Who am I gonna call? (home improvement edition)

December 19, 2024 6:26 AM

I want to hire out some work on my house in 2025, but I need to figure out what kind of professionals to hire! Please help me to extricate myself from my analysis paralysis.

Here are the tasks I want to hire out:

-The flashing and caulking around my 80-year-old windows needs to be repaired/replaced. (In the future I might replace some/all of the windows, but it's not a priority at this time.)

-I am considering removing metal awnings that are attached to my porch and windows. The awnings are fastened to my cast iron porch railings and asbestos-filled fiber cement siding, so I want someone who can do the job with finesse. (Though if the end result is going to look like crap, or messing with the siding is too problematic, I'll have them painted instead.)

-I need an exhaust fan installed in my ground-floor bathroom, which has never had a fan. I have a "1.5" story house, so there's no separate attic space, just vaulted ceilings upstairs. Do I need to hire two professionals, an electrician to install the fan and someone else to install the vent? I am confused.

What type of professional should I hire to do each of these tasks? I am excited to diy many projects on my list, but these jobs are not among them.

If it helps, I am located in Virginia.

posted by toastedcheese to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

These are relatively small jobs, the exhaust fan being the most complicated since you would need to install new venting through the roof. I would probably start by looking for a small general home improvement/remodeling contractor, who may also advertise handyman services -- we used someone like this a couple years ago to renovate our kitchen, bathroom, and screened porch, and they've been willing to do (or refer) small exterior jobs for us since then.
posted by AndrewInDC at 6:48 AM on December 19

These are small jobs for a general contractor and biggish jobs for a handyman. I don't think you need an electrician, but that may depend on your local electrical codes (and your personal attitude to code compliance).

If this were me, I would ask around for a highly rated handyman, and have them do the caulking job. (I found mine on Yelp fwiw.) That's the easiest job on your list, and certainly a one person job. If they do it it well and are easy to work with, ask them if they are capable of doing the other two jobs, which are a bit more complex and might require a second pair of hands.
posted by caek at 7:42 AM on December 19 [2 favorites]

My handyman I would totally ask to do that in my house, getting a quote on the first two and maybe asking them if they would do #3. If VA means "Northern Virginia" i can send you his details.
posted by sandmanwv at 7:57 AM on December 19

The bathroom fan is an annoyingly two-professional job, electrician at minimum, and someone else for the fan install (GC, handyman, or HVAC, though the latter would probably only touch it if they're doing other HVAC work in the house). They're small jobs for sure. If you have other electrical things you need worked out, to get an electrician a day's worth of work, would probably increase your likelihood of finding a quality one. Things like replacing old outlets with grounded GFCI outlets is one of our go-to's to round out a day for someone doing electrical work.

Doing such work without a permit, and more especially non-code compliant work can void your homeowners insurance- even if your claim at a later date doesn't even involved that system. I would at least take this into your personal attitude with code compliance.
posted by furnace.heart at 8:01 AM on December 19 [1 favorite]

@sandmanwv, if you are willing to share info on a good NoVA handyman/person I'd be very interested!
posted by shiny blue object at 2:20 PM on December 19