I realize rates are different throughout the country, but I was wondering
about what rates are in your area.

I recently got a flyer in my paper box. This person advertises, HVAC,
electrical, & plumbing, among a host of other services. Some of the things
missing in their flyer are key words such as licensed & insured.

In my city, one can get a general license for contracting, you must provide
proof of insurance. I know this because some years ago, I used to be a
licensed/insured GC. My insurance company used to mail to the different
cities, a copy of my $500K liability policy, b/4 the cities would issue a
license.

Licensing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing are totally different from a
GC license and are State issued, but these services must be registered with
the cities around here. They also must carry additional licenses with the
cities in these parts.

Anyways, this person advertises painting, leaf raking etc.

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed & insured. And
surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:40:41 -0500, "Tarty" wrote:

I realize rates are different throughout the country, but I was wondering
about what rates are in your area.

I recently got a flyer in my paper box. This person advertises, HVAC,
electrical, & plumbing, among a host of other services. Some of the things
missing in their flyer are key words such as licensed & insured.

In my city, one can get a general license for contracting, you must provide
proof of insurance. I know this because some years ago, I used to be a
licensed/insured GC. My insurance company used to mail to the different
cities, a copy of my $500K liability policy, b/4 the cities would issue a
license.

Licensing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing are totally different from a
GC license and are State issued, but these services must be registered with
the cities around here. They also must carry additional licenses with the
cities in these parts.

Anyways, this person advertises painting, leaf raking etc.

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed & insured. And
surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?



"Licensed, Bonded and Insured" is the what you want. $50/hr is about
right. I can easily find a general experienced handyman for $20-25 an
hour, but no insurance, no license, and not bonded. An illegal alien
or a college student is about $10/hr, but that comes with additional
risk.

We own a home repair business in Arizona and we charge $40.00 per hour. We
are not licensed.

cm


"Tarty" wrote in message
...
I realize rates are different throughout the country, but I was wondering
about what rates are in your area.

I recently got a flyer in my paper box. This person advertises, HVAC,
electrical, & plumbing, among a host of other services. Some of the
things missing in their flyer are key words such as licensed & insured.

In my city, one can get a general license for contracting, you must
provide proof of insurance. I know this because some years ago, I used to
be a licensed/insured GC. My insurance company used to mail to the
different cities, a copy of my $500K liability policy, b/4 the cities
would issue a license.

Licensing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing are totally different from a
GC license and are State issued, but these services must be registered
with the cities around here. They also must carry additional licenses with
the cities in these parts.

Anyways, this person advertises painting, leaf raking etc.

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed & insured.
And surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

In Arizona you don't need a license for any work under $1000. That includes
electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.

cm
"Bubba" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:40:41 -0500, "Tarty" wrote:

I realize rates are different throughout the country, but I was wondering
about what rates are in your area.

I recently got a flyer in my paper box. This person advertises, HVAC,
electrical, & plumbing, among a host of other services. Some of the
things
missing in their flyer are key words such as licensed & insured.

In my city, one can get a general license for contracting, you must
provide
proof of insurance. I know this because some years ago, I used to be a
licensed/insured GC. My insurance company used to mail to the different
cities, a copy of my $500K liability policy, b/4 the cities would issue a
license.

Licensing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing are totally different from a
GC license and are State issued, but these services must be registered
with
the cities around here. They also must carry additional licenses with the
cities in these parts.

Anyways, this person advertises painting, leaf raking etc.

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed & insured.
And
surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

What you need to do is send a copy of that off to your local city
building and state. They might be interested in why someone is
advertising for HVAC, Electrical & Plumbing but doesnt have a state
license for any. Im sure they would like to see his city occupational
license to. Liability insurance would be nice.
Bubba

Tarty wrote in :

I realize rates are different throughout the country, but I was
wondering about what rates are in your area.

I recently got a flyer in my paper box. This person advertises, HVAC,
electrical, & plumbing, among a host of other services. Some of the
things missing in their flyer are key words such as licensed &
insured.

