Homeowner Dilemmas: When to Hire a Handyman or a Contractor

If you’ve ever tried looking for a contractor online, you may have noticed that the terms handyman and contractor are used interchangeably. That’s because some contractors also employ handymen. But there’s a difference between the two.

Handyman Connection® of Wichita East explains when to hire a handyman or a contractor.

Line of Work

There isn’t a difference between handymen and contractors in terms of ability; a handyman can be just as capable as a contractor. There are, however, certain jobs that only contractors can do. These are usually specialized trades, like electrical work, plumbing, and HVAC servicing.

Even then, there are still a lot of exceptions. A handyman can still do relatively simple plumbing tasks, like installing a toilet, but for changing pipelines, they’d need a license. As such, it’s best to treat this on a case-by-case basis.

Scope of Work

How then can you know for sure when to hire a contractor to do a particular task? You look at the scope of your project.

As mentioned earlier, a handyman can handle quick tasks, like installing a toilet, with no problem at all. Keep in mind that you wouldn’t normally need more than one person to complete this kind of work.

For more complex tasks that can take weeks, even months, to complete, it’s best to hire a contractor. Contractors usually take on large-scale projects that require a lot of coordination and expertise, like remodeling projects, for example.

Budget for Projects

Apart from the nature of the task, you can also take into account your budget as well. You can very well surmise that the projects that contractors usually work on tend to be costlier. That’s because apart from their scale, these projects involve a lot of workers. As such, if you need to have a relatively simple task done and have a tight budget, hiring a handyman may be the better option.

Regardless of whether you hire a contractor or a handyman, you will still have to do your research and vet each one of them. Let digital marketplaces do the work for you. Websites like HomeAdvisor often screen the contractors that have listings on their site.

Request an Estimate

Handyman Connection of Wichita East, a HomeAdvisor-approved contractor, offers a wide range of general contracting services, including electrical and plumbing work. To get an estimate, call us at (316) 540-8439 or fill out an online form.