7 posts, read 9,823 times 800 posts, read 2,589,003 times Originally Posted by old oil driller If you find something, please post it here. I've been looking for something similar--particularly with electrical and plumbing. 18,139 posts, read 37,830,724 times 1,615 posts, read 4,667,897 times These typically were under the heading of "Adult Continuing Education" courses that were at one time offered by local Community Colleges and also the local school systems. They have lost popularity over the last decade and were no longer even paying for themselves. As a result they have all but died off. There are other ACE courses still offered but none in what you are wanting. Check with the local High Schools/School systems to see if they offer any still. Other than that you can go to places like Home Depot, etc., if they are still offering their homeowner help type classes. There are distance education type courses still available. However for this type subject it is much better to have face time with an instructor who can understand and answer your questions more accurately and completely.

The best way to prepare yourself is to just research and do as the situation presents itself. Learn what your limitations are and don't try to tackle a larger, more expensive job without direct guidance from someone who has done that type of work. Sometimes it is better to look over a professionals shoulder and ask questions the first time around. You might think something is an easy job until it turns into a major, and expensive, nightmare. I've seen some very interesting "Harry Homeowner" work while inspecting. There was no offense to anyone named Harry out there it is just the term we use when describing finds during discussions. Not often but I have on some finds just thrown my hands in the air and given up trying to figure "What the heck!". On the bright side of it I got to buy a lot of nice tools that the Wife wouldn't let me get. It's a great excuse for buying that "Tim Allen 5 Million Foot Pound Gizmo" that you'll only use once but hangs real nice on the garage toolbench wall!

"Ar Ar Ar" (in my best Tim Allen voice). 6,944 posts, read 15,933,781 times Why don't you do some projects at very cheap rates? That way you can research and learn while doing..... Want to put in a foundation watering system around my rent house? 3,027 posts, read 5,960,352 times Originally Posted by loves2read If you know the basics then you can follow youtube videos for simpler things, I am looking for training with the basics which can lay foundation for me to learn from online and practical work. Originally Posted by escanlan Very informative, thanks for taking time to write this. I am not trying to do all the work myself and also I am not planning to do if the work needs multiple people to do it, to put it simply training will help me to do small jobs and to understand bigger jobs so that I can effectively hire professionals to do. Originally Posted by Squirl You made me to laugh at first, later I kind of agree to your suggestion. I am going to offer my time and help to my friends who may require assistance.

But these things take longer to learn and may not be in time for me to take care of my house. My other problem is I am not in a position to hire handyman for every small work Originally Posted by ETex2 When it comes to minor electrical and plumbing I will be risking a bigger headache (as the other poster mentioned) by doing it myself without knowing what I am doing. Bigger Question: then how does all these handyman exists in first place without a training. Doesn't county needs to provide them a licence to do business in that case don't those handyman needs some kind of certification or authenticity to show to county to apply for the licence.business for sale sheringham If anyone finds anything please post here. handyman mountain view caI will also follow escanlan's suggestion and contact few organizations to find out. business for sale larbert

Will post it here if I find anything. If you help your friends, they will do likewise; you will all learn and do a better job when you work on things together: two heads ARE better than one when it comes to repairs. Many times we have an approach and talk it over and find a better way. My general contractor learned to fix garage doors/gdo's and also install sprinkler systems by hiring someone who agreed to let him be the helper. He said he only had to do it once each time and then he buys "how to" books at the half-price book store. handyman service ipswichAlso, I noticed our local community college offers different kinds of electrical, plumbing, etc. classes in continuing ed. My other problem is I am not in a position to hire handyman for every small work Fully understandable as it can become very expensive when you add up all of the little things needing to be done. Most of the handymen/women out there have a background in another trade, potentially have been performing repairs on homes for a long time either as a side biz, or on their own homes, etc.

As for a license there are two types required here. The first is a general business license which only registers the business with the local municipalities so they can monitor them, collect any required taxes, etc. Anybody can obtain a business license depending on the type work they are doing. The other type of license is a professional license for people such as electricians, plumbers, HVAC contractors, etc. If you check the State's WEB sites (one for example is Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation ) you can see who requires a license. In many cases you as the homeowner can do a lot of the various work yourself, on your own primary residence, without a license. Some municipalities do require a professional license for some of the work regardless of who does it. Check with your municipality to see what they require. I put some responses in blue above but would like to elaborate a little. Be careful of using a handyman/woman for any licensed and permit required work.

A handyman can sub-contract the work to licensed people but unless they carry a license for the necessary work they can not perform it themselves. The rule here in Texas is if it is a licensed function only a licensed person can advertise they perform it and contract their services to perform it. The problems that come with using unlicensed people are multi-fold. These handymen/women generally do not pull proper permits for the work they are doing. If you have a problem with an unlicensed person you can turn them into the appropriate authorities/licensing boards but do not expect any help from them to recoup any losses. It becomes strictly a civil court issue to chase them down. If these handymen/women perform work that requires a permit then you as the homeowner will be responsible for pulling the proper permit or risk dealing with any repercussions later. Most of these handymen/women are not carrying any insurances to protect you in the event they cause major problems.