"I believe Angie's List is one of the best things out there because you have no control over what people write about you," Keck said.

Expect to wait a few weeks from the time you contact your handyman to the time the job is finished. Today's handyman is one busy fellow.

"People are staying in their homes longer and in this economy people are asking for an almost perfect house, so they're asking to get it fixed up before they even trying putting it on the market," Balgeman said.