By far, the most common type of home repair involves door repair. It’s common knowledge that things that have moving parts often fall apart. Since doors contain more moving parts than say, a wall, it comes as no surprise that doors can often become unhinged, crooked or just plain fall apart.

With that happens, it will be time to hire a handyman to repair that door of yours.

What a Handyman Is

A handyman is a jack of all trades. They’re often self-taught. Most states, most notably California, require handymen to carry a handyman license. As a jack of all trades that also means that they are master of no trades. In other words, they can do quick and short repair work, but they cannot redesign your plumbing system. For more detailed work or work that requires more of a specialty, a handyman is not what you’re looking for. A handyman is perfect for small jobs around the house that you may have trouble doing yourself. This may include small paint jobs, small carpentry jobs, or be something as simple as changing a lightbulb out.

There're a lot of things a handyman can do. What can’t a handyman do?

What Can’t a Handyman Do?

There is only one job that a handyman is absolutely prohibited from doing nationwide. That job with is electrical work. Any work that involves wires or electricity (short of changing a lightbulb – a handyman can do that) must involve a master electrician. An apprentice may do the job, but it must be signed off by a master electrician. Handling electricity is too dangerous and poses too much of a fire hazard to let just anyone do the job.

How to Hire a Handyman

Many handymen are freelancers who charge by the hour plus a mileage/gas fee. Make sure you have a good idea of what your problem is before you hire a handyman. Always carry a written contract (you can find these free and legally binding online) to protect yourself. Reputable handymen will always give you an estimate before they come out. Based on your address and your initial diagnosis of the issue, they should be able to give you a rough estimate of how much you can expect to be charged.

Don’t always hold a handyman to his word based on a rough estimate. They may find things that you may have missed over the phone. What may appear to be a mere doorknob change may end up involving a crooked or damaged door frame. In other words, what may be a $30 estimate for replacing a doorknob may end up being $300 if he has to straighten the frame and rehang the door. To protect yourself from this, always get a new estimate after the handyman arrives and can assess the situation in person.