Contractors & Handy Men: How to Hire?

Question

I currently own/manage 10 units and have a contractor that I use for all of my property, the issue is he works full time and although he's a fantastic contractor there's only so many hours in a day and sometimes things are delayed or reprioritized because he's busy so I'm looking to find a handyman for minor things such as sheetrock repair and have a second contractor for more major projects

How do you find great contractors other than try out different people as things come up?

Blake Park · Answer

When I got started I had the same problem and I tried craigslist and google, I ended up with contractors that never showed up or were way too expensive. so I started going to Lowes at 6am and chatting with contractors that were there early and getting a start on their day. you'll find people who are on time and do good work.

Peter Tverdov · Answer

A good handyman is very hard to find. It's usually someone who does it as a second job for some extra money. Once you find someone good, pay them well, be polite and keep feeding them. It's a grind to find them. We went through a lot of duds as we built up our vendor list but now we're about 50 strong that spans multiple trades.

Blake Park · Answer

yeah Lowes or Home Depot would both be the same concept. that's just what worked for me.

Vania Nettleford · Answer

@Scott M. Perfect thank you very much!

Scott M. · Answer

@Vania Nettleford no matter what route you go it is hit or miss when it comes to this topic.  Best advice is to try everything.  Lowes, HD, Criags List, if any friends or family members currently rent they may know who their landlord uses, your current tenants may know who the old place used, realtors, etc.  getting the name/number is only 1/2 of the battle as a lot of them will not be what you are looking for.  So, feed the top end of that funnel as it is a numbers game in the end.

Vania Nettleford · Answer

@Blake Park Thank you, I will try Lowes. I typically go to Home Depot and there are usually a lot of people to choose from but I also find it's hit or miss at least from the two workers I've used from there, but it's part of the process. Thank you!

Vania Nettleford · Answer

@Patrick Page Thanks for your response! I do have realtors that I work with so that is a route that I will look into to start building out my list

Patrick Page · Answer

Google and ask around if you know other landlords, real estate investors or licensed real estate agents chances are they have a handyman that they know and use often. Once you get some names its important to see if they are licensed and insured. I would also ask about pricing and understand their rates (set fee/hourly rate and do they charge to do a diagnostic visit). I would also ask for references that you can call. When speaking to references you want to ensure that the work was completed in a timely manor and see that there were no issues that occurred after the repairs were finished. Make sure you receive an invoice after the work is complete breaking out each cost (cost of labor and materials).

Contractors & Handy Men: How to Hire?

Most Popular Reply