Where can you find the best contractors online? There's something special about being a homeowner and being able to transform the place you reside into exactly what you want. Remodeling can be magical for those who enjoy changing the look of a space or repurposing it for something different. Other home improvements aren't as much fun as necessary, such as replacing a leaky roof or a toilet. But they all have one thing in common - the need for someone who knows what they're doing.
Good
Calling themselves the "easy, reliable way to take care of your home," Handy offers 10 different categories of services to help homeowners. Started by college students who sought quality handymen to help with their renovation projects in 2012, Handy aims to be the easiest and most convenient method of finding household help across most major cities in the United States and into Canada and the United Kingdom.
Millions of completed projects
Previously named Handybook, Handy boasts millions of completed bookings throughout their worldwide platform. Offering cleaning, handyman, plumbing, furniture assembly, and more, if you're looking for help with a task around the house, they likely can connect you with a screened pro to do it.
Focus on safety
What sets Handy apart from some of the other platforms is that they screen the independent professionals who complete work for you through Handy instead of just giving you a referral. They say pros are experienced and will arrive on time, which you know is a big plus if you've ever waited to receive any kind of service. Rest assured that handyman and cleaning providers you book and pay for through their platform have been background checked and completed credential verification. However, Handy also says they can't guarantee licensing for handyman services because their pros are independent service providers. (This feels a little frustrating for those wanting to work with qualified professionals.)
Hard to know if they're near you
The Handy website lists all of the cities they serve but has no way to search for yours without scrolling or choosing the closest metro city. We clicked on Chicago and then had to scroll to the bottom of the page before it would give us a link to all neighborhoods served in this metro area. Since it's such a big area, it's possible not all services are available in all of the suburbs. It's frustrating to have to search another list of neighborhoods and suburbs in alphabetical order with no search bar only to find out your city isn't included. There has to be a better way to allow customers to see if your service can help them find home help.
How it works for small projects
Once you click on a city, you can browse their lists of providers by service offered. Choose what type of smaller project you're looking for and you'll be shown a listing of the service. Profiles include a small photo of the Handy worker, first name and last initial, star rating, number of jobs completed, and a brief bio of the type of work done. Customer reviews are at the bottom of the page. However, you will be assigned the "best professional available" based on the time and date of your request. We like all of this information... but then we find that we don't get to choose our pro? Not our favorite.
Finding your contractor
When your booking goes into the Handy system, they share it with their network of pros who are then able to claim it if it suits their preferences. If you like a specific pro, you can add them to your team in the mobile app and they will be requested first for future bookings. Handy will give you instant pricing once you choose an appointment time and allow you to book and pay for your appointment, though you will be required to provide an email address for this. Before you are actually given a price, you must also include your full name and phone number. While Handy claims this is a "seamless 60-second booking process," we found that many unanswered questions kept us from wanting to book with them (such as unclear cancellation fees until you dig for the information).
The process is different for major home projects
When you choose a home project that requires something Handy workers don't do (bathroom remodeling, for example), you'll be taken to a general page which permits you to request a quote marked "powered by Angi" (the company acquired Handy in 2018; see their separate review on our list). The webpage gives information about the project, how Handy connects you to professionals, a breakdown of possible costs, and some frequently asked questions; you may also be asked for more information about your task and when you would like service.
Hybrid platform can result in matching without comparison
Unlike some other contractor service companies, since it's a hybrid platform Handy doesn't allow you to compare prices for most of their small services. You are just given a quote for service and matched with someone to do the work for you. This is different when you choose from the home improvement projects that go through Angi, where instead you're given quotes for the work based on your answers to their questions plus anything you wish to add. To get the quotes, you must include your full name, phone number and email address. Angi will then give you the quotes. You cannot see the pros prior to this step. We would definitely prefer to see some information before providing ours.
