Handyman

An estimate was that in 2003, the market for home-maintenance and repair spending was up 14% from 2001 to 2003.[13] Another estimate was that the market in the United States was $126 billion and was increasing by about 4% annually.[11] American homes are aging; one estimate was that in 2007, more than half of all homes are older than 25 years.[13] And, as populations worldwide tend to become older, on average, and since increasingly elderly people will be less inclined and able to maintain their homes, it is likely that demand for handyman services will grow.

Many towns have handymen who work part-time, for friends or family or neighbors, who are skilled in a variety of tasks. Sometimes they advertise in newspapers or online. They vary in quality, professionalism, skill level, and price. Contractors often criticize the work of previous contractors, and this practice is not limited to handymen, but to all trades.[14] Handymen have advertised their services through flyers and mailings; in addition, free websites such as Craigslist and SkillSlate help customers and handymen find each other.[15]

This entire porch was rebuilt by a handyman, including the substructure, columns, railings (1x1s and moldings), and door surrounds; replacing a porch is a difficult project for amateurs.

In 2009, there were national handyman service firms which handle such nationwide tasks as public relations, marketing, advertising, and signage, but sell specific territories to franchise owners. A franchise contract typically gives a franchise owner the exclusive right to take service calls within a given geographical area. The websites of these firms put possible customers in touch with local owners, which have handymen and trucks. Customers call the local numbers. Typically, these firms charge around $100/hour, although fees vary by locality and time of year. In many parts of the world, there are professional handyworker firms that do small home or commercial projects which claim possible advantages such as having workers who are insured and licensed. Their branch offices schedule service appointments for full-time and part-time handymen to visit and make repairs, and sometimes coordinate with sub-contractors.

One Lehman Brothers executive, after being let go from the Wall Street firm, bought a Union, New Jersey franchise from a national handyman firm.[16] A franchise was approximately $110,000 with a franchise fee of $14,900, according to a spokesperson for a national handyman franchise.[16]

Some see a benefit of franchising as "entrepreneurship under the safety net of a tried-and-true business umbrella"[16] but forecast a 1.2 percent decrease in franchise businesses during the 2008–2009 recession.[16] In 2005, according to a survey released by the Washington-based International Franchise Association showed 909,000 franchised establishments in the United States employing some 11 million people.[16] Franchises offer training, advertising and information technology support, lower procurement costs and access to a network of established operators.[16]

Franchise handyman firms sometimes pitch clients by asking prospective customers about their unresolved "to-do lists".[17] The firm does odd jobs, carpentry, and repairs.[17] Trends such as a "poverty of time" and a "glut of unhandy husbands" has spurred the business.[17] Technicians do a range of services including tile work, painting, and wallpapering.[18] "One firm" charges $88 per hour.[17] The firm targets a work category which full-fledged remodelers and contractors find unprofitable.[17] A consumer was quoted by a reporter explaining the decision to hire one firm: "'I couldn't find anyone to come in and help me because the jobs were too small', said Meg Beck of Huntington, who needed some painting and carpentry done. She turned to one franchise firm and said she liked the fact that the service has well-marked trucks and uniformed technicians and that a dispatcher called with the names of the crew before they showed up."[17] There are indications that these businesses are growing.[17] There are different firms operating.[13][19]

Other competitors include online referral services.[11] In addition, some large home centers offer installation services for products such as cabinets and carpet installation.[17] Sometimes homeowners contact a professional service after trying, but failing, to do repair work themselves; in one instance, a Minneapolis homeowner attempted a project but called a technician to finish the project, and the overall cost was substantial.[20]

Handymen have been hired to de-clutter basements and build movable shelves.

Tiling is another medium-level handyman job which most homeowners can do successfully, provided they follow directions carefully.

How well do the franchise chains perform? One Wall Street Journal reporting team did an informal assessment by hiring handymen all over the United States and asking them to fix a wide range of problems, from a relatively routine leaky faucet to a sticky door.[13] The reporter concluded that "with few licensing requirements and standards for the industry, prices are all over the board."[13] One quote was ten times as large as another.[13] Further, the reporter concluded: "A big corporate name is no guarantee of quality or speedy service."[13] One corporate firm took three weeks to fix a stuck door.[13] Service varied from spotty to good, with complaints about unreturned phone calls, service people standing on dining room chairs, leaving holes between wood planking, but liked getting multiple jobs done instead of just one.[13] Customers liked handymen wearing hospital booties (to avoid tracking dirt in houses).[13] The reporter chronicled one experience with repairing a water-damaged ceiling. A franchise firm fixed it for $1,530; a second (non-franchise local handyman) fixed a similar ceiling for $125.[13] The reporter preferred the second worker, despite the fact that he "doesn't have a fancy van – or carry proof of insurance".[13] Tips for selecting a good handyman include: Do your homework, check out reviews and do an online search to find out as much as you can about the person who will come to your house. For small jobs, the cheapest way is to pay time and material. You can't expect someone to spend an hour driving to your house for a couple of hours of work. Ask questions, get written estimates on company stationery, make sure handymen guarantee their work, pay with credit cards or checks because this provides an additional record of each transaction, check references and licenses,[21] review feedback about the contractors from Internet sites. To find a competent worker, one can seek referrals from local sources such as a school or church or office park, to see if a staff handyman does projects on the side, as well as ask friends for referrals; a general contractor might have workers who do projects on the side as well.[21] Further, one can try out a new handyman with easy projects such as cleaning gutters to see how well they perform.[21]