Handyman projects The term handyman increasingly Bathroom fitter Northampton describes a paid worker, but it also includes non-paid homeowners or do-it-yourselfers. Tasks range Tilers Northampton Bathroom fitter Northampton from minor to major, from unskilled to highly skilled, Tilers Northampton Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton Bathroom installations Northampton and include painting, Handyman Northampton drywall repair, remodeling, minor plumbing work, minor Property maintenance Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton electrical Bathroom fitter Northampton work, and furniture assembly (see more complete list below.) Handyman Northampton The Bathroom installations Northampton term Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton handyman is occasionally applied as an adjective Handyman Northampton to describe Bathroom fitter Northampton Tilers Northampton politicians or business Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton leaders Handyman Northampton who make substantial organizational changes, such as Bathroom Tilers Northampton Handyman Northampton installations Northampton overhauling a business structure or administrative division. In the past, handypersons have usually Handyman Northampton been men, and home repair tasks have been seen as Handyman Northampton a male- Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton Bathroom fitter Northampton oriented activity, but handywomen are Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton becoming more prevalent as well as women using the term handypersons to describe themselves. Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton A handyman Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton built this mailbox from particle board, with hinges, and Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton Tilers Northampton Bathroom fitter Northampton Handyman Northampton exterior paint; the rounded Bathroom fitter Northampton Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton Bathroom fitter Northampton Bathroom installations Northampton Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton Tilers Northampton edges were made Handyman Northampton Bathroom fitter Northampton Handyman Northampton Tilers Northampton with a sander Bathroom fitter Northampton Many people Handyman Northampton can do Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton common household repairs. Tilers Northampton There are resources Handyman Northampton on the Internet, as Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton well as do-it-yourself guide books, Tilers Northampton Handyman Northampton with Tilers Northampton instructions about how to Tilers Northampton complete a wide range of projects. Sometimes Bathroom fitter Northampton Bathroom installations Northampton the fix-it skill is seen as genetic, and people Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton lacking such skills are said to " Tilers Northampton Tilers Northampton lack the handy-man gene." One trend is that fewer Bathroom fitter Northampton homeowners are inclined to do fix-up jobs, perhaps Bathroom fitter Northampton Handyman Northampton because Tilers Tilers Northampton Northampton Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton of time constraints, perhaps because of lack of Handyman Northampton interest; one reporter commented "my family's fix-it gene Handyman Northampton petered out before it reached my generation. Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton A primary rule for all do-it-yourself repair work is Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton Tilers Northampton focus entirely on one thing at a time. For example, focus Bathroom fitter Northampton on getting a Handyman Northampton nail; then focus on hammering the nail; but don't try to do Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton both tasks simultaneously. Bathroom fitter Northampton In this manner, injuries and Handyman Northampton mistakes are Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton avoided. Tilers Northampton Generally the job of paid handyman is low status, a semi-skilled labor job. It's a less prestigious occupation than a specialist such Tilers Bathroom fitter Northampton Northampton as a plumber, electrician, or carpenter. At the same time, Handyman Northampton unpaid homeowners skilled at repairs are valued for Handyman Northampton saving money. The only full-time handymen who achieve recognition are ones who Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton do Bathroom fitter Northampton something else better, such as being an artist Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton or writer or charismatic religious figure such as Jesus, Bathroom fitter Northampton Tilers Northampton Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton (who was a carpenter). And handyman tools sometimes become useful in Handyman Northampton different places: Bathroom fitter Northampton Tilers Northampton for example, Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton hen a proper neurological Handyman Northampton drill was not available, an Australian doctor used a Handyman Northampton handyman's drill in 2009 to open a hole in the head of a Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton Bathroom fitter Northampton 13-year old boy to relieve pressure after a brain injury; Handyman Northampton the boy's life was saved. Installing kitchen cabinets Tilers Northampton is a medium-level handyman Tilers Northampton job, Bathroom fitter Northampton with multiple steps, which competent handymen can do; consider hiring a specialist kitchen remodeler for a fancy kitchen. Handyman Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton orthampton Tilers Northampton Handyman businesses Market estimates An estimate Handyman Northampton Handyman