Handyman or Electrician? How to Tell Which One Your Job Needs

Device swaps, fixtures and fans are handyman work. Panels, new circuits and repeated trips are not. Here's the line we draw.

Homeowners ask us this constantly, and the honest answer saves everybody time. There is a clear line between replacing a device on an existing circuit and altering the circuit itself. We stay on our side of it and tell you when a job crosses over.

Comfortable handyman territory

• Replacing ceiling fans, chandeliers, pendants, vanity lights and coach lights
• Swapping switches, dimmers, smart switches and receptacles on existing circuits
• Adding a fan-rated box where a fixture box already exists
• Converting recessed cans to LED retrofit trims
• Resetting and replacing GFCI devices, plus troubleshooting a dead outlet run
• TV mounting with in-wall cable management and drywall patching afterward

Call a licensed electrician

• Anything inside the breaker panel, or a panel upgrade
• New circuits, new home runs, or moving a circuit to a new location
• Breakers that trip repeatedly, or a GFCI that will not hold a reset
• Aluminum branch wiring, or ungrounded two-prong wiring you want grounded
• EV charger installs and dedicated appliance circuits
• Burning smells, scorched devices, or warm cover plates

Why we say no sometimes

Turning down work is not good for a single invoice, but it is good for the twenty jobs after it. A handyman who improvises inside a panel is a handyman you should not have in your house. We would rather point you to the right trade, then come back for the fixtures, patching and paint once the circuit is in.

Not sure which side of the line your project sits on? Text a photo to 980-949-1155 and we will tell you straight — including if it is not our job.

Tagged

• Homeowner Guide
• Fort Mill, SC
• Rock Hill, SC
• Tega Cay

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