How to Choose the Best Handyman Services Company in Northern Virginia

Do you need help hiring Northern Virginia handyman services?

When you need help with home improvement or maintenance tasks, it can feel overwhelming to know what contracting company to hire. You may find yourself asking, “How do I know if this company is trustworthy?” or, “How much experience should a technician have to complete the work I need done?”

At Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia, we believe in empowering our customers. That’s why we put together this guide; so that you know the best way to find a handyman services company that you can trust. Continue reading to discover what questions to ask a contractor and the steps to take to hire a company that has your back.

What to Ask When Hiring a Handyman Service

Before you start to research contractor companies that would be a suitable fit for your home maintenance and repair needs, you should have a list of questions prepared. These questions will help you figure out if the handyman service you’ve chosen is a good choice. Continue reading to discover our recommended questions for hiring a handyman service.

How Long Has Your Company Been in Business?

Experience matters—especially in the handyman service industry. A company that has very little service, perhaps a start-up or a new technician, may not be the best choice if you need help with a kitchen remodel, installing new bathroom tiling, or repairing damaged drywall. On the other hand, a business with a long-standing reputation in the community, with a team of technicians with years of experience will be a better choice.

For example, at Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia, our owner Jo McCabe has been pouring her passion for serving the Northern Virginia community into her Mr. Handyman location since 2008. With a focus on creating an exceptional team—with each technician possessing an average of 10-years’ experience in the trades—Jo and the rest of our handyman services experts consistently deliver exceptional customer service to our community.

Are You Insured?

It’s important to check and see if the handyman service you’re hiring is insured for damages and workers’ compensation. At Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia, all our technicians are insured.

What is the Timeline?

You’ll naturally want to know how long the handyman service will take to be completed, especially as different tasks will have very different timelines. For example, laying down tile where you once had carpet is a much more time-consuming task than changing light bulbs.

Asking for the prospective timeline of your home repair or improvement project will tell you two things:

How much interruption your family will have to deal with while the handyman service takes place
If the timeline is quoted at a reasonable amount, you’ll know you’re working with a company you can trust; for example, if repairing a chipped tile is quoted at more than one to two hours, you know you’re being taken for a ride

How Does Payment Work?

Different handyman services companies will have different methods of billing and accepting payment. Depending on how you want to pay, it’s a good idea to ask if the company you’d like to hire accepts your method of payment.

Additionally, it’s important to discuss billing and the breakdown of costs. Some companies will give you a reasonable quote at the start of a project only to hit you with hidden fees and surprise costs when the work is completed.

At Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia, we stick to the estimate we give you upon viewing the work you need completed. We offer upfront pricing so that you never have to worry about unwanted surprises with handyman service bills.

What Are Your References?

You should always ask the handyman services company you want to hire if they can show you their references. This may take place in a few ways, such as reviews on their website, images of past work completed, or reviews on Google My Business.

Will You Bring the Required Tools?

Your handyman services technician should always be prepared for the task at hand. As soon as your contractor shows up at your home, they shouldn’t waste your valuable time and money having to go back and forth looking for the appropriate tools. At Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia, we pride ourselves on our professionalism and organization. You can always count on us to bring everything we need to your home repair or improvement job.

Will You Clean Up After You Leave?

While this might seem like an obvious question, not all contractor companies consider cleaning up as part of the job. You also want to ensure that cleaning up does not cost you an extra fee. Be sure to ask the handyman services technician you want to hire if he or she cleans up before leaving your home. Not only will you get a sense of whether or not the technician will be a good fit for you, but you’ll also set the precedent that you expect your home to be clean before a handyman services company leaves.

The hardworking team at Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia always cleans up before leaving a client’s home. We understand the last thing you’ll want to deal with after having your drywall repaired or a new door installed is to clean up the remaining work site. Ensuring we leave a clean job is one way we show our customers that we put your needs first and truly respect you and your home.

Do You Have a Warranty on Your Handyman Services?

Just in case something in your home improvement or repair project does not go according to plan, you’ll have peace of mind knowing what a company will do to fix their mistake. If your handyman services job is not completed to your satisfaction or you find new damage in your home, you need to feel reassured that the company you hire will make it right.

At Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia, we’re confident that you will be satisfied with the work of our excellent technicians. In fact, we’re so confident that we proudly stand behind our work by offering our Done Right Guarantee. This promise guarantees all our workmanship and products. If you’re unhappy with our services, all you have to do is give us a call at 703-621-4817 and we’ll get it fixed right away.

Steps to Follow to Hire the Best Handyman Services Company

When you need to hire a handyman services company, it can be helpful to know what steps you should take to ensure you hire a contractor you can trust. Continue reading to learn how to find a technician who knows what they’re doing, is priced fairly, and has the experience required to complete your home repair or renovation job.

1. What Do You Need Help With?

Before hiring a handyman services expert, it’s good to know the details of your project. You might put more or less investment into your hiring decision depending on the complexity of your repair or renovation job.

For example, if you need help replacing the batteries in your fire and carbon monoxide detectors or cleaning out your gutters, you may feel less picky about the company you hire compared to a large-scale kitchen or bathroom remodeling project. In that case, you’ll need a contractor who is highly experienced and backed by many positive reviews.

At Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia, each of our talented technicians has an average of 10 years’ experience in the trades and are trained to deliver exceptional customer service. We can complete a range of home repair tasks—from door installation and fence repair to completely overhauling your home.

2. Conduct Targeted Research

Ensure you take the time to thoroughly research handyman services. While it can seem overwhelming to know where to start researching and what websites are trustworthy, we suggest looking at websites like HomeAdvisor and the Better Business Bureau. These websites outline customer reviews and complaints while noting if a business is professionally accredited.

To further assess a company’s level of professionalism, check to see if:

The company offers up-front pricing
The company offers a guarantee
The technicians are uniformed
The technicians arrive in a company vehicle
The technicians possess all the necessary tools
You have the option to schedule an appointment

3. Always Check References

During your research, once you’ve narrowed down the company you’re interested in, always double-check references to know for sure if they are a good choice. There are three ways to check a company’s references:

Ask friends and family if they have used the handyman services company previously and if they would recommend them
Check online reviews, such as Google My Business; these reviews tend to be plentiful, recent, and honest
Ask the company for their references—a good contracting company should be able to direct you to their references or provide them directly; Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia would do just that; we invite you to give our friendly staff a call at 703-621-4817

4. Familiarize Yourself with What to Expect

A good handyman services company should also be transparent. Transparency is key to illustrating trustworthiness and professionalism. Companies that are more structured tend to have a greater focus on the customer’s experience.

For example, at Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia, you can always expect our technicians to put your needs first. You can view our process below:

1. Scheduling: Our scheduling process is easy and ensures you don’t have to wait around all day for a handyman services technician to show up; you can book an appointment by either calling us at 703-621-4817 or by requesting a service online

2. The Arrival: Your Mr. Handyman technician will arrive on time in a clearly marked van, wearing the official Mr. Handyman uniform, and bringing all the required tools; at this time, your technician will go over the job details with you

3. The Work: Once the job and price have been confirmed, we start on your home repair task; we can either use materials you’ve supplied or materials we pick up for you (at an additional fee)

4. Payment for Work Completed: Our services are billed at an upfront hourly rate so you only pay for the time required to complete the job; before we leave, we’ll also go over the work we did and take time to answer any of your questions

5. Talk About Pricing

Since different contracting companies have different policies, it’s important to ask a few pricing questions. Be sure to discuss:

Methods of payment
Estimates (when applicable)
How pricing works (e.g. when payments are made)
If there are any additional fees you should know about

The team at Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia offers flat-rate pricing so you never receive a bill with hidden fees or surprise costs. When we arrive at your home, we look at the work required and agree upon the price with you before we get to work. With us, the bill you expect is the bill you get.

6. Leave a Review

Even though this step is not technically part of the hiring process for handyman services, leaving a review will be helpful for the next homeowner looking to hire a contracting company. When leaving a review, be sure to:

Leave a detailed and honest outline of the work you had completed
Note if you would hire the technician/company again
Provide before and after pictures if possible

Hire Our Handyman Services Today!

Do you need help with home repair, maintenance, or improvement tasks around your home? Our qualified, experienced, and insured technicians can help. We invite you to give us a call at 703-621-4817 or request a service online to get started today. We look forward to meeting you and hearing more about your upcoming project.