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Handyman

Person who works in general building maintenance

Handyman

Person who works in general building maintenance

A handyman working on a door frame

A handyman, also known as a handyperson or handyworker, maintenance worker, maintenance man, repairman, repair worker, or repair technician, is a person who is knowledgeable in skills such as basic carpentry, plumbing, minor electrical wiring and property maintenance. They can perform a wide range of repairs, typically for keeping buildings, shops or equipment around the home in good condition. These tasks include trade skills, repair work, maintenance work, are both interior and exterior, and are sometimes described as "side work", "odd jobs" or "fix-up tasks". Specifically, these jobs could be light plumbing jobs such as fixing a leaky toilet or light electric jobs such as changing a light fixture or bulb.

The term handyman increasingly describes a paid worker, but it also includes non-paid homeowners or do-it-yourselfers. The term handyman is also occasionally applied as an adjective to describe politicians or business leaders who make substantial organizational changes, such as overhauling a business structure or administrative division.[[File:Mailbox built from particle board with hinges.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A white mailbox, attached to a wall|A handyman built this mailbox from particle board, with hinges, and exterior paint; the rounded edges were made with a sander.]]

Projects

This project replacing an air conditioning vent on a roof.

Tasks range from minor to major, from unskilled to highly skilled, and include painting, drywall repair, remodeling, minor plumbing work, minor electrical work, household carpentry, sheetrock, crown moulding, and furniture assembly.

Picture of cabinets in a kitchen
Installing kitchen cabinets is a medium-level handyworker job, with multiple steps.

Businesses

Market estimates

An estimate was that in 2003, the market in the United States for home-maintenance and repair spending was up 14% from 2001 to 2003.{{cite news |access-date = 2009-10-26 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081006224646/http://www.homes.wsj.com/buildimprove/20030429-reed.html |archive-date = October 6, 2008

Franchise businesses

In 2009 in the US, there 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 franchise contract typically gives a franchise owner the exclusive right to take service calls within a given geographical area. The websites of these firms put possible customers in touch with local owners, which have handymen and trucks. Customers call the local numbers. 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 handyworker firms that do small home or commercial projects which claim possible advantages such as having workers who are insured and licensed. Their branch offices schedule service appointments for full-time and part-time handymen to visit and make repairs, and sometimes coordinate with sub-contractors.

Some see a benefit of franchising as "entrepreneurship under the safety net of a tried-and-true business umbrella"{{cite news | access-date = 2009-10-17 | archive-date = 2009-10-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091018192531/http://www.reuters.com/article/smallBusinessNews/idUSTRE51N3QK20090224? | url-status = live

Franchise handyman firms sometimes pitch clients by asking prospective customers about their unresolved "to-do lists". The firm does odd jobs, carpentry, and repairs.{{cite news | access-date = 2021-07-05 | archive-date = 2021-07-10 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210710012536/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/nyregion/technology/where-we-live-they-make-house-calls-the-range-of.html | url-status = live

Other competitors include online referral services. In addition, some large home centers offer installation services for products such as cabinets and carpet installation.

References

References

  1. Tunku Varadarajan, ''The Wall Street Journal'', February 16, 2007, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB117160121745910982 Hardback Mountain: The Kiss-Off] {{Webarchive. link. (2017-09-01 , Accessed June 1, 2013)
  2. (17 January 2013). "How handyperson schemes are helping older people this winter". [[The Guardian]].
  3. (29 February 2004). "'Handyworker' Program Comes With All the Fixings".
  4. (April 2009). "Real Wealth Without Risk: Escape the "Artificial Wealth Trap" in 48 Hours ...". Morgan James.
  5. "What does a Maintenance Person do?". [[Indeed]].
  6. Paul Lewis. (April 16, 1988). "Man in the News; Diplomatic Handyman: Diego Cordovez". [[The New York Times]].
  7. (13 April 1936). "Religion: Handyman to Washington".
  8. Michelle Slatalla. (August 5, 2004). "Online Shopper; $220 for Two Hours? Clocking Mr. Fix-It". The New York Times.
  9. O'Donnell. (2009-10-21). "Rent-A-Husband handyman service raises questions". USA Today.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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