In my city, one can get a general license for contracting, you must
provide proof of insurance. I know this because some years ago, I
used to be a licensed/insured GC. My insurance company used to mail
to the different cities, a copy of my $500K liability policy, b/4
the cities would issue a license.

Licensing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing are totally different
from a GC license and are State issued, but these services must be
registered with the cities around here. They also must carry
additional licenses with the cities in these parts.

Anyways, this person advertises painting, leaf raking etc.

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed &
insured. And surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

I charge $40 an hour, and I'm insured. Texas doesn't require licenses
for contractors, but I have what passes for one--I paid a fee with my
city that allows me to submit building plans.

I'm not bonded, because my insurance agent says I don't need one.
According to her, bonds here are job-specific. In other words, I would
post a bond when bidding for a specific job, and I would lose the money
if I didn't finish the job according to the contract. It's performance
insurance instead of liability insurance.

Anybody have recommendations for me about bonds?

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

"cm" wrote in message
...
In Arizona you don't need a license for any work under $1000. That
includes electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.

I can understand not needing a _permit_ for work under $1000, but no
license? That seems like an accident waiting to happen.

Arizona doesn't seemed concerned about protecting their citizens.

"SteveBell" wrote in message
...

I charge $40 an hour, and I'm insured. Texas doesn't require licenses
for contractors, but I have what passes for one--I paid a fee with my
city that allows me to submit building plans.

I'm not bonded, because my insurance agent says I don't need one.
According to her, bonds here are job-specific. In other words, I would
post a bond when bidding for a specific job, and I would lose the money
if I didn't finish the job according to the contract. It's performance
insurance instead of liability insurance.

Anybody have recommendations for me about bonds?

A couple of cities around here, used to require performance bonds. They did
away with it. I can't remember what I paid for the bonds, but they became
renewable each year. They were not much, I'm thinking in the $100 range,
for a $100K bond. But you needed a bond for each city which required one.

Now, the only jobs requiring performance bonds are government work.

BTW, your rates seem to be more inline with my thinking. I've been away
from contracting for a little over 5 years. The insurance not only protects
you, but the homeowner as well. I paid around $600 per year for $500K worth
of liability. Thank the good Lord above, I never had to check to see if it
was any good!

My licenses fees ranged from $150 to $175 per year, depending which city I
renewed in. I licensed each year in 5 different cities. There were a couple
cities which demanded bank references. To me it was a tad much, but I
understood they wanted to protect their citizens, and it was game you had
to play, if you wanted to be licensed in their city.

"h" wrote in message
...

No license requirement at all for "handymen" here in upstate NY. I'm not
even sure there's a licensing option available for carpenters/handymen. I
have a wonderful guy now (after several very, very bad experiences) who
is not licensed but is insured. However, he has a licensed electrician
and a licensed plumber on his large crew, so things get done very quickly
and easily. His company does pretty much everything from one-day repairs
to $250,000 additions/remodels. He's done a lot of commercial remodeling,
too, and no license is needed.


I should have clarified, or got clarification about questioning the license
under $1000 on "CM's" post. One would think electricians, plumbers, & HVAC
people should be licensed, regardless of the amount.

I just assumed no license needed for work under $1000, regardless of work.
Foolish assumption on my part!

"Tarty" wrote in message
...

"cm" wrote in message
...
In Arizona you don't need a license for any work under $1000. That
includes electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.

I can understand not needing a _permit_ for work under $1000, but no
license? That seems like an accident waiting to happen.

Arizona doesn't seemed concerned about protecting their citizens.


No license requirement at all for "handymen" here in upstate NY. I'm not
even sure there's a licensing option available for carpenters/handymen. I
have a wonderful guy now (after several very, very bad experiences) who is
not licensed but is insured. However, he has a licensed electrician and a
licensed plumber on his large crew, so things get done very quickly and
easily. His company does pretty much everything from one-day repairs to
$250,000 additions/remodels. He's done a lot of commercial remodeling, too,
and no license is needed.

Tarty wrote in :


"SteveBell" wrote in message
...

