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How to Hire a Handyman Without Getting Burned: 7 Checks

"He took the deposit, did half the job, and stopped answering his phone." Almost every burned homeowner tells a version of the same story — and almost every version was preventable with checks that take ten minutes. Here are the seven that matter.

1. Know exactly who is coming into your home

A real name, a photo, a business identity you can look up. "My cousin does repairs, here's a phone number" is how stories start. A pro who works under his own name and face has something to lose — that's your first layer of protection.

2. Agree on the scope in writing — before anyone picks up a tool

Not a contract novel: a message or a note that lists what will be done, what won't, and what materials are included. "Fix the bathroom" means eleven different things to eleven different people. Two sentences in writing prevent 90% of end-of-job arguments.

3. Never pay the full amount upfront

The normal pattern: a modest deposit for materials on bigger jobs, the rest when the work is done and you've seen it. Full prepayment removes your only leverage. A pro who insists on 100% before starting is telling you how the job will end.

4. Know where the handyman's license boundary is

In most states, anyone can hang a door or patch drywall — but electrical, plumbing and gas work legally requires a licensed tradesperson, and permits for bigger work. A good handyman will tell you himself when a job crosses that line. One who offers to "just move that panel, no permit needed" is offering you the liability too.

5. Photos before, during and after

Pros who document their work are pros who expect it to be judged. Photos also settle every "it was already like that" dispute before it starts. If someone refuses to have their work photographed, ask yourself why.

6. The price should be named on site — and then hold

Quotes given from a photo or a phone description are guesses, and guesses grow. The honest model: the pro looks at the real job, names a real price, and the price holds unless hidden damage appears — in which case you see it and approve the change before work continues, not after.

7. Ask about the guarantee — and get the answer in writing

"If it leaks in a month, do you come back?" A pro who guarantees his work says yes without blinking and puts it in the same message thread as the scope and price. No guarantee isn't automatically a scam — but it tells you exactly how much confidence you're buying.

Sviy Mayster was built around exactly this list: photo profiles, ratings only from finished jobs, and prices quoted on site before work begins.