Home Maintenance and Repair

What to know before you hire

Handyman work, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. In housing stock this old, the difference between a licensed trade and a general handyman matters more than it would in a newer neighborhood.

Housing age is the defining feature of this market. Large parts of Chevy Chase and inner Bethesda were built well before modern electrical loads existed, which is why panel capacity, knob and tube remnants, and undersized service are recurring findings rather than rare ones. A repair that would be routine in a newer house frequently uncovers a second problem here. Ask any contractor how they handle a scope change discovered mid job, and get the answer before the work starts.

Potomac shifts the problem again. Larger lots often mean well and septic systems, longer service runs, and generator installations that a general handyman is not licensed to touch. Travel minimums and trip charges also bite harder out there, and some companies quietly decline the western end of the county without saying so.

Across all three towns, mature tree cover produces a predictable seasonal pattern of roof, gutter and drainage work, and storm related power loss. Companies that are excellent in April are not necessarily reachable in the week after a derecho. If emergency response matters to you, ask what the actual response window is in a storm event, not in normal conditions.

How to verify a provider yourself

Maryland separates general home improvement work from the skilled trades. An MHIC license covers home improvement contracting. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work require their own state licenses, and some counties license certain trades separately from the state, so check both.

1. Ask which license covers the specific work you need, not whether the company is licensed in general.
2. Verify the MHIC number in the Maryland Department of Labor licensing query, which also shows disciplinary history.
3. For electrical and plumbing, ask for the master license number of the person responsible and confirm whether that person is doing the work or supervising it.
4. Confirm general liability at the statutory minimum of five hundred thousand dollars, and workers compensation separately.
5. Get the contract in writing before any money changes hands. Maryland law requires it for home improvement work.

Maryland Home Improvement Commission: search the public registry or call 410-230-6309.

Questions to ask

• Which license covers the specific work I am asking for?
• Is the person doing the work licensed, or supervised by someone who is?
• Do you carry workers compensation for anyone on my property?
• Is there a trip charge or minimum, and does it apply to the estimate?
• Do you handle emergencies, and what is the response window?
• Is the quote fixed or time and materials?

What should make you pause

• A single company quoting rewiring, repiping and general repair without naming which licensed tradesperson performs which part.
• Cash discounts offered in place of a written contract.
• A quote that is time and materials without a not-to-exceed figure.
• Reluctance to provide a certificate of insurance directly from the insurer rather than as a forwarded attachment.

Home Maintenance and Repair providers

This directory is being built. A business appears here once we have confirmed its license with the state register that issues it, whether or not the business has heard of us. A verification badge is separate and narrower: it appears only after the business has signed a listing agreement, a current certificate of insurance is on file, and the credential has been confirmed on a stated date.

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Common questions