Unless you are in the business of renovations or home repairs, there is a very likely chance that you don’t know the difference between a contractor and a handyman. However, in most places—especially the state of California—there are a few key differences between these kinds of professionals. Fortunately, both handymen and licensed contractors have plenty to offer homeowners.
If you don’t know the difference between these two kinds of professionals, don’t worry. It is completely understandable, but knowing the difference can offer some distinct advantages. In fact, knowing who to call for a home project can be an incredibly important skill that will help you to maintain your home for the right price. In this article, we will break down the differences between these two groups.
What is a Handyman?
What Do Handymen Offer?
A handyman should be considered a homeowner’s best friend—and finding a good one is so important. These versatile professionals can offer a wide range of services because they tend to have a fair number of skills under their belt. You can call a handyman for a wide range of projects, but there are some limitations when working with them.
How Much Does A Handyman Charge?
A great reason that a lot of people like to go with local handyman services is that they tend to be fairly forgiving in budget. In fact, this is one distinct trademark of the handyman business. They are given a specific ceiling that determines how much they can charge for a project. These limitations can be wonderful if you are looking for repairs on a small budget, but they can also influence what they can offer you.
These limitations vary by state, but California offers some of the lowest cost thresholds, which can be unfortunate for handymen. In California, handymen have a maximum limit of $500 per project. Based on these limitations, they can offer very little in terms of project variety—and they are essentially forbidden to work with high-end or more expensive items. The limitation of $500 applies to both the work itself and the materials being used.
Depending on the nature of your project, you might find that working with a handyman isn’t an option for your needs—and that is fine. Your next step will be to call a general contractor to determine if they are a better fit for your construction work. In fact, the handyman you speak to might be happy to recommend a local professional with a contractor’s license to you!
What is a General Contractor?
A licensed contractor is who you will call when you want work done that is beyond the scope that a handyman can offer. As a general rule, general contractors also offer a wide range of services, but they can operate without limitations. This means that they can offer some much bigger services with a little more variety.
Since general contractors do not have the same limitations that handymen face, they have a little more room regarding how to solve your problems. In a lot of cases, these individuals can provide you with multiple choices for your project—a lot of the time, they will give you options you didn’t know you had!
What Do General Contractors Offer?
General contractors can offer you the world in a sense. These individuals provide a long list of skill sets—and they tend to have talented team members that can offer that much more. It is fairly common for contractors to work with other teams as needed to see a bigger project through to completion. This means that general contractors can offer projects, even if they don’t manage one part of it in-house. Of course, the best teams bring a long list of talents that offer homeowners that much more!
Working with a general contractor can be exciting, particularly if you want to see a lot of big home upgrades. General contractors can offer all kinds of different projects for the job site, but they tend to specialize in a lot of the bigger ones.
A general contractor can completely redesign and rebuild your house. While a handyman will handle maintenance, contractors handle big maintenance projects and renovations. If your home takes on a lot of damage inside, you will likely want to call a general contractor to have it repaired. They can offer repairs that involve expensive tools and materials—and since they generally work with a team, your repairs can get done quickly!
Remodels and renovations are where general contractors really shine. These are the professionals that you will call if you want to change your home in a big way. They can help remodel your kitchen or bathroom. They can install new floors, knockdown or add new walls, and install new permanent fixtures like shelves, cabinets, do electrical work, and more. Any time that you want to overhaul your living space, these are the professionals that can make it happen. Most contractors carry specialty licenses with a clear license number and have a business address where you can contact them at. There are some unlicensed contractors out there, so be careful when you make your pick.
How Much Do General Contractors Charge?
One area where handymen and general contractors vary significantly is in the overall price. While a handyman will be limited regarding how much they can charge, contractors are not. Working with a contractor can cost anything from $1000 to $75,000, depending on the nature of the project.
While you can almost always expect to spend more while working with a general contractor, you are also paying significantly more. When you spend thousands of dollars while working with a general contractor, it is a combination of your own decisions and the intensive expertise and labor that is required to complete the job.
The price that you will pay with a handyman or a general contractor will always be a combination of both materials and labor. In a lot of cases, when you work with a general contractor, you will find that the knowledge and labor involved are on a whole other level. The difference between patching a wall and building a new bathroom is notable. For this reason, you can expect to pay more for services this large.
While contractors often have higher labor costs, a big part of the cost will come down to your choices. When a professional with a contractor license works in your home, they will likely be working with specific materials. Cabinets, kitchen sinks, and new showers can all be included—and items like this can vary significantly in price. The choices that you make for the overall design can increase your overall quote by tens of thousands of dollars, especially if you want certain high-end materials.
Finding the Right Fit
Consider Project Size
When deciding between these two professionals, consider the size of the project. In general, if a project seems like it will take a lot of work, it is more likely to fall on the contractor side of things. Large projects generally require a bigger budget as a standard. Minor repairs or simple projects are perfect for your local handyman.
Look at Material Costs
Look For Expertise
When deciding between these two professionals, consider the size of the project. In general, if a project seems like it will take a lot of work, it is more likely to fall on the contractor side of things. Large projects generally require a bigger budget as a standard. Minor repairs or simple projects are perfect for your local handyman.
Make A Call
The best way to ensure that you have the right person for the project is simply to make a phone call and ask them these 10 questions. A handyman or a contractor will tell you if they are not the right fit for your services, which can be beneficial.
It is common for handymen and general contractors to recommend each other for certain projects if a person comes to them in need. A simple conversation can help you to determine who you should work with for your next project. General contractors and handymen are friendly people who love to hear from potential clients.
Conclusion
Choosing between a handyman and a general contractor can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for, which is why conversations are so important. Connecting with local professionals in your area can help you to find the right fit for the job on a budget that suits your needs.
Your local handyman is a jack of all trades who can really improve your home. When your home needs more of a full makeover—or requires a notable repair—your local general contractors are ready to jump in. We never get tired of hearing from new clients, so feel free to reach out to us. We are always happy to help!