What to Look for When Hiring a Handyman

Hiring a handyman is, in principle, a small decision. In practice, you are letting a stranger into your house, trusting them with tools near your walls, and handing over cash for work you may not be in a position to judge yourself. This guide sets out the checks that actually matter and the signs that something might not be right.

Public liability insurance

This is the single most important check. Public liability insurance covers damage to your property caused by the handyman while working. Drilling through a hidden pipe, cracking a tile, scuffing a freshly painted wall: all are covered by a policy of £1 million or more, which is the standard minimum. A handyman without it is asking you to carry the risk personally.

Ask to see a certificate. Most handymen carry it as a PDF on their phone and can email it over in seconds. A polite refusal is a warning sign.

DBS check

A Disclosure and Barring Service check is a criminal record check. It is not a legal requirement for a handyman, but anyone regularly working in the homes of older residents should have one and should be happy to show it. An Enhanced DBS is the most thorough level and is the one usually held by carers, teachers, and tradespeople working with older clients. If a handyman says they have one, ask when it was issued. Certificates older than three years are worth renewing.

References

References are more useful than reviews. Reviews can be faked, or simply reflect a single good day. A reference is a phone number or an email address for a recent customer who agreed to be contacted. In a small town like Cirencester, word travels; a handyman with a decent reputation can usually give you two or three names within a few streets of where you live.

When you call a reference, ask practical questions. Was the price what you were told it would be? Did they clean up afterwards? Would you have them back?

Transparent pricing

A good handyman can tell you their hourly rate in one sentence. No "it depends", no vague noises, no refusal to commit to numbers. It is reasonable to say "this specific job I need to see first", but the underlying rate should be plain: a first hour figure, an after-hours figure, and a day rate if the job will go that long.

Some handymen charge a call-out fee on top of the hourly rate. Others bundle it into the first hour. Neither is wrong, but you need to know which one you are being quoted, or two quotes will look deceptively different.

Willingness to say no

This is the hallmark of a trustworthy tradesperson. A handyman who says "that is a job for a Gas Safe engineer" when you describe a problem with your boiler is telling you they know their limits. A handyman who offers to have a go at your consumer unit is telling you the opposite. The scope of handyman work is well understood: small repairs, fixings, assembly, like-for-like swaps, light plumbing, minor decorating. Anything outside that should be handed over.

Saying no costs a handyman a small job in the short term and earns them your trust for every future job. That is a fair trade for both sides.

Written quotes versus estimates

A quote is a fixed price. Once given, it cannot move without your agreement. An estimate is a best guess and can change if the job turns out to be bigger than expected. Both are legitimate, but you need to know which you are being given. For any job expected to take more than a couple of hours, ask for a written quote. A short email or text message is enough.

If the job grows mid-way through, a good handyman will stop, explain what they have found, and give you a choice before carrying on. No hidden extras. No surprises on the invoice.

Red flags

Some warning signs are subtle. Others are not. The list below is drawn from complaints that regularly come up.

• Cash only, no receipt offered.
• No insurance, or evasiveness when asked about it.
• Vague pricing, or prices that shift upwards once the job starts.
• Door-to-door cold calling, particularly to older residents.
• High-pressure language: "this needs doing today or it will get worse".
• Refusal to put anything in writing.
• No physical address or business name, only a mobile number.
• Asking for a large deposit up front on a small job.

None of these are definitive proof of dishonesty, but more than one in the same conversation is a reason to walk away politely and call someone else.

Questions to ask before booking

A short list of questions can cover most of the ground in a couple of minutes.

• Do you have public liability insurance, and can I see a copy?
• Do you have a current DBS check?
• What is your first hour rate and your hourly rate after that?
• Is travel included, or extra?
• Can I have a written quote before you start?
• Do you provide a receipt or invoice?

A handyman who answers all six without hesitation is almost certainly the kind of person you want in your house. A handyman who dodges any of them is almost certainly not.

The bottom line

Most handymen in the Cotswolds are honest, experienced, and happy to answer questions straight. The small number who are not tend to give themselves away quickly if you ask the right things. Insurance, a DBS check, clear pricing, and a willingness to say no are the four pieces that matter most. Everything else is detail.