Author Topic: Handyman repair work  (Read 2671 times)

earthshine

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Handyman repair work
« on: July 10, 2018, 08:17:32 PM »
I have a handyman coming to do some wood rot repaira

I am wondering what is best way to manage someone in this case that charges an hourly rate, and will be coming and going intermittently for a few days to do this work

Any suggestions?

Also, do handymen typically provide warranty coverage in writing?

Thanks!

sokoloff

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2018, 08:33:15 PM »
If you trust the guy, just give him a key and let him tell you the hours. If you don’t trust him, you gotta be there.

IME, you get a tail light warranty from handyman arrangements: the work is guaranteed until you can no longer see his tail lights.

earthshine

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2018, 08:45:37 PM »
This is first time working with him, plus I need to be around in case things come up so I will be there.

Aince he is coming and going over a few days spread out, is it appropriate to have some kind of sign in / out aheet, and just let him know he or I can note the times? If he comes for 4.2 hrs one day, 3.6 hrs second day, 8.8 hrs the next, assume it makes sense to add these together instead of rounding up for each day. Is that generally how its managed?

sokoloff

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2018, 08:52:50 PM »
I have a young guy that comes over and busts his backside helping with landscaping tasks. I pay him in cash each day, and I usually round up each day to the next half hour. He’s also only $20/hr, so at most I’m over paying by about $8 and he needs it more than I do.

I wouldn’t go to 6 minute billing for this. He’s a handyman, not a lawyer. But whatever you’re both cool with is fine.

calimom

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2018, 11:39:19 PM »
This is first time working with him, plus I need to be around in case things come up so I will be there.

Aince he is coming and going over a few days spread out, is it appropriate to have some kind of sign in / out aheet, and just let him know he or I can note the times? If he comes for 4.2 hrs one day, 3.6 hrs second day, 8.8 hrs the next, assume it makes sense to add these together instead of rounding up for each day. Is that generally how its managed?

Trust is your friend here. Do not micromanage a good worker. Let him know that you trust him to do the job he's hired for and treat him as the professional he is. And then give him a small bonus. Do not expect a solid warranty, but a good handy person will come back in a reasonable amount of time (a week or so) to fix small things they might have missed on the first pass through.

earthshine

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #5 on: July 11, 2018, 06:08:23 PM »
Initially I did trust him and that is why I hired him.

Based on the commwnts he made the last time we met,  I sense he might try to take advantage of the situation and that is why the question has come up... i am a young female and soft spoken. In my experience with some of the estimates I received I sense it woukd be different if I were a guy and not living in a relatively expensive zip code

iris lily

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #6 on: July 11, 2018, 06:32:40 PM »
Well, your gut is telling your something. But I,woild be more concerned with the quality of the work than strict accou tability of time.

In this economy it is extremely difficult to get a competent work,sn to your home. We can co tact many, but few will return calls. Of those who return calls, few will agree to the job.

Now, if your supply chainof handy,en is different, the disregard my advice.

Disclaimer: before he retired, DH did hamdymann/light comstruction work and he worked 12+ years for our friends and neighbors, never advertising, seldom working outside of this immediate area. A good handyman often works on a time and materials basis be ause people,just want the job done right.

Sibley

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2018, 08:44:15 AM »
Similar situation here, except I've done this more :)

In situations where you're paying hourly + expenses and you're going to be there:
   keep a notebook or something handy and note down the time when he arrives and leaves (bonus if he's aware you're doing it). Don't make it a big deal, you're just keeping track for your records.
   request the receipts for expenses

In situations where you're paying flat rate, with or without expenses:
   you're paying a flat amount, easy.
   if adding expenses on top, request receipts

Agreed with iris lily that quality of the work is a bigger deal. You need to know enough to tell. If you don't, you'll be going down the rabbit hole of the internet learning, or finding someone who can teach you in a hurry. For example - I will be getting my crawl space insulated. I have spent 15+ hours reading and researching this topic, so that I can ask intelligent questions and truly evaluate what companies are telling me. How much research you do is going to depend on the issue.

earthshine

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2018, 08:48:22 AM »
Thanks Sibley and Iris Lily this is helpful.

I will plan to record the timings in a notebook as you suggested, and I asked him to keep receipts for materials as well

RichMoose

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2018, 11:51:18 AM »
Thanks Sibley and Iris Lily this is helpful.

I will plan to record the timings in a notebook as you suggested, and I asked him to keep receipts for materials as well
Don't forget that many handymen (along with other trades) charge for driving time, time picking up materials, coffee breaks and lunch breaks, etc. They may also charge a minimum fee each day.

Unless the time he's billing for is completely ridiculous, I wouldn't stress too much about the time. As previous posters mentioned, an incompetent handyman is a MUCH bigger problem. There are countless tales of handymen types who can turn a minor repair into a major problem.

Jon Bon

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2018, 12:25:34 PM »
"After having a bad handyman, no matter how much he costs a good handyman is underpaid"

-Me

How big of a job are we talking here?

Wood rot repair can mean a lot of things. If he has to peel back a few layers to get to it, repairing said layers might take a while. Drywall, paint, stain, poly, all those things need time to set up before the job is done.

If this guy is comes to you highly recommended I would 100% stay out of his way and smile while you write the check. Its near impossible to find good help in the trades these days.

sokoloff

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Re: Handyman repair work
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2018, 03:00:08 PM »
Its near impossible to find good help in the trades these days.
I don't know if I've ever read a statement on MMM that rang more true to me...