Northampton was that in 2003, the market for home-maintenance and repair spending was up 14% from 2001 to 2003. Another Tilers Northampton Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton ainter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton stimate was that the market in the United States was Bathroom fitter Northampton $126 Tilers Northampton billion and was increasing by about 4% annually. American homes are aging; one estimate was that in 2007, more Tilers Northampton than half of all homes are older than 25 years. And, as populations worldwide tend to become older, on average, and since increasingly elderly people will be Tilers Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton Northampton Bathroom fitter Northampton less inclined and able to maintain their homes, it is Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton likely that demand for handyman services will grow. Handyman Northampton Independent operators Many towns have handymen Handyman Northampton who work part-time, for friends or family or neighbors, Handyman Northampton who are skilled in a Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton variety of tasks. Sometimes they Handyman Northampton advertise in newspapers or online. They vary in quality, Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton professionalism, skill level, and price. Contractors often criticize the work of previous contractors, and this practice is not limited to Tilers Northampton handymen, but to all Handyman Northampton trades. This entire Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton porch was rebuilt by a Tilers Northampton handyman, including the substructure, columns, railings (1x1s and moldings), and door Handyman Northampton surrounds; replacing a porch is a difficult project for amateurs. Franchise businesses In 2009, there Tilers Northampton were national handyman service firms which handle such nationwide tasks as public relations, marketing, advertising, and signage, but sell specific territories to franchise owners. A Handyman Northampton franchise contract typically gives a franchise owner the exclusive right to take service calls within a given geographical area. The websites Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton of these firms put possible customers in touch with local owners, which have Handyman Northampton handypersons and trucks. Customers call the local Handyman Northampton numbers. Tilers Northampton Typically these firms charge around $100/hour, although fees vary by locality and time of year. In many parts of the world, there are professional handyman Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton firms that do small home or commercial projects which claim possible advantages such as having workers who are insured and licensed. Tilers Northampton Their branch offices schedule service appointments for full-time and part-time handymen to visit and make repairs, and sometimes coordinate with sub-contractors. One Lehman Brothers executive, after being let go from the Tilers Northampton Handyman Northampton Wall Street firm, bought a Union, New Jersey franchise from a national handyman firm. A franchise was approximately $110,000 with a Handyman Northampton franchise fee of $14,900, according to a spokesperson for a national handyman franchise. A handyman built the roof beams (above the drywall, not shown), based on advice from local city inspectors; later, he installed the drywall; a plumber installed pipes and the shower. Some see a Handyman Northampton benefit of franchising as "entrepreneurship under the Handyman Northampton safety net of a tried-and-true Tilers Northampton business umbrella but forecast a 1.2 percent decrease in franchise businesses during the Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton 2008-2009 recession. In 2005, according to a survey released by the Washington-based International Franchise Association showed 909,000 franchised establishments in the Handyman Northampton United States employing some 11 million Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton people. Franchises offer training, advertising and Tilers Northampton information technology support, lower procurement costs and access to a network of established operators. Franchise Handyman Northampton handyman firms sometimes pitch clients by asking prospective customers about their unresolved "to-do lists." The firm does odd jobs, Handyman Northampton carpentry, and repairs. Trends such as a "poverty of time" and a "glut of unhandy husbands" has spurred the business. Technicians do a range Tilers Northampton of services including tile work, painting, and wallpapering. One firm Handyman Northampton charges $88 per Northampton Garden maintenance Northampton Painter/decorator Northampton Laminate flooring Northampton hour. Bathroom installations Northampton Handyman Northampton The firm targets a work category which full-fledged remodelers and contractors find unprofitable. A consumer was quoted by a reporter explaining the decision to hire one firm: " Tilers Northampton 'I couldn't find anyone to come in and help me because the jobs were too small', said Meg Beck Bathroom installations Northampton of Huntington, who needed some painting Bathroom installations Handyman Northampton Northampton and carpentry done. She turned to Handyman Northampton one franchise firm and said she liked the fact that Bathroom installations Northampton the service has well-marked trucks and uniformed technicians and that a dispatcher called with the names of the Handyman Northampton crew before they showed up." There are indications tha Handyman Northampton t Tilers Northampton these businesses are growing. Bathroom installations Handyman Northampton Northampton There are different firms operating. Bathroom installations Northampton A handyman built this bathroom