When to Call a Handyman vs. a Specialized Contractor in South Florida

Homeowners in Delray Beach lose money on this question in both directions. Some call a specialty contractor for an hour of work and pay a minimum service charge several times what the job was worth. Others hand a job to a generalist that genuinely needed a licensed specialist, and end up paying twice when it has to be redone.

Here is how we think about it, including the work we decline.

The reliable test: permits and the size of the failure

Two questions settle most cases. Does the work require a permit? And if it were done badly, how bad is the worst outcome?

Hanging a shelf badly means a shelf falls down. Modifying a load-bearing wall badly, or getting a gas connection wrong, means something far worse. The greater the consequence, the more the licensing and inspection process is worth paying for.

Firmly handyman territory

• Furniture assembly, television mounting, shelving and closet systems
• Door and window adjustment, hinge and strike plate work, weatherstripping
• Drywall patching, texture matching, interior painting, caulking and regrouting
• Swapping like-for-like fixtures: a faucet, a garbage disposal, a light fixture, a ceiling fan replacing an existing fan
• Baseboard, crown molding, trim carpentry and general repairs
• Pressure washing, screen repair and routine exterior maintenance

This is the category where calling a specialty contractor usually costs you unnecessarily. A plumbing company's minimum charge to swap a kitchen faucet often exceeds what the whole job should cost.

Call the specialist

• New electrical circuits, panel work, or anything involving the service entrance. Adding a fixture where none existed is different from replacing one that did.
• Re-piping, sewer lines, gas water heaters, and any gas work at all. A straightforward electric water heater swap is a different job from anything involving a gas line.
• Structural changes, including removing or altering a wall, and any change to how the building resists wind load.
• Roofing, impact windows and shutter installation, which carry specific requirements in coastal Palm Beach County and directly affect your insurance.
• Air conditioning system work beyond changing a filter or clearing a condensate line.
• Confirmed mold remediation. Extensive growth needs an assessment before anyone opens a wall.

The honest middle

Plenty of jobs sit between the two, and the right answer often depends on what is found once something is opened up. A leaking faucet is a handyman job until the shutoff valve behind it crumbles in your hand, at which point it is a plumber's job. A good tradesperson tells you that the moment it becomes true rather than pressing on.

What to ask before hiring anyone

Whichever direction you go, confirm the person is licensed for the work they are proposing and carries current insurance, and get the scope in writing. If someone is reluctant to answer either question, that is your answer. We would far rather point you to the right specialist than take on work that is not ours to do.