If you enjoy working on projects around your home and are good at fixing things, becoming a handyman might be a great career choice. Before you get started, you’ll need to make sure that you are properly trained. Fortunately, you can get started with minimal training. However, there are some tasks that will require additional certifications or licenses.

So, if you're thinking about becoming a handyman, read on to see what kind of training handymen should take:

What Training Do I Need to Become A Handyman?

The good news is that you don’t need any special training or certifications to get started in your handyman career. However, it’s good to know how to use simple hand tools, have good problem-solving skills, and a basic understanding of construction or repair work. Most handymen take care of tasks around homes and businesses such as painting, gardening, hanging shelves or picture frames, unclogging drains, and changing lightbulbs. Most people can handle these tasks without any special training.

If you have worked in the construction industry or another skilled trade in the past, you’ll likely be able to jump right into helping clients with their handyman needs. If you don’t, you can take a job as an apprentice for another handyman or work as a labourer in the construction industry. You can also pick up a lot of skills from DIY (do-it-yourself) videos and books.

If you want to provide more complex or specialised services like plumbing or electrical, there are some certifications that will qualify you for that work and make you more marketable to clients. The two most popular are Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician and Certificate III in Plumbing. The first one will teach you everything you need to know to get your electrician’s license. The second will provide training on a wide range of plumbing or pipe systems including water, sewage, and gas.

It’s important to understand what type of work will require certifications or licenses to avoid providing any illegal services. For instance, in NSW any project over $5,000 (including materials) will require a contractor’s license. If you don’t have a contractor’s license, you can always hire a qualified contractor on behalf of your client.

Helping Handymen Stay Protected With Business Insurance

As a handyman, you can mitigate a lot of risk by avoiding jobs that you are not qualified for or don’t know how to do. For example, if you aren’t a qualified electrician, you shouldn’t accept the task of changing a light fixture. This could result in injury to yourself or others if not done properly. Even if you are skilled, things can go wrong from time to time. To help stay protected, check out upcover's instant quote generator, where you can get an estimate on market-leading insurance for handymen in seconds! This includes public liability for handymen. Simply enter your occupation as a handyman and your expected revenue to get started.