Stu from NYC: Definitely agree with you, anytime you hire a new handyman, always start them out with a few simple things in order to judge their skills / competency.
To everyone who replied "remember--you get what you pay for", and "anybody who will work for that won't have license, worker's comp., insurance, etc.--I'm not looking for someone to do truly skilled work, i.e., plumbing, roof work, a/c work, electrical work, and other such similar things that take specialized tools and/or knowledge & (ideally) years of training & experience.
I'm looking for a local "jack of all trades, master of none" kind of guy who can do simple things like:
Replace ceiling fans and fluorescent light fixtures
Hang an interior door
Replace window screens
Light pressure washing
Wash cars
Change oil and sharpen or replace blades in lawn mowers
Mow a lawn and do yard work like weeding, re-planting, trim shrubs, etc..
Clean and repaint exterior wooden decks
Install shelving in garage
I've got a large piece of property with several building on it, and can often give someone a full days work once every two weeks or so, so I'm looking for someone who I can create an ongoing relationship with, likely someone who has a full time job but who would like to earn some side-money.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I don't think any of the jobs above are so difficult or complicated that would necessitate hiring someone who is licensed and insured. Maybe $20-$25/hour is too low in this area, but $40-$50+ for this type of (relatively) unskilled labor seems crazy to me.
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