Do I Need a Handyman or a Bidding War? 👨🏻‍🔧

There comes a point in adulthood when you realize that having a good handyman is almost as valuable as having a good hairdresser, a trustworthy mechanic, and a doctor who actually calls you back. If you have one, you know exactly what I mean. You find someone who shows up when they say they will, does what they said they were going to do, charges a reasonable amount, and—this is important—doesn’t leave you standing in your driveway wondering if you just paid someone $400 to make the problem slightly more interesting.

And then you have a decision to make. Do you call your trusted handyman and say, “Hey, can you take a look at this?” Or do you get three quotes? I have discovered that there are apparently two kinds of homeowners. There are the “I have a guy” people. Then there are the “I need at least three estimates so I can compare the labor, materials, warranty, and the astrological alignment of Mercury” people. 

I understand both sides. Getting multiple quotes makes sense. Sometimes you absolutely should shop around. A big home repair isn't something you want to handle with a casual, “Sure, sounds good!” and a credit card. But there is something to be said for having someone you trust. When you've used the same handyman for years, you're not starting from zero every time something breaks.

They already know your house. They know that the thing you're pointing at is probably not the actual problem. They know you've already tried Googling it. They know you have a suspicious amount of knowledge about whatever the problem is because you watched four YouTube videos at 11:30 last night. And, most importantly, they know what they've worked on before.

That last part matters. If you've already had someone repair something in your house and they know its history, there is a certain comfort in calling them again. It's kind of like having a mechanic who knows your car has a mysterious little noise that only appears when it's raining, you're late for work, and Mercury is apparently in retrograde. You don't want to explain the whole thing to a new person. Again.

Of course, there is a downside to the “I have a guy” philosophy. Sometimes you have a guy because you've had the same guy for so long that you haven't bothered to find out what anyone else would charge. And that can be dangerous. Because “I've always used him” can quietly turn into “I have no idea if this is actually a good price.” That's when the little homeowner alarm starts going off. Wait a minute… should I be getting quotes?

Then you enter the quote phase.

Suddenly, you're interviewing people. One guy says $600. Another says $1,100. The third says, “Oh yeah, that's probably $2,500.” And now you're standing there thinking, “Well, that's helpful.” You haven't learned what the repair costs. You've learned that three people have three very different opinions about what the repair costs.

And now you have to decide which number makes you feel the least like you've just been robbed.

There is also the fun experience of having someone come out, look at the project, nod thoughtfully, and say, “Yeah, I can do that.” Then you ask how much. Suddenly they're staring into the middle distance like they're calculating the national debt. “I'll have to get back to you.” Great. Now we're waiting for the handyman oracle.

Personally, I think there is probably a happy middle ground. For smaller jobs, routine repairs, or work I've had done before, I can absolutely see the value in having someone I trust. If someone has done good work for me, shown up when they said they would, communicated with me, and charged a fair price, I'm going to remember that. I'm also much more likely to call them again instead of starting the whole process over with three strangers.

For expensive projects, major repairs, or anything where the price could get ridiculous quickly, though, I think getting multiple quotes is smart. Because loyalty is great, but so is knowing what something should actually cost.

At the end of the day, I think I'd rather have a trusted handyman relationship than constantly start over with a stranger. Finding a good handyman is a lot like finding a good parking spot at Target. Once you have one, you don't forget where it is. And you definitely don't want somebody else taking it. 

So what kind of homeowner are you? Are you a “Yep, call my guy” person, or are you getting three quotes, making a spreadsheet, checking reviews, and possibly requesting references from the last five customers? There is no judgment here. Well… maybe a tiny bit of judgment if your spreadsheet has color coding.