I charge $40 an hour, and I'm insured. Texas doesn't require
licenses for contractors, but I have what passes for one--I paid a
fee with my city that allows me to submit building plans.

I'm not bonded, because my insurance agent says I don't need one.
According to her, bonds here are job-specific. In other words, I
would post a bond when bidding for a specific job, and I would lose
the money if I didn't finish the job according to the contract.
It's performance insurance instead of liability insurance.

Anybody have recommendations for me about bonds?

A couple of cities around here, used to require performance bonds.
They did away with it. I can't remember what I paid for the bonds,
but they became renewable each year. They were not much, I'm thinking
in the $100 range, for a $100K bond. But you needed a bond for each
city which required one.

Now, the only jobs requiring performance bonds are government work.

BTW, your rates seem to be more inline with my thinking. I've been
away from contracting for a little over 5 years. The insurance not
only protects you, but the homeowner as well. I paid around $600 per
year for $500K worth of liability. Thank the good Lord above, I never
had to check to see if it was any good!

My licenses fees ranged from $150 to $175 per year, depending which
city I renewed in. I licensed each year in 5 different cities. There
were a couple cities which demanded bank references. To me it was a
tad much, but I understood they wanted to protect their citizens, and
it was game you had to play, if you wanted to be licensed in their
city.

I just renewed my insurance, a combination of carpenter/repair and
landscaping, and I paid $1,200 for two megabucks of liability coverage.
I do occasional subcontract finish carpentry for a local contractor,
and he requires that level of coverage, because that's the level he
has. Insurance companies want everybody covered at the same level,
apparently.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

"Tarty" wrote in message

I can understand not needing a _permit_ for work under $1000, but no
license? That seems like an accident waiting to happen.

Arizona doesn't seemed concerned about protecting their citizens.

So, do you think they should shut down all the Arizona Home Depot and Lowes
stores to protect homeowners from themselves?

"SteveBell" wrote in message

Anybody have recommendations for me about bonds?


Thee are performance bonds that are to secure the buyer against not
finishing a job. Then there are person bonds, such as bank tellers have.
that insure them against theft of an owner's property while you are working
there. They often require a background check.

"cm" wrote

We own a home repair business in Arizona and we charge $40.00 per hour. We
are not licensed.

Lots of differences depending on area. Here, if you list as a handyman, you
can replace a toilet or sink with no plummer license. An electrician can
have an assistant who is not licensed (so can a plummer) for those 2 people
jobs.

General handyman stuff (put in a new door, replace doorknobs, hang a new
sensor on a motion sensor exterior light, fix a panel that fell down on
exterior fencing etc) needs no license here. If smart, you make sure they
are insured and the ones I use here are small company sorts (sounds a bit
like your business) with insurance for their workers if they get hurt. Also
a lone handyman who has his own insurance.

My husband and I are getting older, and though we know how to fix things,
sometimes we don't have the stamina for them anymore or just cant lift
something.

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

So, do you think they should shut down all the Arizona Home Depot and
Lowes stores to protect homeowners from themselves?

I was assuming the poster meant HVAC, electrical, or plumbing work.

Your analogy if comparing to HVAC,electrical or plumbing, is poor at best.

You don't need to go off the deep end Ed. Take a breath, relax.

"Tarty" wrote in message
...

"cm" wrote in message
...
In Arizona you don't need a license for any work under $1000. That
includes electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.

I can understand not needing a _permit_ for work under $1000, but no
license? That seems like an accident waiting to happen.

Arizona doesn't seemed concerned about protecting their citizens.

I wish more states stayed out of private enterprise.

Steve

"Tarty" wrote in message
...
I realize rates are different throughout the country, but I was wondering
about what rates are in your area.

I recently got a flyer in my paper box. This person advertises, HVAC,
electrical, & plumbing, among a host of other services. Some of the
things missing in their flyer are key words such as licensed & insured.

In my city, one can get a general license for contracting, you must
provide proof of insurance. I know this because some years ago, I used to
be a licensed/insured GC. My insurance company used to mail to the
different cities, a copy of my $500K liability policy, b/4 the cities
would issue a license.

