Handyman vs contractor

chocolatecake

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 8:36 pm

We are seriously considering a house that needs cosmetic work, updated kitchen and bathroom painting flooring and maybe knocking one wall down. My husband has a friend who is very handy and worked in construction for around 5 yrs and just started out on his own installing kitchens. Im thinking of having a professional help me design the kitchen and than have my husbands friend install it and do the painting floors and bathrooms. Please tell me what the advantages of using a general contractor are. It seems like a win to use this friend and save lots of money but I realize most ppl use proper contractors...

studying_torah

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 9:04 pm

We used a handy man to do a few small things around our house (put up a backsplash for example) and I would not do it again.
He just does not have the same level of experience, the same tools, the same ability as a contractor.
On the backsplash, for example, he cut the tile with a small hand cutter that left the edges very ragged. It's not so terrible, because it's not so noticeable, but it bothers me.
I'd say to go with a contractor, especially for cabinet installation- it is a crucial component and can seriously impact the rest of the kitchen if it's not installed properly.

Amarante

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 9:27 pm

A contractor is licensed by the state and also carries insurance. In general a contractor manages a project and hires the individual sib contractors who do some of the work.

A person may or may nit be skilled who is not a contractor. A contractor may or may not be skilled or may not hire people who do a good job.

If you are knocking a wall down, it may be structural.

If you are redoing a kitchen, you will probably need plumbing or electrical and personally I would have this done by a licensed skilled electrician and plumber. Painting is not a particularly difficult thing unless you have to install Sheetrock or fix walls. Installing cabinets is a skilled job although some skilled DIY people install their own cabinets.

Whoever does the work, I would want to see their work and get recommendations.

Rubber Ducky

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 10:43 pm

The job sounds big enough that you will want to get the proper permits. If the wall coming down is load bearing, you may need a structural engineer.

A contractor may do some of the work himself but typically he is a manager — he has a crew and hires subs for things like plumbing and electric. A larger contractor may have a plumber and electrician on his staff. Please do not have the handyman do plumbing and especially electrical work unless he holds a valid license for that specialty.

And yes, do ask for references and see his work.

amother

Orchid

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 10:51 pm

I’m not the popular opinion here, but I’ve been very happy with my handyman. And I’ve seen contractors do similar work on friends’ homes and my guy did it much better.

It all depends on finding the right one. So don’t use some joe shmo off the street to do serious work. But if you trust the guy, see his other work, talk to other people he’s done work for, then a handyman can be great. Sometimes contractors hire horrible people to do the work, whereas a handyman you choose him and trust him.

ETA: of course use a licensed electrician and plumber when needed. But a good trusted handyman is fine for carpentry, or tile laying, painting, etc. In my opinion.

amother

Fuchsia

Tue, Mar 13 2018, 11:56 pm

Dh is a handyman, and does really good work. He's extremely honest about what he can and what he can't. He will never move a weight bearing wall. Tell the customer to get a contractor or engineer. He's a handyman by nature and in the line for many years and knows a lot. Has worked for plumbers and is extremely good with his hands.

Many of his customers refuse to take anyone else because of his knowledge and honesty and skill

chocolatecake

Wed, Mar 14 2018, 3:13 am

Thanks all. I would do things as economical as possible and the kitchen is not that big. Sinks and ovens would stay where they are so there is no actual plumbing or electrical work in the kitchen. Regarding the wall that I am considering moving I would not move it if it is a support wall and honestly I doubt id move it all and just keep living room and dining room totally separate rooms.

thunderstorm

Wed, Mar 14 2018, 8:12 am

OP, when I ordered my kitchen from a kitchen store, the design, and installation of the cabinets and countertops are included in the price of the cabinetry and counters. There is no additional charge for that . I had two handymen (they are a team) do an amazing job, removing cabinetry, flooring , soffits, laying down a ceramic tile floor, spackling and painting the ceiling and walls , move plumbing, install electric outlets and lighting etc. My kitchen was done perfectly, just the way I wanted and we stayed within our budget. These handymen came highly recommended by friends.
I would get someone with good references.
My mother used a contractor and because each job was done by a different person they blamed each other for imperfections and nobody took responsibility in the end to make sure the job was done right. She spent way more than I did and had a not so perfect job done. Also, her job took much longer , because the tile guy, electrician, plumber etc all had differently schedules and there was a lot of "waiting" for the guy to show up. Whereas when I used the handymen they came daily from 8-6 until the job was completed without missin a day.