Trying Out Some Dial-a-handyman Services

(Tuesday, January 04, 2005) - Hiring a local handyman is a crapshoot -- if you're not haggling over the bill, then you're sweeping up the bits of plaster and dirt that he left on the floor.

In a bid to professionalize the business, several companies are aggressively trying to create networks of independent contractors around the country. The idea is that you'll be able to call a toll-free number (or punch your area code into a Web page) and instantly get a reliable handyman in your neighborhood to hang a dining-room lamp or re-caulk your bathtub.

This push comes as America's housing stock is aging. Despite the teardown trend that swept the country in the 1990s, the average home in the U.S. is now 32 years old, up from 27 a decade ago, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. At the same time, as America itself grows grayer around the temples, more people are eager to farm out their home-repair and -improvement projects, economists and contractors say.

That provides a ripe business environment for these new-style handyman companies, which are opening additional outlets every year. Their biggest problem at this point, though, is spotty geographical coverage. Case Handyman Services, for instance, has only about 50 outlets, and has no presence in 26 states. Another of the bigger players, House Doctors Handyman Service, has 200 locations in 43 states, but only five in Florida and California combined.

Most of the companies operate under a franchise model, with franchisees paying a fee for the rights to a particular area, and then hiring handymen to do the actual work. Some of the companies say they screen for qualified handymen, while a few, including Mr. Handyman, do follow-up customer surveys.

To check out the quality of the work and the companies' responsiveness, we booked four of the largest services during the busy holiday week between Christmas and New Year's. In the D.C. area, we called Case's company-owned handyman division as well as contacting ServiceMaster, a multibillion-dollar company that, among other things, offers handyman service. We also scheduled work with two major franchises, House Doctors and Mr. Handyman. (A fifth service, the Handyman Connection franchise, was unable to accommodate us on such short notice.) Most of the services charge a one-time "dispatch" fee, plus a flat or hourly fee for the work.

When we called ServiceMaster's toll-free number about a kitchen leak, the company's subsidiary, American Residential Service, had a plumber peering under our sink and offering a quote that same day. Two days later, after we'd purchased a new gooseneck faucet (ARS didn't have any to our liking in stock), he installed the whole thing in an hour and a half. But it wasn't all sweetness and light. We had to pay a $45 "diagnostic" fee during the initial visit, even though we had been told that it would be waived. A company rep later said it usually charges a diagnostic fee, and in our case, there had been a miscommunication between the call-taker and the technician.

Case's handyman was particularly memorable. He managed to work expeditiously while also waxing about his work life and relationships.

In most cases, the handymen we tested were refreshingly attentive. Carl Manthe, the owner of the House Doctors franchise in Chicago, e-mailed the night before to confirm the time he would be coming over. Despite the holiday, Mr. Handyman's San Francisco outlet called promptly to reschedule when one employee called in sick. (The branch changed the time of the appointment, however, by almost an hour.)

But like a doctor's house call, this level of attention doesn't come cheap. In three and a half hours, Case's affable electrician hung and wired a wrought-iron Guatemalan lamp on our patio, installed a motion-activated flood light, covered an exposed wiring box, and fixed our broken doorbell. The tab: $406.35.

Even at House Doctors , which offers a free estimate and a flat rate, the prices range from reasonable to pricey. Merely hanging a large mirror set us back $30, but Mr. Manthe quoted us a price of $629.42 to supply and install a crown molding in our hallway, which seemed fair. He said his average job runs about $900.

NAME: Case Handyman Services
COVERAGE: About 50 locations in 24 states
TASK/TIME/COST: Hanging and wiring lamp, installing automatic floodlight, fixing doorbell; three and a half hours; $406.85 ($95 per hour, plus $30 "trip" fee and $44.35 for parts)
SERVICE: Handyman was a stickler for details but still worked quickly
BOTTOM LINE: Was able to work, drink coffee and tell stories all at once

NAME: Mr. Handyman
COVERAGE: 140 locations in 33 states
TASK/TIME/COST: Re-cutting and sanding two table tops, sealing a garage leak, resurfacing the bottom of a kitchen drawer, and replacing three old light switches; two hours; $220 ($90 per hour, plus $40 "dispatch" fee)
SERVICE: Called to reconfirm appointment time -- but for one hour later than we expected
BOTTOM LINE: Handyman had 15 years of experience and made the jobs look easy

NAME: House Doctors Handyman Service (www.housedoctors.com; 888-HOUSE-DOC)
COVERAGE: 200 locations in 43 states
TASK/TIME/COST: Hanging a heavy mirror; 30 minutes; $30
SERVICE: Owner of local franchise let our 3-year-old son play with his flashlight while he worked
BOTTOM LINE: A personal touch, but in the end free estimates can still cost you

NAME: ServiceMaster
COVERAGE: 60 locations for ARS; 150 technicians through Pegnato Handyman Services
TASK/TIME/COST: Fixing kitchen sink leak by replacing a faucet; two hours; $436.77 (including $45 "diagnostic" fee and $150 for the new faucet)
SERVICE: Neat, clean, and prompt; the plumber even wiped his feet at the door
BOTTOM LINE: We had to pay a $45 "diagnostic" fee, even though we were told it would be waived

View all House Doctors Press Releases

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