Happiness guaranteed for their work
The Handy Happiness guarantee states that they want to match you with the right pro every time. Unsatisfied due to quality? They say they'll send another pro at no extra charge for your next booking. If your property is damaged, Handy is insured and will take care of you (but be very aware that the terms of service limit the amount of financial loss and say that your homeowner's insurance is considered to be primary over their secondary policy).
Communication with your Handy pro on small tasks
Prior to your booking, you will be given a phone number for your Handy professional using a masked number system for the safety of everyone involved. In-app chat is also open within 24 hours of the job start time. Available on Android and iOS, the app has decent ratings, with Google Play users ranking it just 3 stars out of 5, while Apple App Store reviewers give it 4.1 out of 5 stars. Reading the reviews makes it clear that some are rating the Handy service and not the app, so if you're going to use Handy, try the app for easier booking, communication, and payment.
Customer service options
Providing customer service, Handy has your back. Their helpful team is just a call or click away. Their phone is only open during certain hours, though live chat is available 24/7.
Cancellation can cost you
After seeing references to a cancellation fee, we did some digging to find out how much it was. Eventually we discovered that rescheduling or skipping a booking with Handy's service will incur a $25 fee - if you cancel or reschedule within 2 to 24 hours of the booked start time. Any closer to your booking time and you'll forfeit the entire booking fee; the same goes for a missed appointment fee. We are not crazy about this policy, since life happens.
Mixed reviews raise concerns
Handy is not accredited by the BBB but has an excellent "A+" rating from them with less than a dozen complaints in the past year. Across online review platforms, Handy receives mixed reviews ranging from 1 to 4.1 stars out of 5. With over 12,000 5-star reviews on Trustpilot, we would love to highly recommend this company, but thousands of Yelp reviewers have rated the company 1 star, leaving us to wonder why there is such a discrepancy between service experiences. Many experienced no-shows or were frustrated with assigned Handy pros. Others raved about excellent, friendly service and quality work.
Just above average for contract work
There are some things we like about Handy, such as tens of thousands of 5-star reviews, their vetting of pros for small projects, and the easy booking process. However, we don't like the clunky website, using Angi to refer work for major home projects, and the many 1-star reviews we found. As a result, Handy is a mid-range option for finding contractors online.
Continued from above...
There's something special about being a homeowner and being able to transform the place you reside into exactly what you want. Remodeling can be magical for those who enjoy changing the look of a space or repurposing it for something different. Other home improvements aren't as much fun as necessary, such as replacing a leaky roof or a toilet. But they all have one thing in common - the need for someone who knows what they're doing.
Most people who know their DIY limitations seek professionals when a job is too big for them to handle or they lack the skills necessary to complete it properly. At that point, they look for a contractor to do the work. But how do you find someone who is both qualified and trustworthy to do a job?
That's where contractor platforms come in. Whether you're seeking a handyman or a skilled electrician, these online services exist to connect homeowners to professionals, typically for no cost to the homeowner. Looking online for a contractor has replaced scanning newspaper advertisements in recent years. Yet not all referral services are created equal.
Because there are so many platforms promising to match you with the right expert, it helps to understand how they work behind the scenes. Some services simply maintain large directories of professionals and leave most of the vetting to you, while others pre-screen contractors for licensing, insurance, and customer satisfaction. The more you know about a platform's process, the easier it becomes to feel confident that the person you hire will show up, communicate clearly, and finish the project the way you expect.
Homeowners also appreciate the convenience these platforms bring to the early stages of a project. Instead of making dozens of phone calls, you can submit a brief description of the work you need and let contractors reach out to you. Many services even allow you to compare quotes, read verified reviews, and see photos of past jobs in one place. This takes much of the uncertainty out of choosing the right professional and helps you move forward with a project feeling far more prepared.
There are many factors to consider when comparing these services. Here are the top factors to consider when you check out places to find a contractor or other qualified help for work on your home:
At Top Consumer Reviews, we want to help you find the right person to take care of your home projects, so we've reviewed and ranked the best sites to find contractors for hire. Our hope is that this information leads you to the perfect person to complete your home projects so you can sit back and enjoy your living space once again.
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