Below is what helps you avoid that in any city: where to look, how to check someone in a few minutes, what to write down before work starts and the signs that say walk away. What a handyman does and how to hire one is covered in a separate article. This one is broader, from swapping a tap to redoing a bathroom.
Where to start when you need a tradesman
Before you ask anyone about dates, describe the job. Sounds obvious, but without a description every tradesman hears a slightly different version and prices something different. Comparing those quotes tells you nothing. A few sentences and a couple of photos are enough:
- what needs doing and how much of it: square metres, number of items, which room;
- photos close up and from further back, including what’s around: sockets, pipes, the state of the wall;
- who buys the materials and whether anything is already sitting in storage;
- when you want to start and when it has to be finished;
- building quirks: no lift, parking, the hours your building lets you make noise.
There are three places to look. A recommendation from friends is worth the most, as long as you ask what exactly that person did for them. A neighbour’s good tiler doesn’t have to know electrics. An ad gets you a quick contact, but you do all the checking yourself, from scratch. On platforms where the client posts a job and tradespeople reply with bids, some of that information is right there in the profile. The list in the next section is still worth going through.
Get two or three quotes. Not to haggle the price down. If two quotes are close and the third is half the price, the third is leaving something out.
How to check a tradesman before letting him in
Fifteen minutes is enough. Look at what can be verified, not at how confident someone sounds.
- Reviews. Read what people wrote, not just the stars. One specific line like “replaced the drain and cleaned up after himself” tells you more than ten ratings with no comment. Check how the tradesman answers criticism, too.
- Photos of past work. Ideally similar to your job and from different flats. The same three pictures in every ad should make you wonder.
- Registered business. If he runs a business, he’ll give you a NIP (tax number). A sole trader (JDG) can be looked up in CEIDG, a company in KRS, and a VAT payer together with their bank account on the white list (biała lista). Someone working under unregistered activity (działalność nierejestrowana) won’t show up there. That alone isn’t a problem; just ask straight out what document you’ll get for the work.
- Licences. For electrics and gas, ask for the świadectwo kwalifikacyjne (qualification certificate) and check it covers this kind of work. “I’ve done this for years” is not a licence.
- Invoice or receipt. The tradesman issues it. If you need one, settle that before you pick him, not after the job.
A word on safety. Don’t hand electrical, gas or water work to someone unqualified just because he’s cheaper or came recommended. A badly connected wire can start a fire, a leaking gas joint can poison or explode, and a pipe leaking inside the wall ends up in the flat below. Before working on electrics the circuit is switched off; before plumbing work the valve is closed. Make sure that happens, even if the tradesman is in a rush.
What a tradesman costs and how to read a quote
Rates differ from city to city, so below are rough ranges from the HandyMan24 price list (Warsaw). Elsewhere they may look different, and the final figure always comes from the tradesman in his bid, once he has seen photos or the place itself.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Handyman work - hourly rate | 250–300 zł/h |
| Inspection and measurement | 200–300 zł/h |
| Technical consultation | 200–300 zł |
| Minimum call-out fee | 300 zł |
| Night or weekend work surcharge | 25–80 zł/h |
Indicative prices. Ranges for a typical scope. Fixings included, materials separate. Minimum order 300 zł.
In the table, an hour of a tradesman’s time is 250 to 300 zł, and an inspection or measurement 150 to 300 zł. With hourly pricing, ask how many hours he expects and what happens if it runs over. With a fixed price for the whole job, check what exactly it covers.
- Scope. Does the quote cover the job you described, including removal of old fittings and cleanup?
- Materials. Small fixings like wall plugs and screws are usually included in the labour. The main materials are charged separately.
- Rubble and carrying. Waste removal and carrying materials up are often extra, so ask whether they’re in the price.
- Timing. When he can start and how many days the work will take.
- Surcharges. Urgent call-outs, nights and weekends cost more. The table shows by what percentage.
A very low quote doesn’t have to mean a scam. More often it means something is missing from it. Find out what before you celebrate.
Contract with a tradesperson: what to put in writing and when to walk away
The agreement doesn’t need ten pages. A message or a document both sides confirm will do. What matters is that it exists before the first hole is drilled, not halfway through an argument.