Licensing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing are totally different from a
GC license and are State issued, but these services must be registered
with the cities around here. They also must carry additional licenses with
the cities in these parts.

Anyways, this person advertises painting, leaf raking etc.

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed & insured.
And surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

Depends on what's to be done. So, this guy charges as much to rake leaves
as he does to fix a HVAC?

I weld. I charge $50 an hour. Cash.

Steve

Tarty wrote:
I realize rates are different throughout the country, but I was wondering
about what rates are in your area.

I recently got a flyer in my paper box. This person advertises, HVAC,
electrical, & plumbing, among a host of other services. Some of the things
missing in their flyer are key words such as licensed & insured.

In my city, one can get a general license for contracting, you must provide
proof of insurance. I know this because some years ago, I used to be a
licensed/insured GC. My insurance company used to mail to the different
cities, a copy of my $500K liability policy, b/4 the cities would issue a
license.

Licensing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing are totally different from a
GC license and are State issued, but these services must be registered with
the cities around here. They also must carry additional licenses with the
cities in these parts.

Anyways, this person advertises painting, leaf raking etc.

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed & insured. And
surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

I charge between $25 - $50/ hr. depending on the work done.

Before you hire anyone, you should always ask for references.

Tarty wrote:

....
Anyways, this person advertises painting, leaf raking etc.
Their rate: $50.00 per hr.
....
What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

I'm willing to pay $65/hr for someone with specialized skills
and from whom I only need two hours of work.

For non-skilled work, you can hire HS students for $10/hr,
but be prepared to supervise. Make sure you have an
Umbrella policy on your homeowners insurance in case the
kid gets injured.

This past summer I paid a HS student $20/hr because he had
a pickup truck, transported stone to my house, took yard
trash to the dump, and accepted one hour for delivery and
one hour for the trip to the dump. Plus there was a lot of
heavy lifting.

Dick

"Tarty" wrote in :

I realize rates are different throughout the country, but I was
wondering about what rates are in your area.

I recently got a flyer in my paper box. This person advertises, HVAC,
electrical, & plumbing, among a host of other services. Some of the
things missing in their flyer are key words such as licensed &
insured.

In my city, one can get a general license for contracting, you must
provide proof of insurance. I know this because some years ago, I used
to be a licensed/insured GC. My insurance company used to mail to the
different cities, a copy of my $500K liability policy, b/4 the cities
would issue a license.

Licensing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing are totally different
from a GC license and are State issued, but these services must be
registered with the cities around here. They also must carry
additional licenses with the cities in these parts.

Anyways, this person advertises painting, leaf raking etc.

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed &
insured. And surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?



I know pretty much zip about heating systems. I've always had a bad
feeling about anyone who does heating work and it's not their advertised
and licensed profession. Stories of CO2 deaths occurring because of
oddball ventilation things. I guess insisting on an inspection upon work
completion would minimize risk...providing the area even has an
inspector...a competent one.

"cshenk" wrote in
:

"cm" wrote

We own a home repair business in Arizona and we charge $40.00 per
hour. We are not licensed.

Lots of differences depending on area. Here, if you list as a
handyman, you can replace a toilet or sink with no plummer license.
An electrician can have an assistant who is not licensed (so can a
plummer) for those 2 people jobs.

General handyman stuff (put in a new door, replace doorknobs, hang a
new sensor on a motion sensor exterior light, fix a panel that fell
down on exterior fencing etc) needs no license here. If smart, you
make sure they are insured and the ones I use here are small company
sorts (sounds a bit like your business) with insurance for their
workers if they get hurt. Also a lone handyman who has his own
insurance.

My husband and I are getting older, and though we know how to fix
things, sometimes we don't have the stamina for them anymore or just
cant lift something.



sometimes we don't have the stamina for them anymore

Coincidental that today I was up in the attic making some final
connections to some wiring I recently ran. Had my ass wedged in a web-
chord with a foot on one cord and knee on another 24" away. I'm thinking
some day I just ain't gonna be able to do this ****. At 55, I'm wondering
if that's 1, 5, 10 years from now. I guess when I come through a ceiling
or the like, I'll know it's time.

