Community Chat

[gardenman]

I did handyman work from the time I was 14 or so on, but the state of NJ has regulated me and most like me right out of business. In order to legally do nearly any handyman work in NJ you must now be a licensed home improvement contractor. Here's a few of the details.

"What is a home improvement? Any remodeling, altering, painting, repairing, renovating, restoring, moving, demolishing, or modernizing of a structure used as a place of residence, or of any portion of the property on which the structure is located, is considered a home improvement for the purposes of the Act.

Home improvement includes the construction, installation, replacement, improvement, or repair of driveways, sidewalks, swimming pools, terraces, patios, landscaping, fences, porches, windows, doors, cabinets, kitchens, bathrooms, garages, basements and basement waterproofing, fire protection devices, security protection devices, central heating and air conditioning equipment, water softeners, heaters, and purifiers, solar heating or water systems, insulation installation, aluminum siding, wall-to-wall carpeting or attached or inlaid floor coverings, and other changes, repairs, or improvements made to residential property."

Even simple things like planting flowers, shrubs or tress requires you to be licensed. Changing a doorknob? That would be an alteration/upgrade and requires you to be licensed. Hanging a ceiling fan? You need to be licensed. Changing a light bulb? That would be a repair/replacement and you need to be licensed.

What does it take to become a licensed home improvement contractor? You have to file reams of paperwork, pay a yearly $110 fee, carry $500,000+ worth of insurance, and more. When they passed the rules back in 2006 I looked into becoming licensed, but it would just about cost me more than I was making. 

If you do the work and you're not licensed, you can be fined and even criminally prosecuted. I had 40-50 regular clients back then and made a decent living off the work, but the new laws put me out of business. The laws are written to favor the bigger outfits with multiple employees where the cost can be spread out over multiple employees. The little one man operations like me just can't survive under those types of fees/costs.

I can still do work on my home or the homes of relatives, but I can't even help a neighbor plant a tree or shrub without being licensed. Heck, if I help a neighbor by planting a petunia, I could be arrested and charged with violating the act. Welcome to NJ! We have rules for everything! 

[chiclet]

Finding someone who is professional, punctional and charges a fair price is almost impossible to find.  We had a lot of handyman issues to fix and they would fix one thing and mess up another.  One guy talked non stop and could not talk and work at the same time. Needless to say he did a terrible job.

[nun ya]

We have the same problem. We call, leave a message and never hear back.

We needed a new roof a few yrs ago. Called several roofers. We finally called an Amish crew, they immediately called back and came the next day to give an estimate.

[Financialgrl]

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@BirdieGal wrote:

@SeaMaiden

We have that problem as well. We have been trying to find someone to install two new ceiling fans in our home and move around some of the other light fixtures. One guy was scheduled to show up and never did. We hired a second. He never showed.

DH can do it but he is only home a few days a week and I really don’t want to have him do all of that. Plus all of our ceilings are 12 feet high and even though we have the giant ladder system, I would rather get someone out. 

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@BirdieGal  - ding, ding, ding -  - same issue here.  I had two fantastic long time home improvement guys that I'd call and they'd always work me in for quick little jobs on the way home but they relocated hours away.  

I'm terrified of heights and our kitchens have 10 ft ceilings with those canned lights.  The ceilings drop down to 9 ft elsewhere and there's 2 grates in separate areas to change furnace filters.  

I'm lucky - I've struck a deal with a much younger brother who said he'll drive the 45 miles just to swap the filters.  There are things he loves his wife doesn't cook so I make a few of his favorites and send home with him.  He'll do the filters but no way do I want him in the 10 ft kitchen with the lights.  Those long poles that you can buy sound great for changing the lights but they often hit a spot where they "stick" and someone has to climb up to finish removing them anyway!  

[SharkE]

We're church goers, so, we use people from within our congregation usually

takes awhile even for the good people to get back to you. They're always involved with kids and their activities. They get around to it eventually.

In the back of the newspaper there is always a section where people advertise their services. "no job to small" , etc.  I know it's scary to have strangers in your house, but, my husband can't hammer a nail, so, you have to do what you have to do. I've had good luck. I don't live in a big city, so, that's a plus. I know horrible stuff happens in the little towns too, but, it's not as likely.

[SeaMaiden]

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@SharkE wrote:

We're church goers, so, we use people from within our congregation usually

takes awhile even for the good people to get back to you. They're always involved with kids and their activities. They get around to it eventually.

In the back of the newspaper there is always a section where people advertise their services. "no job to small" , etc.  I know it's scary to have strangers in your house, but, my husband can't hammer a nail, so, you have to do what you have to do. I've had good luck. I don't live in a big city, so, that's a plus. I know horrible stuff happens in the little towns too, but, it's not as likely.

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@SharkE   My worry with hiring  these "Handymen" is that they could hurt themselves on your property and sue you to high heaven... unless they show they are licenced, bonded and insured, ( and you need to see their permits.. just ask to see them) you are playing Russian roulette.  I guess hiring them is depending on how desperate one is to get something fixed when no one you call will do it.

[SharkE]

I've got home owners insurance with liability they would sue them not me.

My house would be falling down around my ears if I had to depend on my husband. He would say live with it. I have to wait till he leaves then I get on the phone and schedule somebody on a day he's not home. Pay for it myself.

I got a sprinkler man coming out after while to repair one of my sprinkler stations that's not working. The guy that installed it did a half *** job and when he came out he said "it works" made me look like a fool, then, next day I tried it water won't come out of #5 station, so, I hit the phone book .

Hubby is gone I have to work fast. LOL

[Financialgrl]

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@SeaMaiden wrote:

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@SharkE wrote:

We're church goers, so, we use people from within our congregation usually

takes awhile even for the good people to get back to you. They're always involved with kids and their activities. They get around to it eventually.

In the back of the newspaper there is always a section where people advertise their services. "no job to small" , etc.  I know it's scary to have strangers in your house, but, my husband can't hammer a nail, so, you have to do what you have to do. I've had good luck. I don't live in a big city, so, that's a plus. I know horrible stuff happens in the little towns too, but, it's not as likely.

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@SharkE   My worry with hiring  these "Handymen" is that they could hurt themselves on your property and sue you to high heaven... unless they show they are licenced, bonded and insured, ( and you need to see their permits.. just ask to see them) you are playing Russian roulette.  I guess hiring them is depending on how desperate one is to get something fixed when no one you call will do it.

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I think about that when I hire handymen - I at least want them licensed and in VA there is a website to check on contractors for that (and even small things such as nail techs).  I check on their website and if they advertise licensed, bonded and insured and they are not, that's false advertising and on them if they fall.  I've also wondered about that bc our community was supposed to begin a neighbors helping neighbors organization to drive someone to get groceries, take to the aiports, medical appts, etc.  It never went anywhere for the liability issues it can bring.  I think if it gets back as a subject for discussion it'll be easy things ppl can do like call periodically to check on the more elderly or single ppl here.

[shoekitty]

@gardenman

in california you can do up 300 in repairs.  Or you can help someone and take a gratuity. I believe some plumbing and electrical are restricted.  A handyman can repair walls, but not take it all down and put new up again. , put up a small fence or gate, lay carpet or tile if it is a under 300 bucks.  They can even repair a few shingles,.They cannot buy it and install it.  The problem is people are sue happy, and if anyhting goes wrong and they report it to the board, it better be a "legal job". Also, the laws vary from city to city, each having their own codes.  Thats why so many handymen, if you can find one, stay local with a town they are familiar with