Step 2: Start your search

Word of mouth is still considered one of the best ways to find a reliable handyman. Talk with neighbors, people who live in similar houses, clerks at the local hardware store, or trade workers who have done work on your house in the past. The Web is a convenient way to find a professional, but there are some guidelines to follow to ensure a good hire.

Although handyman and home-improvement franchises aren't exactly sprouting like Starbucks and Subway, it's a fast-growing area with more than a dozen national companies vying for customers, including companies like Case Design/Remodeling, Handyman Connection, House Doctors Handyman Service, and Mr. Handyman. But don't be fooled by size or a slick Web site. The locally owned operations are only as good as the people who work for them. Typically, the franchise owners screen employees to ensure they do not have criminal records, are good drivers, and are properly licensed and insured. The companies often require employees to have a certain amount of experience--Mr. Handyman says it has technicians with 15 years of experience while Case requires 10 years.

Case provides an array of offerings through its "Case University" training program, which is held at the company's headquarters in Bethesda, Md., and in various parts of the United States. Classes include seminars on basic electrical and plumbing skills and programs covering customer service and leadership. In contrast, Handyman Connection provides training on a more informal basis, typically through mentoring sessions at the local franchise level. Case also requires new employees to work alongside a company veteran for three weeks.

But those franchise operations tend to be more expensive than the typical $30 per hour to $60 per hour charged by an independent handyman, with some rates soaring to more than $90 an hour along with fees for traveling to and from the job. While many of those franchises work in much the same way, you should look for differences in how much experience they require of their handymen, how they screen employees, and how much they charge. In addition, verify how the job will be billed. Will it be hourly, hours plus materials, or a set fee for the entire job?

Sites that provide handyman screening and referrals are alternatives to franchise companies. At servicemagic.com, which says it is the largest such site, has merged with several similar online services including 1-800-Contractor (at www.1800contractor.com) and ImproveNet (at www.improvenet.com). The company screens local handymen for licensing and insurance and offers to mediate any disputes you might have with the worker. If the dispute is not resolved, ServiceMagic offers to pay up to $500 to fix the problem.

One customer who contacted ServiceMagic seeking reimbursement for a storm door after it was installed upside down was told the company would try to mediate, but "as an advertising service, we have no legal leverage over them to force them to resolve this situation." The handyman ultimately paid for the door and the dispute was settled.

The Web is also a good source of reviews from people like you. One of the most popular is Angie's List (at www.angieslist.com). More than 20,000 people a month use the site to report their customer experience in 250 categories, including home improvement and handymen. Membership in the network ($10 to join and a monthly fee of $6) gets you access to first-hand accounts from other members along with A to F ratings in several areas, including price, quality, punctuality and professionalism.

Sites like Judy's Book (at www.judysbook.com) and Insider Pages (at www.insiderpages.com) are basically online business advertising directories like the Yellow Pages, but users can post comments or questions about companies listed. "The central problem with these yellow page-like sites is that often they don't have enough user content to help the consumer make a decision," says Greg Sterling, whose Oakland, Calif.-based market-research firm, Sterling Market Intelligence, tracks such sites.

In addition, there is usually no way of verifying the legitimacy of the comments. In contrast, ServiceMagic allows only those who have used a company to make comments about it, and only members can comment on Angie's List and comments are screened for integrity.

And now, on to Step 3: Dig deep.