"SteveBell" wrote in
:

Tarty wrote in :


"SteveBell" wrote in message
...

I charge $40 an hour, and I'm insured. Texas doesn't require
licenses for contractors, but I have what passes for one--I paid a
fee with my city that allows me to submit building plans.

I'm not bonded, because my insurance agent says I don't need one.
According to her, bonds here are job-specific. In other words, I
would post a bond when bidding for a specific job, and I would lose
the money if I didn't finish the job according to the contract.
It's performance insurance instead of liability insurance.

Anybody have recommendations for me about bonds?

A couple of cities around here, used to require performance bonds.
They did away with it. I can't remember what I paid for the bonds,
but they became renewable each year. They were not much, I'm thinking
in the $100 range, for a $100K bond. But you needed a bond for each
city which required one.

Now, the only jobs requiring performance bonds are government work.

BTW, your rates seem to be more inline with my thinking. I've been
away from contracting for a little over 5 years. The insurance not
only protects you, but the homeowner as well. I paid around $600 per
year for $500K worth of liability. Thank the good Lord above, I never
had to check to see if it was any good!

My licenses fees ranged from $150 to $175 per year, depending which
city I renewed in. I licensed each year in 5 different cities. There
were a couple cities which demanded bank references. To me it was a
tad much, but I understood they wanted to protect their citizens, and
it was game you had to play, if you wanted to be licensed in their
city.

I just renewed my insurance, a combination of carpenter/repair and
landscaping, and I paid $1,200 for two megabucks of liability coverage.
I do occasional subcontract finish carpentry for a local contractor,
and he requires that level of coverage, because that's the level he
has. Insurance companies want everybody covered at the same level,
apparently.


carpenter/repair

?? Does that mean new construction carpentry and repair of old carpentry?
Is that all that it covers? I mean like what if you did some associated
plumbing and water damage occured because of a failure of materials or
workmanship?

Or does the policy also cover if say you strictly do some electrical
stuff and it results in a fire?

Just curious.

Red Green wrote in :

"SteveBell" wrote in
:

Tarty wrote in :


"SteveBell" wrote in message
...

I charge $40 an hour, and I'm insured. Texas doesn't require
licenses for contractors, but I have what passes for one--I paid
a fee with my city that allows me to submit building plans.

I'm not bonded, because my insurance agent says I don't need one.
According to her, bonds here are job-specific. In other words, I
would post a bond when bidding for a specific job, and I would
lose the money if I didn't finish the job according to the
contract. It's performance insurance instead of liability
insurance.
Anybody have recommendations for me about bonds?

A couple of cities around here, used to require performance bonds.
They did away with it. I can't remember what I paid for the bonds,
but they became renewable each year. They were not much, I'm
thinking in the $100 range, for a $100K bond. But you needed a
bond for each city which required one.

Now, the only jobs requiring performance bonds are government work.

BTW, your rates seem to be more inline with my thinking. I've been
away from contracting for a little over 5 years. The insurance not
only protects you, but the homeowner as well. I paid around $600
per year for $500K worth of liability. Thank the good Lord above,
I never had to check to see if it was any good!

My licenses fees ranged from $150 to $175 per year, depending which
city I renewed in. I licensed each year in 5 different cities.
There were a couple cities which demanded bank references. To me
it was a tad much, but I understood they wanted to protect their
citizens, and it was game you had to play, if you wanted to be
licensed in their city.

I just renewed my insurance, a combination of carpenter/repair and
landscaping, and I paid $1,200 for two megabucks of liability
coverage. I do occasional subcontract finish carpentry for a local
contractor, and he requires that level of coverage, because that's
the level he has. Insurance companies want everybody covered at the
same level, apparently.


carpenter/repair

?? Does that mean new construction carpentry and repair of old
carpentry? Is that all that it covers? I mean like what if you did
some associated plumbing and water damage occured because of a
failure of materials or workmanship?

