According to one estimate, between 2001 and 2003, the market for home maintenance and repair spending grew by 14%. According to another estimate, the US market was worth $126 billion and expanding at around 4% each year. In 2007, moreover half of all homes in the United States were over 25 years old, according to one estimate. Demand for handyman services is expected to rise as the world’s population ages on average, and as more senior citizens become less willing and capable of maintaining their homes.
Assessment of handyman options
What is the status of franchise systems? A Wall Street Journal reporting team conducted an informal study by hiring handymen across the country and asked them to fix everything from a dripping faucet to a blocked door. “Prices are all over the place because the business has few licensing regulations and conventions,” the reporter explained. One quote was ten times the size of the other. The reporter concluded, “A big corporate brand is no guarantee of quality or prompt service.” It took a commercial firm three weeks to fix a stuck door. Customers complained about unanswered phone calls, service personnel standing on dining room chairs, and problems in wood planking, but they welcomed the fact that multiple jobs were completed rather than just one. Customers preferred handymen who wore scrubs (to avoid tracking dirt in houses).
The reporter described one experience with rebuilding a water-damaged ceiling. It was fixed by a franchised firm for $1,530 and by a second (non-franchise local handyman) for $125. The reporter chose the second worker despite the fact that he “doesn’t have a shiny van — or carry evidence of insurance.” To discover as much as possible about the person who will be visiting your home, do your homework, read reviews, and conduct an online search. For short assignments, paying time and materials is the most cost-effective way. You can’t expect someone to drive an hour to perform a couple of hours of work for you. Inquire about services, get written estimates on company stationery, make sure handyman jobs in Wheaton, IL guarantee their work, pay using credit cards or checks so you have a record of each transaction, check references and licensing, and study internet reviews of the contractors.