Minor Renovation Work: How Much Do Handyperson Services Cost?

Back in the day, superintendents were tasked with maintaining buildings for wealthy families or companies. Today, office or apartment building property management companies, co-owned property companies, as well as educational facilities, health centres, community centres, and more, designate these individuals as building maintenance workers. 

As for handymen or handypersons, they’re responsible for rescuing the average citizen from a series of routine tasks and minor repairs.

If DIY work is beyond your area of expertise, or you’re lacking in the time department, knowing you can count on a trustworthy individual, with an affordable hourly rate compared to specialized contractors, carries weight.

Common Handyperson Services 

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While large-scale work requires you to collaborate with a general contractor, a lot of mundane, less complex tasks can be carried out by homeowners. Should you not be capable of doing so yourself, there’s another way around it, rather than seeing your home deteriorate before your very eyes. 

Minor Plumbing Work

Work erring on the side of technical should be done by a qualified professional. However, should it be fixing a minor issue, such as a leaky sink or switching out a faucet, a handyperson is likely to be able to help you out, saving you from having to hire the services of a plumber.

Check out our various plumbing-related articles here.

Minor Electrical Work

As a safety measure, the same applies to electrical work—such tasks should be carried out by qualified professionals. A handperson can change a light fixture…even one of those pendant lights dangling from a staircase ceiling!

Check out our related article Cost of Electrical Renovations in 2024.

Basic Repairs

A handyperson can carry out an impressive number of basic and random home repairs and renovations, whether indoors or outdoors:

• Piece together furniture

• Insulate doors and windows

• Install cabinets, shelves, curtain rods, paintings, moulding, mirrors, air conditioner, etc.

• Clean gutters

• Install and repair flooring

• Maintain and repair balconies and decks

• Replace damaged ceramic tiles

• Paint

• Install drywall

• Assemble a car shelter

• Maintain landscaping

• And more

Hiring a Jack-of-All-Trades: Rate-Related Factors

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Costs will vary based on the scale of the required work. Some handypersons will agree to carry out certain tasks at a specific rate after having estimated the labour time of carrying out said tasks. Others have service-specific fixed rates. Others charge hourly. Rates will typically waver between $20 and $40 per hour.

Work Complexity

If the hired handyperson works on an hourly pay scale, you’re basically agreeing ahead of time that the amount paid might be higher than expected on account of unexpected circumstances. When renovating, chances are that simple-looking repairs will turn into complex endeavours along the way. For example, when it comes to aging residences, what lies behind walls is unknown until exposed.

Necessary Materials

If your handyman is used to carrying out similar services as the ones requested, it’s highly likely that they already own the necessary tools to get the job done. However, they might need to rent task-specific equipment or tools, or even purchase the required materials…unless you’re ahead of the game and supply them yourself. 

That’s another factor that’ll impact the overall rates of handyperson services.

Geolocation

Do you live in a remote location? Is your house located in a hard-to-reach area in the winter and finding a parking spot on your street, no matter the time or day, is out of the question? Are you up on the fifth floor?

All these factors will hinder the handperson’s work and risks being reflected in their hourly rate.

Where and How to Find a Trustworthy Handyperson

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There’s more than one way to find that gem of a handyman, but the first one is word-of-mouth. A friend or a family member regularly hires a handyperson, and they happen to be very satisfied with their services? Look no further, you’ve found your person.

Comparing Quotes

Request a quote before work is set to begin to gauge the costs, but also to ensure the hired professional fully understands what you want done. It’s also a good way to ensure their professionalism and compare costs with competing services.

Verifying Experience and Skillset

Numerous individuals offer up their services without so much as having the right set of skills or required permits. Their rates might seem worthwhile, but keep your guard up!

A handyperson isn’t just an experienced DIYer. Given the tasks they accomplish in a home, they must be affiliated with a province-specific Building Code Commission (RBQ in Quebec, BCC in Ontario) as general contractors and hold a valid permit. (Building Code Commission websites allow you to verify whether the contractor in question has ever had a complaint lodged against them.)

With RenoQuotes, you can easily connect with trustworthy contractors, free of charge. However, if you choose to carry out a search independently, here are a few examples of questions to ask the person you’re thinking of hiring:

• What are your areas of expertise?

• Do you have prior experience with such a request?

• Do you provide any sort of work-done guarantee?

• Will you submit a written quote or contract?

• What are the payment terms and conditions? (Do I pay once the work is completed?)

• Are you charging hourly or per service rendered?

• When do you think the work can be started/completed?

• How long will it take?

Client Referrals 

Marketplace, Kijii, Les Pacs, and OhMy are among the many online classified ads platforms to search for or advertise services. However, nothing’s for sure these days, so it’s best to be wary as to what's posted online under a handyperson’s list of skills.  

It’s best to exercise caution before letting just anybody into your home, providing them with work, and giving them a spare key. Ask them for references and contact their former clients so you can gauge whether their work was well regarded. 

For Peace of Mind…

Finding a trustworthy contractor is one thing, ensuring they’ll get the job done is another. Ask the handyperson whether they’ll be carrying out the work themselves or outsourcing the work. Hired subcontractors must also hold a permit for task-specific services.

Lastly, since there are always risks of accidents when carrying out repairs, best ensure that your contractor has liability insurance!

Becoming a Handyperson: Qualifications and Status

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Handymen are great for outsourced minor maintenance, decoration, and DIY work. If you have a specific skill set or deem yourself a jack of all trades, this might be your calling.

Keep in mind that while some jobs don’t require you to have a specific skill set, others will require you to have undergone specific training and hold a valid licence. No matter the services you intend on offering, get yourself some insurance.

Handywoman: A Worthy Alternative

Nowadays, you’re more likely to hear the term “handyperson” rather than “handyman,” but let’s face it, said profession is most commonly known as “handyman.” However, it doesn’t mean handywomen aren’t just as suited for the challenge. Most women working as handpersons have a background in construction, with additional task-specific skills, and the ability to carry out work to your satisfaction.

Who knows, a handywoman might be just the miracle solution to all the minor repair work you’ve been putting off due to lack of time or simply because you and a hammer aren’t a match made in heaven!