Handyman vs. Licensed Plumber

Choosing between a local handyman and a professional plumber can be quite tricky. If you have a water pipe that’s been leaking for days, it seems practical to simply call someone from your neighborhood who’s a jack of all trades. But what if the problem takes a turn for the worse and becomes a slab leak? Water damage is not only a physical inconvenience but it can be a very costly blow to your finances as well.

Before you hire a handyman or plumbing specialist to do repair work on your house, consider the following advantages and disadvantages of each tradesman.

The all-around handyman

A handyman is usually a multi-skilled tradesman who focuses on small, everyday tasks around the house. If you need simple repairs and maintenance on basic plumbing, carpentry and electrical work which you might not have the right tools for or are too busy to do, then a handyman is probably the best guy for the job.

A handyman’s skill set usually covers a wide range of trades, including:

• Painting doors and windows
• Filling cracks in plaster and wood
• Fitting smoke alarms and blinds
• Fixing a floorboard creak
• Laying laminate flooring
• Renewing old tile grout
• Unclogging drains
• Fixing toilet flush mechanisms and dripping taps
• Installing a dishwasher or washing machine
• Changing locks
• Mounting plasma screens
• Installing furniture
• Hanging doors
• Putting up shelves
• Fixing cupboard door hinges
• Wiring light switches
• Repairing light fittings
• Replacing electrical sockets
• Mowing the lawn and basic gardening

Hiring a reliable handyman is relatively inexpensive and does not require major qualifications. However, there are certain jobs, no matter how small, that can only be carried out by a professional.

The specialist tradesman

Generally, if your job is a complex one, then you should look for a specialist tradesman. But there are areas where even the most minor of jobs are best left to a qualified professional. For instance, any gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer or plumber. Similarly, many electrical jobs must be approved by your Local Authority Building Control.

Obviously if you need major repair on plumbing, tiling, heating, air conditioning, or roofing, you will need a licensed professional who has a deeper knowledge and greater expertise in these areas.

Hire a specialist tradesman if you need to:

• Fit kitchen counters
• Repair boilers
• Install power showers
• Fit wooden flooring
• Fix slab leaks and sewer backflow
• Plaster entire walls
• Replace roof tiles
• Do large painting jobs and wallpapering
• Install or modify electrical lines
• Decorate interiors
• Landscape gardens

Advantages of hiring a licensed professional

Handymen are becoming extinct nowadays as more and more homeowners and business managers look to licensed professionals to do even the most minor of repairs on their property. Concerns about insurance and liability is one factor – no one wants to get sued if a worker gets hurt in their home, and we usually feel safer hiring contractors who offer warranties to cover mistakes, accidents and theft.

Plumbing is one area where most people usually prefer a specialist over a handyman. A faucet or toilet leak may not be as simple as it looks, and only a licensed plumber can ensure that what seems to be a minor problem does not escalate into full blown water damage.

Call Plumber Medford Oregon and get your plumbing problems estimate today!