Locating handy person?

[sunni]

Hello All!

I'm in need of someone with basic carpentry skills for help with small projects. I am looking for ideas on how I might go about locating such a person in the Pullman, Wa., area. I am not married and I do not have any family here. Seems to me that those are the people who might help. I had a few friends do some minor work. Now, I need to undo it -- although I am very grateful for their efforts. For example, I have a exterior storm door a friend installed. He couldn't figure out how to install the locking hinge that keeps the door closed, so I'm left without it. The problem was caused by dimensions of the frame relative to the storm door itself. Hard to explain in writing. On that same door frame, the strike plate for the wood door is smaller in width than the width of the area it sets in..... so the person filled the extra area with wood putty. Looks like hell. I need a couple of wood steps built for my deck..and two boards replaced in my deck.

Anyway, I could list more. The jobs are too small for local contractors. I called several places and no luck.

Any suggestions on how to locate a handyman who can help a lady?

Thanks!

[rmurray]

There is a local fella in my area who calls his business.."Rent a husband"..He specializes in just what you need..He has told me that he gets all kinds of requests..that are off topic for him as well...I am sure there is someone like him in your area...I would suggest you check with the local building supply places for referals...Home Depot, Lowes and Ace will have knowledge of the local guy in the business..Also I would suggest looking in the ads of the shopper type of papers in your area..Good Luck..

[rmurray]

I did a short search os the Pullman area...Looks like a wonderful town to live in.

I might suggestr you call these folks for a refferal...They are large in rentals and must deal with small contractors often..

http://www.kipdev.com/

I started my search here..

http://www.nwmarket.com/index.php

and here...

http://www.pullman-wa.com/housing/MAPCONST.HTM

Good Luck...

[sunni]

Hi There...

Thanks for spending that extra time researching! Wow. What a nice gesture! Pullman is a really nice town -- cozy, safe, beautiful, rural and because of the university, a touch of culture. I know the owner of Kip Development. He said that there wasn't enough money in the small jobs I need to make it worth anyone's time, especially when there's lots of work in town on larger projects. I sure do agree that we need a "Rent a Husband" business here. (Boy, maybe I should start one up... subcontracting to husbands!)

I'll post something in the local paper. Any tips on how to discern between the good and the bad applicants?

Washington state has evidently enacted some sort of law that requires that contractors be licensed to work on mobile homes. I know little about this; I heard about it when the local lumber/supply shop wouldn't install my storm door that I purchased from them. They also could give me no referrals, saying, once again, that in this town we have a large college age population that resides in manufactured homes -- and, as a result, the money isn't there. The college students don't buy such services (come, live, go). The town size is 24,000, of which 17,000 are college students.

I did try and contact people 35 miles south of me in Lewiston, Idaho/Clarkston, Washington. We live on top of a plateau; the LC area is "down there in the valley!" It's called the banana belt because the climate is so very different from here. Anywho, I batted out there, too. You drive a 10 mile, 7 percent incline to get up to here from there. Lots of people don't want to do that grade drive to get up here, so Valley people stay in the valley. But, long story short, everybody I talked to down there wants a hefty mileage fee. For good sized jobs, that makes perfect financial sense. And I understand their wanting it.

But it sure doesn't do it for me!

I'll keep trying. Any advice from people on screening handyman would sure be helpful, as well as any info on this Washington state law.

Thanks!!