As a customer, it can be confusing to understand what is needed for a particular job. After all, both professions do home repair work. So how can you tell whether you need a general contractor or a handyman? Each can do specific jobs and knowing which you need for your project is half the battle.
The different types of construction projects
Handyman
A handyman has a diverse set of trade skills and is talented at manual labor. They also perform various tasks around the house.
- Pressure washing the outside of a house or deck.
- Removing outdoor mold.
- Removing brush.
- Repairing an appliance.
- Doing minor HVAC repairs.
- Painting.
- Doing minor plumbing repairs.
- Repairing drywall.
- Repairing tile in the bathroom or kitchen.
- Hanging pictures and curtains.
- Repairing a fence.
General contractor
A general contractor performs jobs that require specialists.
- Remodeling homeowners rooms (kitchen, baths, additions.)
- Restoring a home after fire, water, or storm damage.
- Repairing roofs from significant damage or doing roof inspections.
- Building an addition onto your home.
- Providing full-service construction.
- Managing a rebuild process, from start to finish .
- Hiring subcontractors if required.
- Obtaining necessary permits and schedule inspections.
Ask questions to find out if you need a general contractor or handyman:
- What type of work can you do?
- Do you have local references?
- How do you price your work?
- Can you provide a quote ahead of time?
- Do you need a building permit?
- What am I willing to pay (what is my budget)?
- What kind of specialty task needs to be performed.
Avoid fraudulent companies. Warning signs include:
- Lacks professional credentials (phone number, website, social networks).
- Asks you to get required building permits.
- Only accepts cash or asks for the entire payment upfront.
- Solicits door-to-door.
- Tries to scare you into signing for repairs claiming they are urgent.
- Uses leftover materials to complete the job.
- Demands to place a lien on your property.
- Will not provide a detailed description of the work to be completed.
Research the company
For example:
Punch List Pros
Punch List Pros handles small jobs from carpentry and decks that include shelving, trim work, and wood rot. Punch List Pros can also handle small jobs with windows, doors, painting, drywall plumbing, and electrical.
Unlike the norm in our industry Punch List Pros is licensed and insured. A handyman is a jack-of-all-trades, and very good at a variety of jobs. See a full list of services for more details.
For more information, call (803) 753-4526 or contact us online.
Rumsey Construction
Rumsey Construction handles insurance restoration (fire damage, water damage, storm damage). As a general contractor, we have the capacity to do large and small jobs of any nature. From projects include various subcontractors like electricians, flooring installers, tiling experts, plumbers, to remodeling.
When working with a general contractor you are hiring someone to manage your project from start to finish. See a full list of services on construction for more details.
For more information, call (803) 592-3394 or contact them online.
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