How to find a great handyman

Dear Savvy Senior,

What’s the best way to find a good handyman or tradesman that can help with small jobs around the house?

Almost 75

Dear Almost,

It’s a great question. Finding a good home repair/handyman can be a bit of a crapshoot. How do you find someone who will return your calls or texts, show up on time, do the job right and finish it, all at a fair price? Here are a few tips and resources that can help you search.

What kind of help

While it may seem obvious, whom you call on for help will depend on what you need done. If, for example, you have an odd job or small home repair project that doesn’t require a lot of technical expertise, a handyperson may be all you need. But if you have a job that involves electricity, plumbing, or heating or cooling systems, you’re better off going with a licensed tradesman. Bigger jobs like home renovations or remodeling may require a general contractor.

Where to find a pro

Whatever type of work you need, the best way to find it is through referrals from people you trust. If your friends or family don’t have any recommendations, turn to professionals in the field like local hardware or home-improvement stores or even real estate agents.

If you don’t have any luck here, there are a number of online resources you can turn to that can quickly connect you to a wide variety of skilled workers in your area.

If you need someone for a home chore or small job, a popular option is Taskrabbit (www.taskrabbit.com), which lists thousands of freelance workers (called taskers) who have undergone background checks. Here you can get help with things like furniture assembly; lifting or moving heavy items; mounting or hanging TVs, shelves or pictures; minor home repairs; cleaning services; and yard work and more. Taskers set their own hourly rates, which are displayed on their website before you book.

Some other good options for locating handypeople are fix-it franchises like Ace Handyman (www.acehandymanservices.com) and Mr. Handyman (www.mrhandyman.com). These companies vet and insure their staff, but they may be more expensive than Taskrabbit. Or if you use social networking sites, you also could post a request for a handyperson in your Facebook group or on Nextdoor (www.nextdoor.com).

If, however, you’re in the market for a specialist like a plumber, electrician, painter, roofer or carpenter as well as a handyperson, try Angi (www.angi.com). They also vet their independent contractors and will let you request quotes from several candidates.

Thumbtack (www.thumbtack.com) is another good resource that’s similar to Angi, but it offers more details like average response time, specifics about the work they do and photos of past projects.

Things to know

Once you’ve located a few candidates, here are some steps you can take to protect your money and ensure you’re satisfied with the results. First, get a handwritten estimate or digital contract that lists the tasks and the hourly rate or project fee.

Also, ask to see their proof of insurance, which covers any damages they may cause while working on your home, and ask for several references from past jobs.

You also should pay after the work is done, not before. But it’s not unusual to be asked for a small deposit for material costs upfront.

And, if possible, you should pay with a credit card because you can dispute the payment if something goes wrong with the job. Checks and electronic payments like PayPal, Venmo and Zelle don’t offer the same level of protection.

Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.