- The scope of work point by point, with square metres and item counts.
- Materials: who buys them, exactly which ones (model, colour, quantity) and who pays for spares.
- Start and finish dates, and what happens if either side moves them.
- The price and how it’s calculated: for the whole job, per metre or per hour.
- Payment in stages: a deposit for materials at most, the rest after each stage is signed off.
- What you do if something new turns up along the way, say a corroded pipe under the tiles. The tradesman shows you the problem and gives a price, and you decide before he carries on.
Signs it’s better to look for someone else:
- a request to pay the full amount up front before anything starts;
- no written scope, and “we’ll sort it out on site” as the answer to questions;
- an off-the-cuff price for a big renovation with no photos and no visit;
- an offer along the lines of “it’ll be cheaper without paperwork”;
- pressure to decide right now, before you’ve seen other quotes.
On a bigger renovation, think about the order of trades as well. A bathroom or a whole flat needs several: an electrician, a plumber, a tiler, a painter. They’re often different people, and someone has to decide who goes in after whom. If that someone is you, write down a schedule and tell each of them what state they’ll find the room in after the previous trade.
How it works on HandyMan24
HandyMan24 is a platform that connects clients with tradespeople. It doesn’t do the work itself, doesn’t set prices and doesn’t hold your money. Each tradesperson works for themselves and answers for their own work.
- You describe the job in the app: show photos, give the address and write a few words. The app asks about anything missing and puts the list of tasks together itself.
- The job goes out to tradespeople in the matching categories and area. You don’t enter a budget; the tradespeople name the price.
- Each of them bids on a specific task with their own price, timing and a message. If the job includes several services, each one can go to a different person.
- You compare price, rating and reviews. The profile shows whether identity is confirmed, which licences have been checked against state registers (gas, energy, construction, UDT) and whether the business passed automatic checks in CEIDG, GUS and the white list.
- Until you choose, you talk in the platform chat. Contact details and the exact address are revealed only after you pick someone.
- The tradesperson records the work with before and after photos. You confirm it’s done, leave a review and pay them directly. The invoice comes from the tradesperson.
If something goes wrong, either side can open a dispute, which an administrator reviews. After the job is finished you still have a complaint button that reopens the chat with the tradesperson. The platform decides on the status of the job, but it doesn’t refund money, because the money never went through it.
What you won’t find here: a single contractor who runs the whole renovation turnkey with a site manager and one overall estimate. There’s also no pipe routing inside walls, no floor screeds, no machine plastering and no design projects. The app takes orders from anywhere in Poland. If you’d like a feel for costs first, see the page on renovation quotes in Warsaw.
Price is only one thing to weigh up; the rest is in how to choose a good handyman in Warsaw.
Common questions
How do I check whether a tradesman has a registered business?
Ask for his NIP and look it up in CEIDG (sole trader) or KRS (company). A VAT payer’s bank account can be checked on the white list. No entry may mean unregistered activity; in that case agree up front what document you’ll get.
How big a deposit should I pay?
A sensible arrangement is a deposit for materials at most, ideally against a receipt, with the rest paid as stages are signed off. A request for the whole amount before work starts is your cue to stop.
Is a verbal agreement enough?
A verbal agreement is still an agreement, it’s just hard to prove in a dispute. Write down the scope, materials, dates and how you’ll pay, even in a message both sides confirm.
Who issues the invoice if I find a tradesman through HandyMan24?
The tradesperson, because you pay them for the work. The platform doesn’t take your money. If you need an invoice, ask about it in the chat before you accept a bid.
Does HandyMan24 work in my city?
Yes, the app takes orders from anywhere in Poland. The advice in this article works wherever you’re looking.
Is it better to hire one handyman for several jobs?
Usually, yes. Several small jobs in one order mean one trip and one day. Describe everything in a single order in the app and tradespeople will quote for the whole lot.
Who is responsible if the handyman damages something?
The tradesperson who did the work: everyone works for themselves on the platform. If it matters to you, ask in the chat before choosing an offer whether they have liability insurance.
Got a job in or around Warsaw? Describe it in the app: tradespeople send their own prices, and you pick who does it.
Are you a tradesperson? Join HandyMan24 and bid on jobs in your area. You work for yourself and choose your own business set-up.
