The eight handyman categories we cover in Derby — and the five we politely won't touch

Whenever a Derby handyman website lists 'all home repairs' or 'no job too big or small', it's worth asking what the boundaries actually are. The handymen who try to do everything sometimes end up trying gas work, notifiable electrical work, working at unsafe height, or asbestos disturbance — and end up costing the householder both more money and more time than the right specialist would have. Here is the transparent Derby scope: eight categories we genuinely cover well, five we politely don't touch, and the cheaper-overall logic for each.

What we cover in Derby and Derbyshire

1. Carpentry and small joinery

Internal door hanging, skirting board fitting and repair, architrave, shelving (single and run), window-board replacement, kitchen-cupboard re-fit and adjustment, flat-pack furniture assembly. Anything joiner-adjacent that doesn't need a structural change. Day rates published on the site.

2. Painting and decorating

Single-room repaints, hallway and stairs, touch-up after building work, exterior masonry where access is from a ground-supported scaffold or a low platform. We use trade-grade Dulux Trade or Crown Trade paints unless the customer specifies otherwise.

3. Plastering repair and small re-skimming

Patch repair, small skim-over of cracked plaster, repair around new sockets or pipework. Whole-room re-plaster goes to a specialist plasterer; we'll recommend one. Anything that needs a wall taken back to brick is structural and out of scope.

4. Tiling, grouting and sealants

Bathroom and kitchen sealant renewal, grout repair, replacement of cracked or stained tiles, full splashback fitting. Awaab's-Law-relevant sealant work for landlords (see our companion blog) typically lands here.

5. Mounted accessories

TVs (with cable concealment), mirrors, art, shelves above 5kg, curtain rails and tracks, blinds. Anything that needs masonry-correct fixing into a Derby Victorian or 1930s wall.

6. Door, window and gate repair

Re-hanging an internal door, replacing a sticking lock or hinge, refitting a UPVC window's locking mechanism, re-hanging a garden gate, fixing a sagging fence. Replacement of a whole window or external door is on the boundary; we'll do it if the frame is sound, refer to a specialist if it isn't.

7. Outdoor handyman work

Gutter clearing from a safe ladder height, garden-gate repair, fence-panel replacement, garden-tap replacement, securing patio slabs, light external pointing repair. Roofing work and any task above safe ladder height is out of scope.

8. Bathroom and kitchen non-gas, non-Part-P fits

Replacement taps, basin replacement, toilet seat or flushing-mechanism repair, simple waste-pipe replacement, kitchen splashback fitting, replacement of light fittings on existing wiring (where the work is non-notifiable under Part P). The line is at notifiable electrical work — anything new that isn't a like-for-like replacement of an existing fitting goes to an electrician.

What we don't touch — and why

1. Gas work, including boiler servicing

All gas work in the UK requires a Gas Safe registered engineer (Gas Safe Register is the official body). Even apparently-trivial tasks like checking a flue or relighting a pilot need a registered engineer. We won't touch your gas. We'll refer to a Derby Gas Safe engineer or, for emergencies, route you to Cor's 24/7 line.

2. Notifiable Part P electrical work

Under Part P of the Building Regulations, certain electrical work in a UK home is notifiable to the local building control authority and must be done by a registered electrician (or with a building control inspection). New circuits, kitchen and bathroom socket additions in some configurations, and consumer-unit changes all qualify. Like-for-like replacement of an existing fitting on existing wiring is generally non-notifiable and we'll do that; anything beyond it goes to a registered electrician. Cor's 24/7 line covers emergency electrics.

3. Roof work, scaffold-required work, anything above safe ladder height

The Working at Height Regulations 2005 apply to us. Anything that needs scaffolding or work above safe ladder height (typically two-storey eaves and above) is out of scope. We will refer to a specialist; we won't risk a fall to save you a day's wait.

4. Structural alterations

Removing a load-bearing wall, fitting a steel beam, knocking through, structural-timber alterations to a roof or floor structure — all of this needs a builder, often with a structural engineer's calculation and building control sign-off. Out of scope.

5. Suspected asbestos disturbance

If a Derby property is pre-1999 and has Artex ceilings, textured coatings, old vinyl floor tiles, or insulation board that might contain asbestos-containing materials, we won't disturb it without an asbestos survey first (HSE guidance is consistent on this). We'll either work around it or refer to a licensed contractor.

"The handyman who says 'sure, I'll do that' to gas, height, structural and asbestos work isn't being helpful. They are taking on risk you didn't agree to and skipping qualifications that exist for good reason."

Why this transparency saves you money overall

When a handyman attempts gas work and gets it wrong, the next visit is from a Gas Safe engineer who has to undo the work as well as do it correctly. When a handyman attempts notifiable electrical work and gets it wrong, your home insurance can be voided in the event of a fire claim. When a handyman attempts roof work without scaffold, the fall risk is on you. The cost of doing it right the first time, with the right specialist, is almost always lower than the cost of an uncomfortable conversation with the insurer six months later.

How we make the referral easy

When a job lands outside our scope, we don't just say 'no'. We tell you which specialist trade you actually need (Gas Safe engineer, registered electrician, qualified roofer, structural engineer, asbestos contractor), and — where we know one we trust in Derby — we'll suggest someone. For emergency plumbing or electrical work, we route you to Cor on the 24/7 line. For larger projects, the broader Kirk Group network can help.