Handyman or Tradesperson. What’s the difference? And, when to use both

Most people don’t realise that there is nothing more insulting to a qualified tradesperson than being referred to as a ‘handyman’. It’s not quite the same as calling Michelangelo a ‘decorator’ after he did that little job on the cysteine chapel, but to the fragile ego of your average tradesperson that’s how it feels.

The fact is Handymen are great for what they are, unskilled casual workers, but very often we see work done by them that should’ve been left to a qualified tradesman. To make things worse, most of the time, to the untrained eye, the work done looks ‘fine’. It’s only after time problems arise.

I’ve lost count of the number of occasions a homeowner has proudly shown me work they’ve had done by a ‘really nice bloke’ and after a quick glance I have to bite my tongue from saying “It’s all wrong and you should start again”

So here’s a quick guide to when to use a handyman and when to call a qualified tradesperson:

Jobs For A Handyman:

• General patching and repairs – that small hole in the wall that needs some filler and a quick paint job.
• Flat pack furniture – Personally, I love some flat pack, a morning at Ikea followed by an afternoon of flat pack assembly is heaven for me (even if I’m not a fan of most of their furniture). When I see flat pack, it’s like a child seeing a giant tub of lego. However, flat pack (most of the time) is designed for the DIYer, and paying a tradesperson is a bit OTT. So if you’re not a fan of the flat pack call a helpful handyman
• Small scale projects that don’t require specialist equipment – This is where it gets tough to draw the line and decide if the job is too much for a handyman. A good rule of thumb though is to ask yourself what tools are involved, If it’s more than a hammer, a screwdriver and a cheap drill you should really call a tradesperson.
• Is the job going to require a level of finesse – Again, I have to qualify this isn’t an insult to handymen, some of them produce great work but the art of scribing a skirting board, swinging a door with equal margins or something like wall paneling should definitely be left to the professionals.
• Definitely nothing that requires permits or signing off by building control – I would’ve thought this was obvious but it would seem not. If anything requires inspection by your local authority then always get a qualified and insured tradesperson.