Handyman vs Tradesman: Let’s talk about it!

Have you ever needed a repair or a job done in your apartment or house? More than likely, that answer is yes. Generally in corporate-owned or private owned dwellings, having work done involves calling a maintenance order in, explaining the issue, and the professional comes to address it. When you own the property, you have a few considerations to make. Do you hire a tradesman or a handy person?

I'm not here to tell you which to choose, or even that one is better than the other. I will share what I've learned from my experience. For example, if you need tile installed on a floor, pool, bathroom, or even a backsplash, there are so many people to choose from to get the job done. With all the easy tile installation options available today like peel and stick and Mussel Bound Adhesive, small tile jobs can be executed by almost anyone. But larger surface areas like a pool or a kitchen floor require a bit more expertise.

Specifically, a tradesman has an area of expertise that is usually supported by a certificate or license and even ongoing education. In short, they should know a whole lot about a specific subject like framing, plumbing, or HVAC. Certificate and licensing requirements vary by state.

Your local handyman may know how to tile but they may or may not know as much as the tradesman. Not to slight the handy person, but anyone can be handy. I consider myself handy at a lot of things specific to the jobs I've done in my home. Even more, handy people have become more mainstream through sites like task rabbit, and Angie's list. And even Instagram! To put it simply, there is value in knowing how to repair/create/build things.

In this journey of renovating my home, I've interacted with both tradesmen and handypeople. Some projects have been started by the tradesman and I've finished them. Other projects like reframing the termite-damaged walls and replacing floor joists were absolutely completed by the professional. I watched every bit of the work to learn though.

The fact of the matter is, you could teach yourself to do just about anything if you really wanted to. Determine the risk and return on investment and do what's best for you.

Ask me questions below! I would love to hear your thoughts.