Frequently Asked Questions

Are your tradesmen vetted?
All of our tradesmen are full time employees of Mister Handyman. We prefer to use tradesmen that we know and trust rather than rely on subcontractors. In order to provide the high level of service that Mister Handyman offers we commit to employing the tradesmen. In that way we find that the tradesmen are committed to Mister Handyman. Before we employ them, all tradesmen have to be able to demonstrate several years experience in their trade. Three references are taken to confirm their skills before they are invited for an interview. The interview process is devised to further establish the range of the tradesman's skills. If he is successful at this stage, he spends a probationary period with one of our established tradesmen before being allocated work of his own.

Do you provide quotes or estimates or charge by the hour?
All three.

Hourly Rate: If the job is small and relatively straightforward, we'll use our judgment during your initial call to assess how long the work will take and schedule a visit from a tradesman based on that assessment. However, due to the variables experienced when dealing with home repairs and the difficulty in assessing the work on the phone, the task may take longer (or shorter) than estimated (e.g. We recently estimated the cost of replacing a standard light fitting with a more ornate one. When the tradesman exposed the wiring, he discovered that it was old and dangerous so wasn't acceptable by today's standards. He needed to do a small amount of rewiring before the new light could be fitted). These visits are charged by the hour. The charge will also include any materials that are required plus carriage (charged at the hourly rate) for any materials that need too be collected.

Booking a tradesman in for an hour is a great way of testing our tradesman's reliability, attitude and skill without having to make a larger financial commitment.

Quotation: Clearly you can't have a tradesman in for just an hour if, you just want a laminate floor laying or a whole bathroom retiling. In this case, we recommend booking an appointment with one of our estimators. Once the estimator has been, he will pass the estimate to your local office where, within 24 hours, we'll calculate a total cost for the work, confirm the price in writing and telephone you with the price at the same time.

If the task is straightforward we'll be able to provide a fixed price - a quote - for doing the work. However, there are occasions were we won't know how long it's going to take until we've actually begun the work.

Estimate: If, for example, you want an bathroom wall in an old property retiling, the estimate may indicate a cost for removal of the old tiles and replacement with new tiles. However, once the tiles have been removed, we may discover that the plaster also needs replacing. In this case you will be given a revised estimate on site before any further work is done.

What is your hourly rate?
Varies according to the type of the work required. Please call us to discuss your requirements. If the work is charged on an hourly rate, we charge in increments of fifteen minutes.

Who provides the materials
The choice is yours. If you'd rather buy your own materials, that's O.K. with us. We'll give you a "labour only" price. However, most of our clients would rather that we quoted "all in". Please note though that we won't buy decorative materials such as tiles or wallpaper. For what after all is a personal choice/decision there are so many different styles and such a wide price range that it's impossible to provide an accurate quote. For example, if we are asked to quote for tiling a bathroom, the quote will include the cost of the labour to prepare the walls then tile them and for all the basic materials - spacers, adhesive and grout - but not for the tiles themselves.

I'd like to use your service. What do I do?
Call us and let us know what you want doing. We deal with each job individually and may be able to give you an idea of the cost over the phone, but in order to give you an accurate cost we will probably need to visit you. Most visits are done in the evening so that you don't have to take time off work. However, on many occasions, especially on the smaller jobs, we will carry out the work on an hourly rate so you'll be able to book a convenient time for our tradesman to call when you make your initial enquiry.

What happens if I'm not happy with the work?
In this unlikely event, we'll ask one of our senior tradesmen to visit your property to examine the work. If it hasn't been completed to the high standard we expect, we'll put it right free of charge.

What happens if the tradesman damages my property?
Don't forget, we only use thoroughly vetted tradesmen with a professional attitude to their work. However, if this does happens, you're fully covered under the Mister Handyman insurance scheme.

How soon can you do the work?
Usually within two weeks.

What kind of work to you undertake?
Usually the smaller annoying jobs you don't get around to doing yourself e.g. small carpentry jobs, plastering, painting and decorating, rewiring electrical fittings including moving lights and power points etc. However, if you'd like your entire house painting, or a new kitchen or bathroom fitting, we can still accommodate you.

Can you do major building work for me?
No. "But we know a man who can!". We work closely with many of the larger contractors in the area. Let us know what you want doing and we'll pass your contact details to a company that we know will look after you.

I need lots of quite different jobs doing. How many tradesmen will you send?
All of our tradesmen are skilled in more than one trade. However, if they're not able to do all you want, we'll allocate another tradesman as well.

I'm a tradesman myself. Do you have any vacancies?
Yes. Were always looking for more professionals in the building/maintenance industry. Call your local office for details.

"We are very pleased with the work and indeed the whole process went very smoothly. It was good being able to ring the office and talk to someone who knew what was going on. Thank you." - S.T. (Romiley)