Handyman Costs

[Kim R.]

We have a friend that is going to provide handyman services for us on our rental property. Sent him out for the first job which is to caulk the sink in the kitchen. Here is my question - if he has to buy caulk, do we pay but then he keeps the  leftover materials? Just curious what the industry standard is on this kind of thing. So basically, if a handyman/contractor/etc has to buy a material that will be used on properties other than yours (like caulk, nails, etc) who pays? 

[Wesley C.]

I'd say this is an arrangement you need to make on the front end.  Terms need to be defined.  Typically a contractor breaks down the cost of a job by labor and materials.  In such a case, the materials are yours.  However, a contractor might give just one price for a complete job.  In this case I would say you should not expect any of the materials as he might be planning on using materials he commonly uses and buys in bulk or he might be planning on using them for another job.  

If you are using a friend, I'd think a simple conversion could clarify all of this.  If you trust him and the job is small, you might not want to get to picky or technical.  But if you are dealing with big expenses, make sure everything is in writing. 

One last word:  proceed with caution when employing friends and family.