Handyman Services: When to Hire a Pro Instead of DIY

A weekend project can turn into a week-long, or even months-long ordeal if you aren’t skilled enough to take on the task.

Even if you are a hobbyist who loves to get your hands dirty, hiring a handyman can save you hours of hard work and a ton of time.

But how do you hire a handyman, and when is it right to go pro instead of DIY?

Today we’ll dive deep into all of that and more below, let’s get started.

1. You don’t have enough time
 

Handymen are going to do one thing best: save you time. If you’re working long hours, the last thing that you want to do is spend hours and hours on tasks that you don’t fully understand.

You can do the basics, but when it comes to the larger tasks, handymen can be pivotal to help save hours in a busy workweek. Projects that can take a handyman a few hours can turn into a weeks-long ordeal, especially if you aren’t experienced enough to do it properly.

You don’t want to try to cram a big project into your stressful week as you’re going to leave yourself open to making errors, and if you’re working on critical household infrastructure, you may make a costly mistake that could’ve been avoided.

2. Mitigating Risks: The Importance of Handyman Insurance

Consider this scenario: You’re attempting a DIY plumbing repair and make a mistake. Water floods your house, and you rush to turn off the main water line. By the time you manage to stop the flow, it’s already too late. You’ve caused thousands of dollars in damage, and if you’re renting, you’re personally liable for these costs.

This nightmare scenario can be avoided by hiring a licensed and insured handyman. Proper handyman business insurance protects both the professional and the homeowner, covering accidental damages or injuries that may occur during the job. While anyone can claim to be a handyman, not all operate legally or carry appropriate insurance.

Before hiring a handyman, it’s crucial to verify their insurance policy and ensure they’re a legitimate business entity. Reputable professionals will readily provide proof of their insurance coverage, which they typically secure after obtaining a handyman insurance policy from a reliable provider. This step is vital because if you hire an uninsured or illegally operating handyman, you could be left without recourse if something goes wrong.

Always thoroughly vet and verify the credentials of any service professional you hire. This due diligence ensures that any issues can be resolved through proper legal channels, providing you with peace of mind and financial protection throughout your home improvement project.

3. You lack experience

Any time you’re working on plumbing, electrical, or structural repairs, a second opinion is going to come at a minimum. If you don’t know or are even afraid of touching electrical or plumbing work, it’s going to be better left to professional contractors that are licensed to operate within your jurisdiction.

You do not want to be poking around electrical work without taking all of the safety precautions required, like shutting off the power and verifying that you know what the wires you’re working on control. Having a professional handyman removes any risk involved, and keeps you safe.

The same can be said for plumbing. One mistake to your plumbing infrastructure could cost you thousands of dollars in repairs. If you do not know what you are doing, the cost of a mistake is going to far outweigh the cost of hiring a professional. And if they are a licensed business, then you have recourse if they make a mistake and cause damages. If you do your own repairs, then you’re going to be liable.
 

4. Lack of Specialized Tools and Equipment

Not only do some jobs require specialized tools, but you’ll also have to store these tools later on. You can decide to rent the tools, like a pressure washer, from Home Depot or Lowes, however, this will still cut into any money you could have saved if you hired a professional handyman.
 

If you’re a hobbyist, it can make sense to invest in your toolkit. However, many tools are only going to be used once, and if you don’t have the option to rent them, you’re stuck having to outright purchase the said tool and then keep it in storage. With how fast tools depreciate, the investment often isn’t worth it.

5. The job requires precision

Finish carpentry, tiling, drywall, and cabinet installation are a few tasks that require absolute precision. If you’re off in your calculations, you not only waste a lot of resources, you have to re-do the entire task at hand.

A professional will have years of experience to work off of, and they know the many pitfalls that can happen on the job. Handymen are prepared for these scenarios, and if you take on a precision job yourself, you run the risk of making errors that can cost you a ton of money.

When it comes to jobs that require precision, they’re better left to the professionals with the thousands of dollars they invested into their tools that allow for pinpoint accuracy.

Conclusion

While you may enjoy doing handyman-esque work on the weekends, there are many scenarios where you don’t want to outright do it yourself. When it comes to doing electrical, plumbing or precision work, you’re going to want to leave it to the professionals.

If you’re going to hire a handyman, ensure the said handyman is licensed and insured, otherwise, you run the risk of having thousands in damages that cannot be recouped. With proper vetting, you’ll be able to ensure that you can sue for damages if anything goes wrong.