Get matched with top handymen in Knightsville, IN

While handypeople do not need to be licensed in many places, you should only hire insured pros for any home improvement work. Your handyperson should have active liability coverage that protects them and you in the case of an error or accident. Furthermore, if they have employees on your property, they should also have workers’ compensation insurance. If you hire an individual or a company that is not insured and they damage your property, have an accident while on the job, or become injured on your property without insurance, you can be held financially liable.

Handypeople usually don’t hold trade licenses, so they typically aren’t qualified to tackle projects involving installing or making alterations to plumbing or electrical lines. Below are some jobs that a handyperson usually won’t be able to complete:

• Installing plumbing for a new kitchen or bathroom

• Replacing plumbing pipes

• Installing or repairing septic systems

• Running new electrical wiring

• Installing a subpanel

In most states, handypeople do not need to be licensed to perform simple home repair tasks and smaller jobs. When projects exceed specific cost amounts, however, ranging from $500 in California to $50,000 in other states, some municipalities consider them to be contractors, meaning they need to be licensed. To learn if your handyperson should be licensed to work on your job, contact your local governing body or state contractors’ licensing board before starting any work.

The appeal of hiring a handyperson is two-fold: first, they usually cost less than hiring certified experts, and second, they complete a massive variety of projects, ranging from installing light fixtures and fixing plumbing leaks to refinishing wood floors and replacing doors in your home. Provided the job doesn’t require a specific license to complete—like a plumber’s license or electrician’s license—a handyperson will likely be able to tackle the work. Handypeople have a broad range of home improvement experience, so professionals can usually handle any project in your home that doesn’t need to be done by a licensed tradesperson.