wall using two-by-four boards; after electricians added the wires, metal plates Tilers Northampton were put on studs to prevent nails and Bathroom installations Northampton screws Handyman Northampton (to hold drywall) from going into Tilers Northampton electric wires; a handyman added the drywall. Other competitors include online referral services. Handyman Northampton In addition, some large home centers offer installation services Bathroom installations Tilers Northampton Northampton for products such as Handyman Northampton Tilers Northampton cabinets and carpet installation. Sometimes Handyman Tilers Northampton Northampton homeowners contact a professional service after trying, Bathroom installations Northampton but failing, to do repair work Tilers Northampton themselves; in one instance, a Minneapolis homeowner attempted a project but Tilers Northampton called a technician to finish the project, Bathroom installations Northampton and Handyman Northampton the overall cost Tilers Northampton was substantial. Tilers Northampton Assessment of Handyman Options Tilers Northampton How well do the franchise chains perform? Tilers Northampton Bathroom installations Northampton One Wall Street Journal Tilers Northampton reporting team did an informal assessment by hiring "handymen all over the country and asked Tilers Northampton Tilers Northampton Bathroom installations Northampton them to fix a wide range of problems, from a Bathroom installations Northampton relatively routine leaky faucet to a sticky door." Bathroom installations Northampton The reporter concluded that "with few licensing requirements and standards for the industry, prices are all Bathroom installations Northampton over the board." One quote was ten times as large as Bathroom installations Northampton another. Further, the reporter Bathroom installations Northampton concluded "A big corporate name is no guarantee of quality or speedy service." One corporate firm took three weeks to fix a Bathroom installations Northampton stuck door. Service varied from spotty to good, Bathroom installations Northampton with complaints about unreturned phone calls, service people standing on dining room chairs, leaving holes Bathroom installations Northampton between wood planking, but liked getting multiple jobs done instead of just one. Customers liked handymen Bathroom installations Northampton wearing hospital booties (to avoid tracking dirt in houses). The reporter chronicled one experience with Bathroom installations Northampton repairing a water-damaged ceiling. A franchise firm fixed it for $1,530; a second (non-franchise local handyman) fixed a similar ceiling for $125. The reporter preferred the second worker, despite the fact that he "doesn't have a fancy van -- or carry proof of insurance." Tips for selecting Bathroom installations Northampton a good handyman include: ask questions, get written estimates on company stationery, make sure handymen guarantee their work, pay with credit cards or checks because this provides an additional record of each transaction, check references and licenses, and review feedback about the contractors from Internet sites. Tiling is another medium-level handyman job which most homeowners can do successfully, provided they follow directions carefully. Legal issues Generally, in the United States, there are few legal issues if an unpaid homeowner works on a project within their own home, with some exceptions. Some jurisdictions require paid handypeople to be licensed and/or insured. New Jersey, for example, requires all handymen who work in for-profit businesses serving residential and commercial customers, to be registered and insured. Often handymen are barred from major plumbing, electrical wiring, or gas-fitting projects for safety reasons, and authorities sometimes require workers to be licensed in particular trades. However, minor plumbing work such as fixing water taps, connecting sinks, fixing leaks, or installing new washing machines, are usually permitted to be done without licensing. Many handymen are insured under a property damage liability policy, so that accidental property damage from negligence or accidents are covered. Handymen in popular culture The handyman image recurs in popular culture. There have been songs about handymen recorded by Elvis Presley in 1964, Del Shannon in 1964, James Taylor in 1977. There are femme-fatale TV characters who fall for handymen.[18] Handymen have been portrayed in books and films, generally positively, as do-gooder helpful types, but not particularly smart or ambitious. In a book by author Carolyn See called The Handyman, a handyman is really an aspiring but discouraged artist who transforms the lives of people he works for, as well as sleeping with some of his clients, and his experiences improve his artistic output.[7] The book suggests handymen discover "the appalling loneliness of the women who call him for help" whose needs are sometimes "comic," sometimes "heartbreaking," and deep down "sexual."[19] A 1980 movie called The Handyman was about a carpenter-plumber who was "good at what he does" but is "too honest and trusting", and gets taken advantage of by "women who find him handsome and understanding;" the movie earned negative reviews from critic Vincent Canby.[20] Other movies have used a rather tired formula of sexy-handyman meets bored-housewives, such as The Ups and Downs of a Handyman, a 1975 movie in which "Handsome Bob also finds he's a fast favorite with the local housewives, who seem to have more than small repairs on their minds."[21] In Canada, there's a television show called Canada's Worst Handyman which is a reality-show in which contestants work hard not to become labeled as the worst handyman. Home Tilers Northampton Improvement was an American television sitcom starring Tim Allen, which aired 1991 to 1999