Or does the policy also cover if say you strictly do some electrical
stuff and it results in a fire?

Just curious.

The carpentry/repair is my description for an unusual type of coverage
for repair of old stuff and creation of new, and my agent had to go
with Lloyds of London to find it. As a handyman, I do lots of different
kinds of stuff, and most insurance companies wanted to do fifteen
different policies instead of just one. The landscaping part costs less
than $100 a year, and the other coverage is about $1000.

I don't have plumbing or electrical licenses (or any other kinds of
licenses), so I'm prohibited from doing anything that requires a
license--by insurance coverage as well as by law. I can repair a sink
or install a faucet, but I can't run the pipes. I can install a ceiling
fan, but I can't run a new wire to the junction box.

As I understand it, my errors and omissions insurance covers pretty
much any damage I might cause, as long as I didn't do it on purpose, or
in a way that I should have known better as a professional, or it's
something they specifically exclude like asbestos remediation or lead
paint removal.

I just renewed it after a two-week lapse, because my insurance company
didn't send me a notice. Lloyds sent the notice to Brooks Insurance
corporate in Kansas City, and corporate didn't forward it to my local
agent. This was the second year in a row. That problem shouldn't recur,
since my agent is no longer affiliated with Brooks Insurance, seeing as
how they're going out of business. Lloyds will now send the notice
directly.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

Ed Pawlowski wrote in :


"SteveBell" wrote in message

Anybody have recommendations for me about bonds?

Thee are performance bonds that are to secure the buyer against not
finishing a job. Then there are person bonds, such as bank tellers
have. that insure them against theft of an owner's property while you
are working there.

The thing is, I see ads where people claim they're bonded. A locksmith
comes to mind. Is that a person bond that's somehow different from
insurance?

They often require a background check.

I think I'll do OK there. The FBI didn't have any trouble giving me a
clearance when I was a computer weenie for a military contractor. :-)

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

SteveBell wrote:
Red Green wrote in :


The carpentry/repair is my description for an unusual type of coverage
for repair of old stuff and creation of new, and my agent had to go
with Lloyds of London to find it. As a handyman, I do lots of different
kinds of stuff, and most insurance companies wanted to do fifteen
different policies instead of just one. The landscaping part costs less
than $100 a year, and the other coverage is about $1000.

I don't have plumbing or electrical licenses (or any other kinds of
licenses), so I'm prohibited from doing anything that requires a
license--by insurance coverage as well as by law. I can repair a sink
or install a faucet, but I can't run the pipes. I can install a ceiling
fan, but I can't run a new wire to the junction box.

As I understand it, my errors and omissions insurance covers pretty
much any damage I might cause, as long as I didn't do it on purpose, or
in a way that I should have known better as a professional, or it's
something they specifically exclude like asbestos remediation or lead
paint removal.

I just renewed it after a two-week lapse, because my insurance company
didn't send me a notice. Lloyds sent the notice to Brooks Insurance
corporate in Kansas City, and corporate didn't forward it to my local
agent. This was the second year in a row. That problem shouldn't recur,
since my agent is no longer affiliated with Brooks Insurance, seeing as
how they're going out of business. Lloyds will now send the notice
directly.


Does Brooks Insurance have Affirmative Action employees?

TDD

"Tarty" wrote in message
...

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

So, do you think they should shut down all the Arizona Home Depot and
Lowes stores to protect homeowners from themselves?

I was assuming the poster meant HVAC, electrical, or plumbing work.

Your analogy if comparing to HVAC,electrical or plumbing, is poor at best.

You don't need to go off the deep end Ed. Take a breath, relax.




What is so poor about the analogy? People buy electrical and plumbing
supplies every day and do their own work with no license. Some of these
people are rather talented, others are dumb. Most people that have a
license are competent, a few others not so.

"SteveBell" wrote in message

The thing is, I see ads where people claim they're bonded. A locksmith
comes to mind. Is that a person bond that's somehow different from
insurance?

They often require a background check.

