According to Merriam-Webster a handyman is: one competent in a variety of small skills, or inventive or ingenious in repair or maintenance work.  I agree with this somewhat, but I’m biased.

When most people hear the word ”handyman”, they envision an old drunk showing up, starting something and never finishing,  or worst of all causing more damage than he repairs.  I assure you, that is not usually the case.

 A handyman is a skilled person who has many years of experience, and can perform a  wide variety of skilled trade work.  Each handyman has a specialty, but should also have some knowledge and expertise in a variety of disciplines.  A good handyman knows his limits, and when to refer a project to a more skilled individual.

Handymen are usually called for smaller projects, where it isn’t cost effective to hire a contractor.  One man can do the work of several different subcontractors from various disciplines.

For example,  you have a rental home that has a toilet that won’t stop running, a hole in the drywall, and a broken closet shelf.  It is less expensive to have one handyman do these repairs,  rather than a plumber, drywall installer, and a carpenter.

Today’s society has become so specialized, that the true handyman is becoming a thing of the past.  For this reason, I encourage everyone who has a unique skill to take the time to pass it on to the next generation.