Call a handyman for cosmetic, self-contained work that does not change the structure, wiring or plumbing in a way that needs a permit: mounting, drywall patches, fixture swaps, blinds and small repairs. Call a contractor or licensed trade when a job moves walls, adds circuits, re-pipes, touches gas, or needs a permit and inspection. A mixed list can be split between them.
One of the most common questions we get is deceptively simple: “Is this a handyman job or do I need a contractor?” Call the wrong one and you either overpay for a small fix or under-scope a job that needed a permit and a licensed trade. Here’s how we think about it.
When a handyman is the right call
If the job is cosmetic, self-contained, and doesn’t touch the home’s structure, wiring, or water supply in a permitted way, it’s handyman territory. Think mounting a TV, patching drywall, swapping a faucet, hanging blinds, assembling furniture, or working through a list of small repairs. These are jobs a skilled generalist can complete in a single visit, and paying a full contractor for them rarely makes sense.
When you need a contractor or licensed trade
The moment a job involves moving a wall, adding a circuit, re-piping, or pulling a permit, you’re in contractor and licensed-trade territory. Anything structural, anything that changes the footprint of the home, and anything the city or ESA needs to inspect should be handled by the right professional — not because it’s harder, but because it’s about safety, insurance and resale.
- Cosmetic and self-contained → handyman
- Structural, electrical circuits, gas, or main plumbing → licensed trade
- Permits or inspections required → contractor who manages them
The honest middle ground
Because we’re builders who also do handyman work, we live in that middle ground every day. We’ll happily handle your to-do list — and if something on it crosses the line into permit or licensed-trade work, we’ll tell you plainly and either bring in the right person or point you to one. That honesty is the whole point of hiring someone who understands the entire house.
Frequently asked questions
A general contractor manages a project: the scope, schedule, permits and the trades who do the work. A licensed trade holds the qualification for one regulated type of work. In Ontario, electrical work is done by a Licensed Electrical Contractor under the Electrical Safety Authority, gas work by a TSSA-registered contractor, and plumbing by certified plumbers. A renovation usually needs a contractor coordinating several licensed trades.
Yes, and it is often a sensible way to split a project. Once the contractor and licensed trades have finished the structural, electrical and plumbing work and the inspections are signed off, the finishing work — paint, trim, hardware, fixtures, blinds and mounting — is handyman territory. The key is sequence: nothing should be closed up or covered before an inspector has seen what needs inspecting.
A buyer’s home inspector may flag it, and the buyer can ask for permits, repairs or a price reduction before closing. Insurers can also question claims connected to work done without permits. Many municipalities will let you apply for a permit after the fact, but an inspector may need walls or ceilings opened to see the work. Keep permit records and final inspection sign-offs with your house documents.
Ask for a certificate of liability insurance and a current WSIB clearance certificate, which you can verify with WSIB. For electrical work, the Electrical Safety Authority lets you look up Licensed Electrical Contractors; for gas work, ask for the contractor’s TSSA registration. Ask whose name the permit will be under, and get the scope and price in writing. Hesitation on any of these tells you something.
Alan
Project Manager, FixitPlus Inc.
Alan has spent more than 20 years building in the Greater Toronto Area — custom homes from foundation to final trim, second-storey additions, and full-house renovations. He runs every FixitPlus job as the single point of contact, from the first quote through the final walkthrough, and writes the advice on this site from what actually happens on site.
- 20+ years of custom-home building across the GTA
- Project manager on new builds, additions and whole-home renovations
- Single point of contact on every FixitPlus job
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