I think I'll do OK there. The FBI didn't have any trouble giving me a
clearance when I was a computer weenie for a military contractor. :-)

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

AFAIK, it is a type of insurance. Locksmiths have the ability to make a
spare key to your house, possibly your security system, safe, etc. .
Obviously, you have to be able to trust them a bit more than a plumber
fixing a faucet. I guess you are insuring your honesty.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Tarty" wrote in message
...
"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

So, do you think they should shut down all the Arizona Home Depot and
Lowes stores to protect homeowners from themselves?
I was assuming the poster meant HVAC, electrical, or plumbing work.

Your analogy if comparing to HVAC,electrical or plumbing, is poor at best.

You don't need to go off the deep end Ed. Take a breath, relax.




What is so poor about the analogy? People buy electrical and plumbing
supplies every day and do their own work with no license. Some of these
people are rather talented, others are dumb. Most people that have a
license are competent, a few others not so.


A local company advertises: "We repair what your husband fixed"

TDD

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:40:41 -0500, "Tarty" wrote:

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed & insured. And
surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

In my experience and area, $35 per hour for licensed, bonded
contractor, $25 for the alternative.

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:32:21 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

Does Brooks Insurance have Affirmative Action employees?

????? What a weird question.

Sc-online


BRIEF NOTE ON COMPANY PROFILE


Ours is one of the Engineering consultancy organizations. We have
with us Architects, Structural Engineers, Public Health Engineers, and
M&E Engineers. Our in-house services include architectural, structural
engineering, electrical design, fire fighting, Centralized solar
system for commercial use, etc.

Our constant Endeavour has been to produce innovative solutions at
economical costs. Our attempts to create aesthetically pleasing and
structurally challenging buildings have been quite successful.

We are well experienced in designing all types of structures including
designing and large span structures using hi-tech construction
methodology.

We offer full fledged consultancy services and our integrated approach
to problem solving enable us to always provide the ‘best’ solution to
our clients.

We would like to mention here that we are capable of handling projects
of any type and magnitude anywhere in the world, as we are fully
equipped.

We are well experienced in the design and construction management/
supervision of large projects.

KLS wrote in :

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:40:41 -0500, "Tarty" wrote:

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed &
insured. And surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

In my experience and area, $35 per hour for licensed, bonded
contractor, $25 for the alternative.

Where's your area?

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

I have been in the home repair business 21 years and no one has ever asked
me for references.

How much are you guys marking up materials? I add 20% to materials.


I also have an A$$ Hole rate that can easily surpass $50.00 per hour. If
someone has **** all over their toilet and I have to work in their bathroom
it goes to $75.00+ per hour. If its just too gross we walk.

I was doing some painting at a clients home once and her dogs ****ed and
**** all over my canvas drop cloths. I left them there when we were done
with the job. I added the cost of new drops onto her bill, which she never
questioned. A month later she called me and asked if I was ever going to
pick up my old drops. I told her no because of the dog mess and I mentioned
that she had already bought me new ones. She says, OH I did??? Me = he he
he.

I have never advertised and seldom have business cards unless things slow
down like right now. I like to get my customers face to face or by word of
mouth. With the economy now I have been handing out business cards and
putting the word out that I need work. People are only fixing the things
most important to them and not decorating type things right now. I have come
up with enough work to carry us until January. I looked up handyman services
on craisgslist for the Phoenix area and there are up 200 ads per day. I
wonder if any of them get any work?



cm


"Raleigh_3_Speed" wrote in message
...


Tarty wrote:
I realize rates are different throughout the country, but I was wondering
about what rates are in your area.

I recently got a flyer in my paper box. This person advertises, HVAC,
electrical, & plumbing, among a host of other services. Some of the
things
missing in their flyer are key words such as licensed & insured.

In my city, one can get a general license for contracting, you must
provide
proof of insurance. I know this because some years ago, I used to be a
licensed/insured GC. My insurance company used to mail to the different
cities, a copy of my $500K liability policy, b/4 the cities would issue
a
license.

