- Mac Corey
Pay a Little More Now, or Pay a Lot More Later
Updated: May 14, 2021
It’ll save us money.
They say they can do it. What’s the difference?
Who’s going to know?
Have those words ever come back to haunt you? They most likely will one day, especially if you’re talking about a home improvement project.
When planning for home maintenance or improvement, most homeowners focus on the immediate outlay of money, with an eye on potential future recoupment. The most common place homeowners try to save is by hiring a local handyman instead of a licensed and insured contractor. They may not work out of an office or have employees, and their lack of “overhead” means they can promise you the job for less. But, cutting this corner could end up costing you more in the end.
When hiring someone to work on your home it’s important to ask a few questions:
Are they licensed for the job at hand?
Wisconsin goes more in-depth than some other states in the licenses required and the training that is needed to get those licenses. Acquiring a license means acquiring the knowledge.
There isn’t simply one all-encompassing license for General Contractors. Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC are all special trades that require their own special certificates/credentials. And, ‘handymen’ are expected to complete a 12-hour training course to gain a Dwelling Contractor Qualifier license.
Going through the training and requirements to obtain a license is going to guarantee that the contractor will know how to do the job and hand. And, in order to maintain their license, they are going to be accountable to the safety board, so they will want to protect their reputation. Meaning, they will want to do the job properly and keep their customers happy and satisfied.
You have no guarantee that the unlicensed handyman actually knows the correct way to do the job. And, good luck getting him on the phone if you need something corrected. You may end up needing to hire someone else to come to fix their damage.
Are they insured?
Licensed contractors are required to carry liability insurance and workers' compensation. If something goes wrong and they are injured or damage your property you can rest assured that their insurance company will take care of that cost.
But, if a handyman puts their ladder through your window, or falls off your roof, you are most likely going to be on the hook for fixing it, or him, yourself.
Do they know the building code requirements/Will they file for permits?
Many people shrug off getting the appropriate permits. “It’s inside my home, it’s no one’s business what I do”. That attitude can definitely bite you when you go to sell your home. If jobs aren’t up to code you will have to fix them in order to pass your home inspection. Or take a hit on your sale price.
So, to go back to those first questions:
Yes, it could save you a little now, but it could cost you a lot more soon.
They say they can do it, but can they?
The difference can be huge. And costly.
One day, a home inspector may know.
Your home is your castle, and most likely your biggest investment, you want to make sure you treat it right
Here are some helpful links: