The Differences between a Handyman, a Contractor and a General Contractor?

A handyman is a person who generally does not have a trade license but has a lot of experience working with and repairing houses. He will have all his own tools and equipment. 
Keep in mind that not every handyman is made the same. Because there is no licensing process, there can be a huge amount of variability in the quality of service provided by one handyman compared to another. It is good practice to make sure that anyone you hire has positive online reviews, and comes recommended by someone who has hired him in the past. A handyman may or may not be required to have a city business license and he may be qualified in a particular trade.

A contractor is licensed in a particular trade like plumbing or electrical.

A general contractor is a licensed business that can hire sub-trades to get a major project done. He may have gone through an apprenticeship in some of the trades but not necessarily since he should be hiring qualified tradespeople. I said should because there are regulations about how many helpers he can have per trades person he hires and it might be a helper that he sends to your house. At the end of the day, it is the contractor who is responsible that everything is done to code with permits and inspections.

An advantage of handymen is their flexibility. If you need a paint touch-up on your property, minor plumbing repair, and doors replaced, a good handyman can do all three of these things, and you won’t have to hire and coordinate three separate contractors. Additionally, the hourly rate will be much lower since a handyman will have less overhead. Hiring a general contractor can be expensive because the contractor generally is not doing the work himself and has an office staff that needs to be paid. While a handyman may not have the expertise and training of a contractor, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t get the job done. It all depends on the complexity and scale of the project you have in mind and whether or not you want to do the work of the general contractor and manage your project yourself.
You have to make sure the people you hire get the required permits and get it inspected if it is new construction. One can not work on someone else’s permit. A handyman cannot do new plumbing, heating and ventilation or any electrical work and cannot take out a permit to do such work.

Know Your Project

Decide whether you should hire a handyman or a contractor before you decide to pick up the phone and start calling people to ask for help with your projects. It’s a good idea to figure out exactly what you need to be done. Write down a list of all repairs, modifications, and projects you want, and assess the amount of work you need to be done.

A good rule of thumb when deciding between hiring an independent contractor or a handyman is based on the size of the job. If you only need minor repairs or some small modifications to a property that could be handled in a day or two, a handyman paid by the hour might be sufficient, and will certainly be the most cost-effective option. If you have a large-scale project that will require extensive changes and plan such as an addition to a room, or remodelling of an entire existing room then you will need to hire a contractor. Also, different jurisdictions have different limits on the size of jobs a handyman can do.

Pay For What You Need

For small home repairs, a handyman can be a much more cost-effective, practical choice, since their hourly rates will be much lower than a contractor’s. Great projects to have handymen do include patching holes in walls, replacing weather-stripping, and caulking windows. When you hire a contractor, you’re paying for expertise and licensing, and it’s an inefficient use of money to pay for that when you don’t need it.

On the other hand, if you need electrical work done, you need to make sure it’s up to code. That’s when it really matters to have someone trained in safe electrical work. Make sure whoever you hire will leave the electrical work in your property safe and up to code.

Also if you need your roof repaired, call a roofer. You don’t want someone who thinks they know what he is doing trying to fix your roof. If you have water damage it can be expensive.

Anytime you need large modification done to a property, complying with housing code becomes a priority, and you want to make sure you hire someone who has the training and licensing to conform to code.

WSIB Requirements

A self-employed handyman is not required to have WSIB coverage as long as he does not hire a helper or do any commercial work. WSIB considers any rental property commercial so anyone who does work on any rental property is required to have WSIB coverage. A homeowner does not have to hire someone with WSIB providing he is living in the home that he is having work done on.
WSIB is workplace accident insurance. If you are getting a handyman to work on your commercial property you should ask for their WSIB number for your own protection. If there was an accident or someone claims to have hurt themselves on your property and they did not have the coverage you would be liable for all their expenses plus you would be subject to a substantial fine.

So Should You Hire A Handyman Or A Contractor?

If possible hire a handyman it will save you money. Hire someone who is established and will be around all year. Not a seasonal worker who is trying to make some extra money in his offseason. Someone like this might be cheap but will not be available to be your regular handyman in times of need.
I am a strong believer in hiring and shopping locally. If I am not local to you then be sure to read my blog post on how to find a local handyman.