Licensing for electrical, HVAC, and plumbing are totally different from a
GC license and are State issued, but these services must be registered
with
the cities around here. They also must carry additional licenses with the
cities in these parts.

Anyways, this person advertises painting, leaf raking etc.

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed & insured.
And
surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

I charge between $25 - $50/ hr. depending on the work done.

Before you hire anyone, you should always ask for references.

Yes, it is considerably different.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"SteveBell" wrote in message
...

The thing is, I see ads where people claim they're bonded. A locksmith
comes to mind. Is that a person bond that's somehow different from
insurance?

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX

You would have to have extremely low overhead to operate a business on those
rates. $25.00 hr might equal $200 per day if you have no down time. - $10 -
$20 for gas, $10 - $15 for your truck payment and wear and tear, Tool
upkeep $2.00 per day. then add in the cost of bookkeeping, sick days,
vacation days, liability insurance, health insurance,taxes. hmm not much
left of your $25.00 per hour.

$25.00 to $35.00 is a waste of your time unless you are just in business to
fight boredom. IMHO

Heck.... I'm going to raise my rates to $45.00 starting today. Thanks for
the nudge.

cm


"KLS" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:40:41 -0500, "Tarty" wrote:

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed & insured.
And
surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

In my experience and area, $35 per hour for licensed, bonded
contractor, $25 for the alternative.

Sajay,

If you charge less than $40 per hour please stop by my place. I need some
work done my own house.

cm


"Sanjay" wrote in message
...
Sc-online


BRIEF NOTE ON COMPANY PROFILE


Ours is one of the Engineering consultancy organizations. We have
with us Architects, Structural Engineers, Public Health Engineers, and
M&E Engineers. Our in-house services include architectural, structural
engineering, electrical design, fire fighting, Centralized solar
system for commercial use, etc.

Our constant Endeavour has been to produce innovative solutions at
economical costs. Our attempts to create aesthetically pleasing and
structurally challenging buildings have been quite successful.

We are well experienced in designing all types of structures including
designing and large span structures using hi-tech construction
methodology.

We offer full fledged consultancy services and our integrated approach
to problem solving enable us to always provide the ‘best’ solution to
our clients.

We would like to mention here that we are capable of handling projects
of any type and magnitude anywhere in the world, as we are fully
equipped.

We are well experienced in the design and construction management/
supervision of large projects.

Tarty wrote:
"cm" wrote in message
...
In Arizona you don't need a license for any work under $1000. That
includes electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.

I can understand not needing a _permit_ for work under $1000, but no
license? That seems like an accident waiting to happen.

Arizona doesn't seemed concerned about protecting their citizens.

You mean protecting a trade association, labor organization, or special
interest, don't you?

On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:17:47 +0000 (UTC), "SteveBell"
wrote:

KLS wrote in :

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:40:41 -0500, "Tarty" wrote:

Their rate: $50.00 per hr.

Seems a bit steep for a handyman, even if they were licensed &
insured. And surely not enough for a licensed professional.

What's the going rate for a handyman in your area?

In my experience and area, $35 per hour for licensed, bonded
contractor, $25 for the alternative.

Where's your area?

Western New York.

Stormin Mormon wrote:
Yes, it is considerably different.

But concept is quite similar -- it's a spread liability coverage against
an adverse event. Only the specific circumstances and some details of
the actual operation are different.

--

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

What is so poor about the analogy? People buy electrical and plumbing
supplies every day and do their own work with no license. Some of these
people are rather talented, others are dumb. Most people that have a
license are competent, a few others not so.

We are talking about people doing work for others, for profit. Not someone
doing work themselves.

BTW, cm was half correct on their statement about the $1,000.

http://www.azroc.gov/l_gen.html#general_handyman1

and
http://www.azleg.gov:80/ars/32/01121.htm

KLS wrote:
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:32:21 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

Does Brooks Insurance have Affirmative Action employees?

????? What a weird question.

Not really, I have to deal with AAEs all the
time. It's a competency issue. If you read
Steve's post, his paperwork was not sent to
him as required. My guess is the AAE effect.
The truth always hurts.

TDD