How to know when it’s time to hire a handyman to finish that job

Maybe you have some small jobs around the house that you want done. Although you could do some of them, maybe you don’t have much time and maybe you don’t have the tools.

That might mean you want to hire someone to do it for you – a handyman or handywoman.

Maybe you already have some names that friends or neighbors have given you, someone who can fix a hole in the drywall or hang a heavy painting in your dining room.

If you don’t have a name in mind, you can talk to your homeowners association about possible workers. There are also licensed handyman companies that can do your job.

But keep in mind some of the rules and regulations that the state has about handypersons. Arizona law has a handyman’s exemption that allows unlicensed handymen or women to do small jobs around houses if the value of labor plus materials does not exceed $1,000 and if the city or county does not require a building permit to be taken out for the kind of job being done.

For doing electrical jobs or plumbing jobs in your home, however, the contractor you hire must have a license.

So how small does a job have to be in order for a handyman to meet all the conditions of the state law? That person can:

• Help you clean out the garage or your closets.

• Wash your windows or ash and rehang your screens.

• Hang a chandelier if you are replacing an old and similar fixture in the same spot area.

• Move heavy furniture or hang mirrors and pictures.

• Clean out your gutters.

• Replace broken tiles on the floor or on a counter.

• Small gardening jobs like light pruning, pulling weeds or cutting the grass.

• Repair holes accidentally made in your dry wall.

• Put up shelving in a closet or on a wall.

• Paint a room or two in your house. Painting the whole house would obviously go over the $1,000 value set by the state.

• Do minor carpentry such as hanging a door, replacing a rotten casing around the door or replacing molding on floors.

• Replace handles and hinges on doors or knobs on cabinets or drawers.

Some other thoughts to keep in mind:

Don’t hire someone who comes to the door and asks if they can do some work around your house. Sometimes that person will be fine, but sometimes not. In fact, a lot of fraudulent, unlicensed contractors often try to go door to door in this way.

Try to make a list of a number of small jobs that could be done at the same time by a handyman.

If you don’t know the handypeson, ask them for references and check them as well.

Lastly, be sure to have the person give you an estimate of the cost of your work in advance.

It’s also possible that you might want to hire a licensed contractor registered with the state. There are licensed handyman companies out there who can do your jobs.

For more homeowner advice, DIY tips and videos, and information about all the projects around your house, home, castle or cabin, visit Arizona’s largest collection of homeowner DIY advice and information at RosieontheHouse.com.

And if you are in need of a quality contractor you know you can trust, visit our list of Arizona’s very best contractors or service providers for your home improvement projects at RosieontheHouse.com – Arizona’s most-trusted referral network.

Tune in to KTAR every Saturday morning from 7-11 a.m. for the Rosie on the House broadcast!